Who could Spurs look to replace Antonio Conte with in the summer?
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Antonio Conte was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after a poor overall season in which Spurs will fail to win silverware once again. Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason will work in collaboration to lead the team into the remaining games of the season. Daniel Levy will already be constructing a shortlist of managers that could be appointed in the summer. Who could be the best fit to take Tottenham forward and finally deliver trophies?
Julian Nagelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann has recently become available after being sacked from his role at Bayern Munich. He plays modern, progressive football and could be an ideal candidate to deliver major honours to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The key requirement of any future Spurs manager is simply to win trophies while at the club, as the current drought has gone on far too long.
This season Tottenham have already been knocked out of all of the cup competitions and are therefore trophy-less once again. They face a strong fight in the Premier League in order to qualify for UEFA Champions League football. In the sports betting, Spurs are offered at 2/1 to finish in the top-four positions and will face stern competition from the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United. We should also not forget Brighton who visit Tottenham on 8th April.
Nagelsmann is still in his early days of management but he has a number of honours to his name already. He led Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in his debut season at the club in the 2021/22 campaign. The German coach also secured back-to-back German Super Cup wins for the Bavarians. However, Nagelsmann's time at RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim was perhaps more impressive than his Bayern stint. He developed a reputation for having excellent man-management skills which allowed him to get the best out of his squad. Nagelsmann played an influential role in moulding many careers including Marcel Sabitzer and Andrej Kramaric.
At Leipzig, Nagelsmann managed to reach a Champions League semi-final back in 2020. He helped the club form a clear identity in the Bundesliga for being a strong pressing side that was fearless with and without the ball. Spurs' next appointment certainly needs to be a man that could give them a fresh identity. Nagelsmann could provide just that as well as fresh motivation for the players and a clear project - he would certainly be a long-term appointment.
Mauricio Pochettino
A potential re-appointment of Mauricio Pochettino would be an emotional one, but it certainly does make sense. The Argentine has proven he could be successful at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Pochettino took the team to the UCL final in Madrid back in 2019 and was on the verge of writing his team into history as the greatest Tottenham team ever. Pochettino genuinely competed with the European heavyweights while at Spurs, he famously knocked Ajax out of Europe on a night that Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick in the UCL semi-final.
The former Spurs coach is extremely well-liked by the players and is one of the genuine legends of the club. This season there are signs of a disconnect between the playing and coaching staff, but Pochettino was trusted and adored by people in and around the club. His return would allow him to continue on with unfinished business and his style is preferred by the fans compared to Conte's negative defensive style.
Luis Enrique
The former FC Barcelona coach has been linked with the Tottenham job, but he would be another huge risk that Levy can perhaps not afford to take with the next appointment. While he has won the Best FIFA Men's Coach award as well as many titles in Spain, he has not proven himself in another league. At Barcelona he also had one of the greatest ever attacking trios in Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr - while he is clearly an excellent coach, his playing squad was exceptionally strong and Tottenham is a team in need of a rebuild over a long-term period.
There are many options for Tottenham's new manager to replace Conte long-term. Spurs could take a coach with a reputation for winning major honours in Nagelsmann, or return to a tried and tested Pochettino and renew old acquaintances. Luis Enrique would be a bold option and the biggest risk but perhaps it could pay off. Whichever manager Tottenham appoint, they must consider the appointment carefully - the club can't afford to stagnate any longer.
It is set to be an extremely busy summer window for Levy as he deals with potential incomings on the pitch and for a manager to coach them off it. However, the main priority in the short term is to finish in the top four and secure a Champions League place, which is likely to be tricky considering how tight the table is.
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