Tottenham Hotspurs are still in search for their permanent manager after dismissing Antonio Conte earlier this season. The relationship between the trio – players, coach and board – was getting sour, and the tipping point was Conte’s press conference after the draw against Southampton.
At the moment, seeing off the season is Christian Stellini, who is highly unlikely to continue his reign as a head coach with the London-based club. In this blog, we will try to identify which coaches are more likely to be named Tottenham’s next manager. Make sure to check out the LV BET Sports Blog for more information and up-to-date analysis of Premier League current events. Also, follow us on Twitter for a more comprehensive analysis.
Julian Nagelsman:
The recently sacked manager from the role of Bayern Munich manager is a great prospect for many clubs around Europe. Chelsea are also in talks with the young and charismatic manager that focuses his efforts on man management rather than tactical shape-up in order to squeeze the best out of each player. A famous quote of his is:‘’ Coaching is 30% tactics and 70% social competence’’. His time with the German giants was tainted with a lot of politics – players not taking his tactics onboard and also off-the-pitch drama, with the team plan being leaked to the media. Despite the many disruptions to his workflow, he still managed to get them to the Champions League eliminating PSG in the quarter-final.
Looking at the assets in place at Spurs, which Nagelsman could inherit – he has great foundation on which to build his empire. He likes to play with wingbacks, which Tottenham have committed to after the acquisition of Pedro Porro from Sporting for €35M. He also likes to shape up a very narrow team with the whole squad squeezing to either side of the pitch in order to overcrowd that area and force turnover of possession.
Questions will be asked if he fits the profile of what Tottenham want from a coach after dismissing both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, who are born winners.
Maurizio Pochettino:
One of the most obvious targets is the Argentinian, who is well respected by Spurs’ fanbase. Should Daniel Levy opt to go for Pochettino, he might win over some fans who are fed up with the constant hiring and firing of managers. His spell at PSG after leaving Spurs wasn’t the best but then again, it’s PSG and no manager will be considered as a success if he doesn’t win the Champions League. A tall order that even Pep’s Manchester City are yet to achieve.
He is very familiar with the culture of the club and the style of play. He likes to play 4-2-3-1, but he now lacks that second striker who, in his stint with the club, was filled by Dele Alli – a replacement in that position is expensive to acquire.
Previously, Pochettino’s return back to Tottenham was being dismissed due to Fabio Paratici and his influence, but now that he has been banned from all football activities for his role played in the Juventus fraud scheme. This move might definitely materialise in Summer.
Luis Enrique
He is a well-known coach in the world of football, and he has won a lot of titles with Barcelona, who he managed to move away from the tiki-taka football with great success. His approach is a bit different than the other coaches, as he likes to make the pitch as big as possible to create spaces for his players. He would need a lot of investment to get players that fit into their system.
His main aim is to land the Chelsea job which might suit him better but you never know the luring powers of Daniel Levy might convince him otherwise.
Ruben Neves
Currently managing Sporting CP in the Portuguese league. He is a young and exciting coach, he plays the same way Spurs are doing at the moment, so there won’t be any huge tactical changes, just a more attacking-minded coach.
He has had experience in Champions League, where they played against Tottenham, knocked out Arsenal from the Europa League and managed to break the duopoly up in Portugal, with Benfica and Porto the main protagonists of the league.
Those were the main contenders for the job at the moment, with more and more being tipped for the job at Spurs as the season comes to an end. The chances of landing a big name coach such as Luis Enrique would increase if they qualify for the Champions League next season, but as we have seen in previous games, they are succumbing to the pressure from clubs who are further down the table.