Tottenham’s long search that spans all seven continents on earth and eight planets in our solar system finally seems to end.
And the lucky successor to Jose Mourinho is …
… Jose Mourinho’s former goalkeeper, Nuno Espirito Santo. Hi, sometimes these stories just write themselves.
It is obviously a bite for Nuno, a coach with plenty of experience at the highest level and a worthy candidate to take over the seventh best team in the Premier League.
But after Spurs came so close to hiring Antonio Conte, so strongly linked to a reunion with Mauricio Pochettino and promising a coach who would play attacking football and integrate players from the academy, Nuno’s appointment is hardly an inspiration.
Tottenham are in desperate need of unification right now, and it must start with the fan base coming behind the new head coach. So, what’s positive about hiring Nuno? Step up, Spurs supporters …
Nuno led wolves back to Europe one season after winning championship campaign / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
Nuno guided the Wolves to two seventh places in their three Premier League seasons in Molineux, very jealous of the other big jumpers outside the big six that make the task so difficult (they even finished over Arsenal in the 2019/20 season). Their hopes of Europa League glory in the midst of the pandemic were only shattered by eventual Sevilla winners, leading to an admirable battle at the end of a season in which the Wolves played 59 games in 383 days. Would you have beaten that many other managers had achieved these feats?
Conor Coady presented 191 times over four seasons during Nuno / Sam Bagnall – AMA / Getty Images
During Wolves’ first year back in top flight, Nuno played just 17 players more than ten times, reaching 19 the following year and 20 last season. During the same year, the Spurs distributed 25, 25 and 24 players respectively. Sure, Tottenham were in Europe for more of these promotions and have greater financial resources than Wolves, but the results show that Nuno can stick with a solid team and use a small group, which will be important as the club continues its “painful rebuilding”. . .
If Nuno can make Mustafi look good, there is still hope for Spurs / JOSE JORDAN / Getty Images
For Premier League fans, it’s no secret that Nuno’s Wolves tended to suck life out of play when necessary, and for most of his time the Portuguese was determined to play a three-back formation – he would play it against during the 8th century if he could. But when you add that Nuno managed to make Shkodran Mustafi and Nicolas Otamendi look competent enough to make big money for England, you can suddenly believe in him to sort out Spurs’ defensive weaknesses.
Kane and Son Enjoyed Fantastic Seasons Last Year / SHAUN BOTTERILL / Getty Images
Okay, getting the best out of two world-class players is not exactly revolutionary, but Nuno has taken the lead in squeezing the lives out of two star strikers while the rest of the team remains competent – something Mourinho could only half handle. Wolves’ first two years back in the Premier League were led by Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, two players worse than in the same form as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. There’s still a winning recipe that Nuno can brew on Spurs with little disruption (assuming they don’t keep Kane, apparently).
Nuno feels very good / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Cor blimey, down to point five and we’re already scratching the bottom of the barrel. Hi, an option that scares creeps across the horizon was to appoint Ryan Mason full time, and his main tactic is shouting “GET YOU SPURS” from the standard and tweeting about the need to play ‘Tottenham way’.
Paratici takes over as sports director / Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images
Spurs fans have hardly warmed up to the incoming Fabio Paratici, who is already causing concern with some of his decisions. But he is the driving force behind Nuno’s appointment, and it shows that chairman Daniel Levy is resigning from football responsibility – in the end it’s good, but may not have any major advantage until after Paratici resigns.
Nuno was extremely popular on Wolves / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Mourinho split Spurs’ fan base on arrival and left with his approval rating fully refueled. His actions have taken the club back 18 months and the tension between the fans and the inside of Tottenham Hotspur has never been higher. Nuno, who was unanimously the most popular man in Wolverhampton from the beginning to the end of his reign, is exactly the kind of lovable figure who can bring the club back together. That’s a priority.
Magnificent. / Pool / Getty Images
What, did you expect me to have a legitimate eighth point?
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