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Following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, Tottenham Hotspur have struggled to find a suitable replacement. Daniel Levy appointed a high-profile manager in Jose Mourinho. But the Portuguese's stint lasted only a year before he was shown the door just a few days before Tottenham's League Cup final against Manchester City.
Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed to steady the faltering Tottenham Hotspur ship. But after a bright start to life in north London, Tottenham have endured indifferent results. Spurs won their first three games of the season without conceding a goal. But seven games later, they have five wins and as many defeats to sit ten points behind league leaders Chelsea in eighth place.
To exacerbate matters, they have conceded 16 goals during this period while scoring just six times. Following their 3-0 drubbing against Manchester United, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was filled with jeers directed at their manager.
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Daniel Levy has sacked Nuno Espirito Santo, bringing the latter's short stint at Tottenham to a close.
Several names have been tipped to replace the Portuguese. On that note, here's a look at five managers who could replace Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham Hotspur.
#5 Graham Potter
Graham Potter has had a relatively successful two-year stint with Brighton & Hove Albion. He could now make a move to a bigger club like Tottenham Hotspur.
Potter is considered by many to be the ideal replacement for Espirito Santo. The Englishman possesses the skills required to rebuild a struggling Tottenham team while also showcasing attractive football, which he has shown at Brighton.
The Seagulls have consistently found themselves in the top half of the table in terms of expected goals (xG) and expected points. Based on xG results, Potter's side is projected to finish fifth in the league. However, their ineffectiveness in front of goal resulted in a 16th-place finish last season.
Potter's ideology of attacking football is just what the Tottenham Hotspur faithful are yearning for, and he could be their man for the long term.
#4 Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers has established himself as one of the finest managers in the Premier League. He has led Leicester City to consecutive fifth-place finishes in the league. The former Liverpool manager also led The Foxes to their first-ever FA Cup triumph.
As per reports, Rodgers is one of the potential replacements lined up by Daniel Levy. Despite criticism in the later stages of his Liverpool stint, Rodgers almost ended the Reds' Premier League drought in 2013-14. However, the Reds floundered down the home stretch to finish two points adrift of Manchester City.
The 48-year old's prior experience at a big club like Liverpool could make him the perfect replacement for Espirito Santo at Tottenham. However, Rodgers looks settled at the King Power Stadium. So it would take some convincing from Levy for Rodgers to abandon the exciting project at Leicester.
In a recent interview, Rodgers said about Tottenham Hotspur:
"Tottenham Hotspur is a great club, one of the biggest clubs in Britain, but for me I'm just in a really, really happy place in my life."
#3 Paulo Fonseca
Paulo Fonseca is currently the bookie's favuorite for the Tottenham Hotspur job, right behind Antonio Conte. The former AS Roma manager currently finds himself without a club. Unlike the two preceding names on our list, Fonseca would fancy the managerial role at a big club like Tottenham Hotspur.
According to several news outlets in Italy and England, Daniel Levy pursued Fonseca at the beginning of the season. But the club pulled out after the appointment of managing director Fabio Paratici.
The Portuguese revealed in an interview that a deal had been agreed between the two parties. But Paratici pulled the plug, owing to concerns over Fonseca's attacking style of play.
However, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly back in the market for Paulo Fonseca despite his limited experience in Europe's top five leagues. The 48-year-old has spent most of his managerial career in Portugal; he was in the Serie A for two years.
It remains to be seen if Fonseca can adapt to the demands and rigours of English football. But his attacking style makes him an ideal candidate for the Tottenham Hotspur job.
#2 Sergio Conceicao
Porto's current manager, Sergio Conceicao, is one of the hot favourites to replace his countryman, Nuno Espirito Santo, at Tottenham Hotspur.
Conceicao was appointed at the helm of Porto in 2017, and has since then led the club to five trophies. In his first three years at the club, Conceicao won the Primeira Liga twice, along with two Portuguese Super Cups and the Taca de Portugal title.
The 46-year-old was also one of the frontrunners for the Wolves job in the summer, but he missed out to Bruno Lage. Conceicao is considered by many to be one of the finest managers in the continent. He led Porto to a quarter-final finish in the 2020-21 Champions League, beating the likes of Juventus in their continental campaign.
Under Conceicao, Porto have consistently punched above their weight in Europe's premier competition. That makes him well suited to adjust to the demands and pressure of managing a big English club like Tottenham Hotspur.
#1 Antonio Conte
A week ago, Antonio Conte was tipped to be the favourite to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford. As fate would have it, the Italian could well be on his way to North London after Tottenham Hotspur's 3-0 drubbing against Manchester United last weekend.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Fabrizio Romano and other reputed journalists, Conte is in the final stages of discussions with the Tottenham Hotspur board. The Italian was Daniel Levy's primary target in the summer, but Conte reportedly turned down the opportunity.
However, if reports are to be believed, the 52-year old has witnessed a change of heart. He is now close to finalising a deal with the North Londoners.
Antonio Conte has prior experience of working with Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici during his time at Juventus. There, they formed a formidable partnership to propel the Bianconneri to the zenith of Italian football. That could prove to be a deciding factor in convincing the Italian to come out of his managerial hiatus.
Conte is undeniably is one of the greatest managers of the past decade, having won multiple league titles in Italy and England. The Italian is a serial winner, and could deliver Tottenham's first major trophy in a long while.
