Tottenham news – LIVE: Nagelsmann and Enrique lead next Spurs manager chase
Spurs could move for Julian Nagelsmann or Mauricio Pochtettino as their next boss
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham Hotspur begin their search for a new manager after Antonio Conte was sacked.
Daniel Levy has opted to wield the axe once more despite Spurs sitting fourth in the Premier League and primed for a place in next season’s Champions League. But with the atmosphere in this particular corner of north London turning sour, Levy has been ruthless.
Cristian Stellini has been installed as Acting Head Coach and will be joined by Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach. Julian Nagelsmann, after his sacking at Bayern Munich, and Mauricio Pochettino have already been linked and coud succeed the Italian, with the chasing pack of Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton looking to overhaul the deficit. Follow the latest updates as Levy looks for his next manager:
5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months
Sheffield United 1 Tottenham 0 (March 1, 2023)
A year on from losing in the FA Cup fifth round to a Sky Bet Championship play-off hopeful in Middlesbrough, history repeated itself for Tottenham with a late capitulation at Sheffield United. Conte was absent while recovering from gallbladder surgery but was a key figure in the decision to rest Harry Kane and make five other changes from the weekend win over Chelsea.
The end result was a disjointed display where the Premier League outfit were toothless in attack and cut open with 11 minutes left when Iliman Ndiaye embarked on a mazy dribble before firing home the winner.
To add insult to injury, Sheffield United had made more changes than their opponents and this embarrassing exit virtually guaranteed another trophyless season.
How will Stellini fare?
Christian Stellini took temporary charge of the Tottenham team when Antonio Conte was recovering from gallbladder surgery earlier this season and did an admirable job.
He helped the club beat Manchester City, West Ham United and Chelsea all difficult fixtures. However, during his time in charge Spurs were defeated by Sheffield United in the FA Cup and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league, games they would have expected to win.
What does that say about Stellini’s prowess going forward? At the very least it shows that he can motivate the squad for big games but my struggle to keep the lackadaisical tendancies in check against the perceived weaker opponents.
Do Spurs’ players have too much power?
“I have seen the managers that Tottenham had,” Conte said in his last press conference as Tottenham Hotspur manager. “You risk disrupting the figure of the manager, to protect the other situation [the players], in every moment.”
Conte was alluding to a typical problem at Spurs in that the board backs the clubs players over the manager whenever pressure - from bad results and performances - begins to mount.
The clearest example of this is the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino had been Spurs’ best manager for an age, consistently getting them into the top four and even leading them to a Champions League final.
When results started to turn poor instead of backing Pochettino in the transfer market, both by bringing in new players but also offloading the ones he didn’t want, the Tottenham board gave the manager the boot, effectively telling the players that they are more important than the manager.
That same situation happened to Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and now Antonio Conte too. Will the Tottenham board recognise this fallacy with their next appointment or are Spurs stuck in the same cycle?
5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months
Burnley 1 Tottenham 0 (February 23, 2022)
Conte threatened to quit after he watched Tottenham’s inconsistent form continue during the first few months of his tenure with a painful loss at Turf Moor.
In an extraordinary post-match press conference, the former Chelsea boss insisted his team needed to “pay attention to the relegation zone”.
He conceded the challenge at the north London club may be even too great for him, but months later he hinted this performance in front of the media was planned to get a reaction from the squad.
While it worked as Spurs pipped Arsenal to fourth place come May, it would prove a false dawn.
Levy on Conte’s departure
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to part ways with Antonio Conte but his assistant, Cristian Stellini, will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, and Spurs crisis man, Ryan Mason, will be his deputy.
Levy decided to focus on the job at hand which is to ensure Tottenham earn Champions League football next season. They are currently fourth in the table but their immediate rivals, Newcastle and Liverpool, both have two games in hand on the London side.
“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,” Levy said.
“We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”
Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Tottenham future ‘every single day’
Steven Gerrard has said that Harry Kane will be thinking about his future at Tottenham Hotspur “every single day” as the striker plots how best to progress his career.
Kane, now the leading goalscorer for both Spurs and England, has enjoyed a standout individual career since breaking through in 2014, but the club are yet to win a trophy with him in the side.
The 29-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away in the past, angling for a move to Manchester City during the summer of 2021, with many of Europe’s biggest clubs reportedly interested.
Comparisons have been made between Kane’s current situation and that of Gerrard during his time at Liverpool, when the midfielder endured a significant trophy drought while still performing at somewhere near his best towards the end of his career.
Gerrard does not believe the situations are totally comparable, but believes that thoughts on a potential move are sure to be on Kane’s mind.
Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Spurs future ‘every single day’
Kane continues to be linked with a move away from Spurs, who have not won silverware since the striker’s breakthrough
Lift morale and attack the day – tasks facing Cristian Stellini at Tottenham
Lift squad morale
Squad morale will understandably be low after Conte’s tirade against “selfish players” that “play for themselves” last weekend. It was not the first time the Italian had turned on the group and while some of the passionate monologue hit the nail on the head, it made his position untenable. The majority of Spurs’ players departed for international duty immediately after their collapse at St Mary’s and new surroundings may have helped them forget the explosive scenes on the south coast, but it has ensured all eyes remain on a squad that has underachieved this season. A flurry of summer activity was expected to translate into more consistency. Instead, the opposite happened and even though a change of manager has occurred, bruised egos remain.
Lift morale and attack the day – tasks facing Cristian Stellini at Tottenham
Antonio Conte was dismissed after only 16 months at Tottenham.
Where next for Antonio Conte?
Conte’s next job will be fascinating with his options slimmed down given his unique personality and demands to succeed.
It would be a surprise if Inter or Juventus call again, while AC Milan is not modelled to his ideal conditions. Roma must also adhere to stricter financial limits, even if Jose Mourinho does depart.
A period away from the game might be best for Conte to consider his next step in what has been a remarkable coaching journey so far.
5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months
Mura 2 Tottenham 1 (November 25, 2021)
Three weeks into his reign, Conte truly grasped the size of the task at hand when Spurs collapsed to lose in stoppage time away to the Slovenian minnows. Mura, who were the lowest-ranked team in the Europa Conference League, had lost all four of their matches in the tournament but stunned 10-man Tottenham despite a Harry Kane goal. Conte afterwards admitted: “At this moment the level at Tottenham is not so high.” He went on to insist he was not a “magician” and perhaps as early as this the writing was on the wall that this marriage of convenience would not last long.
5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months
The Italian’s reign quickly spiralled out of control during his second season at the club.
Tottenham manager for first game of 2023/24 Premier League season
Via Betfair
Julian Nagelsmann: 15/8
Mauricio Pochettino: 3/1
Oliver Glasner: 5/1
Luis Enrique: 9/1
Zinedine Zidane: 11/1
Thomas Frank: 12/1
Ruben Amorim: 14/1
Roberto De Zerbi: 14/1
Massimiliano Allegri: 18/1
Ange Postecoglou: 18/1
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