Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, and now Antonio Conte; Tottenham Hotspur seem to have had some good managers in charge over the last seven years and Antonio Conte’s appointment at Tottenham recently might have been massive news for the club’s fans.
However, how great the appointment will turn out to be for the North Londoners only time will tell.
The quality of managers that have worked at White Hart Lane shows that their problem goes beyond management.
Antonio Conte’s Appointment – Can He Succeed Where Others Failed?
Mauricio Pochettino; The Man Who Brought Magic
For all of his good intentions, Pochettino’s time at Spurs did not bring any trophies between 2014 to 2019. However, many would still consider his reign as success especially considering the feeling that he was not well backed by chairman Daniel Levy.
After five years with the club, the Argentinean manager had taken them to a higher plane with limited funds for recruitment by taking Tottenham to a fifth-place finish in his first season at the club. His second, which was the 2015/16 season, saw a title charge which Leicester City eventually won. Tottenham finished second with 86 points, their highest points tally in over 50 years.
He also finished in the Champions League places on four occasions from his five seasons with the club. Although there were claims of lack of support from club Chairman Daniel Levy, statistics showed that the club backed Pochettino.
Tottenham seemed to have had a lot of quality players like Kane, Son Heung-Min Dele Alli, Sissoko, Alderweireld, Eric Dier, and so on. Many of these players were Pochettino’s signings, and it causes a debate whether Pochettino’s side did not do enough to win a trophy. However, there is no denying that Pochettino did an excellent job with Spurs, especially with regular Champions League qualification.
The Arrival of a Declining ‘Special One.’
Just like Antonio Conte’s appointment at Tottenham, the arrival of Jose Mourinho was the coming of a proven winner. But this time, Jose was considered to be on the wane. Mourinho did not do much at the White Hart Lane, but what do you expect? The Portuguese spent only 18 months at the club.
Mourinho’s brief spell was with ups and downs. However, he mentioned that the club needed time to develop, just as with Klopp and Liverpool. Time was what the Portuguese did not get. Results were shaky, and there were rumors of a rift with the club and some players—typical Jose.
On the other hand, the club’s decision to sack Mourinho one week before the cup final shows Tottenham’s ambitions.
Spurs lost the final 1-0 to Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola under interim Manager Ryan Mason.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s Sacking and Antonio Conte’s Appointment at Tottenham
The Portuguese also had little time, just like his compatriot Jose Mourinho. After winning three of his first league games, things went South for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager.
Tottenham’s league results were getting worse, but the sack seems to have come too early in the season. Maybe the club thought a 3-0 loss at home to Manchester United was the final straw for the Portuguese gaffer. His fifth loss in seven Premier League games, and club Chairman Dan Levy had to pull the plug. Nuno Espirito Santo’s sacking came just after five months into the job.
A few days later, the club announced Antonio Conte’s appointment at Tottenham. The Italian has a good track record for steadying the ship wherever he goes. Juventus, Inter, Chelsea are all testimonies of the Italians immediate impact. However, Tottenham fans should not fancy a league title charge with Antonio Conte’s arrival. The club still has to fight to keep Harry Kane, improve their defence, and maybe flush their ageing players. All these things would not happen out of the blue and for the first time in his career, Antonio Conte might need more time.
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