What’s Changed Under Nuno Espirito Santo?

It’s fair to say that Nuno Espirito Santo wasn’t everybody’s first choice for the vacant managerial job this summer. That said, not many can complain about the Portuguese coach given the impact he’s so far made to the club in his relatively short reign.

The positive start to the 2021/2022 campaign has given Tottenham fans hope that it can be a successful season. Harry Kane opting to stay at the club has obviously helped, too. Here’s a look at what’s changed under Santo from the early signs available.

Team Set Up to Be More Attack-Minded

The most notable change under new boss Santo is that he’s opted for a 3-4-3 formation this season. Rather than two holding players, the midfielders have the licence to attack, which should see the team score more goals.

Three wins from the opening three games indicate that this overhaul is working. This is evident even from the bookmakers, as the Spurs are now 50/1 in the football betting odds for the Premier League title. 

With this new approach, Tottenham are likely to be popular in the football betting tips this season. Every player in the team seems to know their role and they have so far managed to keep clean sheets to go with the wins. Therefore, objectively, Santo’s side have been very good. 

However, they still need to prove they can keep this pace up over the course of the campaign in order to be considered serious and strong title contenders.

Although there’s been a change in the formation, the team remains balanced. Santo hasn’t opted for a gung ho approach, but that doesn’t mean that the Spurs are going to sit back and park the bus this season. That was evident in their opening game success against champions Manchester City.

New Start for Some Players

As ever when a new manager comes in, it’s a chance for players who were frozen out in the old regime to be given a fresh start. One player who seems to have benefited from that is Dele Alli.

It was obvious under Jose Mourinho that Alli didn’t have a future at the club. He was linked with a move away from Tottenham and was hardly played under the former Spurs boss in the latest stages of his spell in North London.

With Santo’s reign, hope for Alli has been reinvigorated and he now looks to be an important player. At 25 years old, his best years are still ahead of him. Though this is his seventh season at the club, if he rediscovers his old form, it will be like the signing of a new player.

Santo Handles Off-Field Issues Well

Many managers would have been very frustrated with the off-the-pitch drama this summer, courtesy of the Kane saga. However, Santo displayed his grit and remained relaxed about the situation, despite the relentless media coverage and pressure from fans.

Kane will surely appreciate the support he has had from his new manager. If the pair can strike a great relationship, Tottenham could even step up to the next level, which would be exciting to see.

Santo is sure to be judged on where Tottenham finish at the end of the season, but he’s gotten off to a fantastic start so far and shows great promise. There’s truly an opportunity for Tottenham to achieve greatness in this campaign, but in the meanwhile, there’s still a lot of hard work to go.