There was an air of inevitability to Antonio Conte’s departure by mutual consent from Tottenham after his scathing dressing down of his squad following an underwhelming draw with bottom side Southampton; it’s a wonder it took Daniel Levy nine days to reach a decision.
Spurs fans will likely look back on the brazen Italian’s 16-month tenure as an emotional rollercoaster that drip-fed some notable highs while dealing out plenty of miserable lows, ultimately culminating in his disgruntled and bizarre exit.
The club now finds itself off the pace in the hunt for the top four after a string of poor performances leave them three points behind Newcastle in fifth, who themselves have a game in hand. Conte’s former assistant Cristian Stellini is the man charged with putting the pieces back together until the end of the season, hoping to clinch that coveted Champions League spot by the skin of their teeth. Former boss Ryan Mason is alongside him as the duo attempt to mount an improbable late comeback on par with a Rocky movie, but to ensure the North London club don’t find themselves in this position again it is absolutely crucial Levy gets the right man to take them into the 2023/24 season. Here’s a look at some of the favourites to get the job.
Mauricio Pochettino – 6/1
The Argentine’s spell in the hot seat at Tottenham reluctantly came to a close in late 2019 following an incredible Champions League run the season before that took them to the brink of European glory. That was four years ago now and Spurs find themselves in near enough the same spot if not worse. Having not moved on under the stewardships of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte, the club has failed to reach the heights they had under their predecessor.
Poch meanwhile has gone on to win a Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France at Paris Saint Germain, further exemplifying his proclivity to compete in the pressure cooker of Europe’s elite leagues. He may not have won a trophy at Spurs, and he did leave PSG having failed to win a Champions League, but no man will be better suited to get the best out of the current crop of players. His style is easy on the eye and he will reunite with a squad no doubt happy to see him having established fantastic relationships with star men Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.
So while Pochettino’s return has felt like a distant romantic fantasy for the Tottenham faithful, it appears the time is as good as ever for Levy to bring in the fan favourite to lead a much-needed rebuild and remove the sense of unfinished business that followed the 51-year-old’s departure.
Julian Nagelsmann – 8/1
The former Bayern Munich boss is one of the highly-rated prospects in the managerial world and, courtesy of an unexpected sacking by the Bavarian club in March, is now back on the market as a free agent. The 35-year-old German meets all the criteria of an elite level coach; he’s already proven that at the German giants, winning the Bundesliga in his first season with the club along with two German Super cups in his spell.
He displays a level of tactical nous beyond his years, his fast-paced style of play is exactly the kind of football Spurs fans are looking for and he has experience at a club in RB Leipzig looking to challenge the established hierarchy; on the face of it, it looks a good fit. However, Levy faces a fight with London rivals Chelsea to bring the highly-sought after German to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Todd Boehly’s officials have reportedly already met with Nagelsmann to discuss their vacancy in further detail and with a seemingly bottomless pit of money at his disposal at Stamford Bridge, he may take some convincing to head further North.
Vincent Kompany – 6/4
The Belgian has done a brilliant job turning Burnley’s fortunes around. A club seemingly destined to tumble down the divisions amidst financial turmoil and the devastating implications of dropping out of England’s top flight has had new life breathed into it by one of the Premier League’s greatest icons. The Lancashire club have already secured the title and automatic promotion along with it in convincing fashion. It’s an extraordinary achievement for only his fourth season in management and one that has not gone unnoticed, so much so that he now finds himself the favourite for the Spurs job.
Those wanting to place a bet on Spurs’ next manager can do so while getting fast payout times at online bookies. The 37-year-old’s stock is high and Spurs might hope to capitalise on the current form of yet another one of Pep Guardiola’s proteges. There’s no doubting the Belgian has generated a positive environment at the Northern club, successfully cultivating a distinct style of play and ethos at Turf Moor and that is something Spurs are in desperate need of.
There are still some question marks over whether he’d be willing to leave a project that is going so well and whether his experience, or lack thereof, could mean there are better candidates out there, but the brutality of a 46-game domestic campaign and how his side have only managed two losses in that run to date should put those concerns to rest. Spurs could do a lot worse than this promising managerial prospect.
Arne Slot – 10/1
With Erik Ten Hag providing proof of concept that Dutchmen can make successful transitions from the Eredivisie to the Premier League, perhaps the time is right for Spurs to make an approach to the man leading Feyenoord to new heights.
The 44-year-old has guided the Rotterdam club eight points clear at the top of the table with five games to go, a spot usually reserved for their fabled rivals Ajax and he is not stopping there. De Trots van Zuid also finds themselves in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a one-goal advantage going into their return leg against the side who denied them in the first-ever Europa Conference League final last year, Roma.
Having established a progressive methodology within his squad on a limited budget (a more than attractive prospect amongst the Tottenham hierarchy), the Rotterdam faithful are now lauding Slot as a mastermind who has propelled them to within a touching distance of their first league title for six years. While he is not a household name just yet, it seems that time could be fast approaching, and Spurs would be wise to strike while the iron’s hot.
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