Dubai: Tottenham Hotspur have once again begun their search for yet another new manager with the board sacking Nuno Espírito Santo. They expected miracles from the 47-year-old but he was not given the time to show he was capable of turning the club's fortunes around.
The axe has fallen on the Portuguese coach after crisis talks were held with chairman Daniel Levy following a less than impressive start at White Hart Lane by the former Wolves boss.
Things looked to be going great for Santo who began with three consecutive wins but since then, things have turned rather sour. He had only been at the helm for four months but the fans had already turned on him.
Heavily beaten
They showed their frustration with the coach after losing 3-0 at home to Man Utd by booing him off the pitch. That was Tottenham’s seventh defeat in 17 matches in all competitions this season.
They have been heavily beaten by London rivals Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace and they have only scored 9 goals in 10 Premier League games. Star striker Harry Kane has looked a shadow of his former self too – he has only found the net once this season in the league and some say his head isn’t at the club anymore following the summer transfer rumours that linked him with a sensational move to Man City. Kane wanted the move but Levy blocked it. Oddly, Santo has often deployed the striker in a wide left position where he has struggled.
It isn’t just the poor results – the manner in which Spurs are playing has been atrocious. They didn’t even register a single shot on target against Utd.
Santo was brought in to make the team an attack-minded force but they became negative and looked afraid to push forward. His time in charge is the shortest tenure of Levy’s nine permanent appointments.
In demand
He signed a two-year deal in July but with Spurs falling to eighth in the table, action has been taken and the board felt he was not the man to take the club forwards. Levy may now well turn to either Porto manager Sérgio Conceição or his Portuguese compatriot Paulo Fonseca. The latter has also been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Newcastle and is clearly a man in demand and so Levy will have to work fast if he is to get his man.
When Jose Mourhinho was sacked in April last year, Spurs targeted several high-profile managers to take over including Antonio Conte but they were unable to entice the former Inter Milan coach and settled for their second choice, Santo.
He made a bright start with an opening game of the season win against Man City but that now feels like a very long time ago already for struggling Tottenham...