How low can they go? Tottenham when they sacked recent managers
By TEAMtalk’s
Samuel Bannister.
Postecoglou currently has Tottenham sitting 14th in the Premier League table, which is significantly lower than they would expect to be. But how far down the table have they been when sacking other managers in their recent history?
Antonio Conte: 4th
Despite some early optimism, Conte never seemed the right fit for Tottenham when they were hoping for a progressive future. A mutual agreement was reached in March 2023 for the Italian tactician to step down after what had been an emotional season on and off the field for him.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said the club had “a fight on [their] hands” to qualify for the Champions League, but they were actually in fourth place at the time of Conte’s exit.
Chaos was to come, though, with Spurs next sacking their acting head coach Cristian Stellini and placing Ryan Mason back in caretaker charge as they sank to an eighth-placed finish.
Nuno Espirito Santo: 9th
The search for a new permanent manager ahead of the 2021-22 season was a nightmarish one for Tottenham, who were turned down by several of their preferred candidates before deciding to go for ex-Wolves boss Nuno – someone they had originally ruled out of the running.
Nuno won the Premier League Manager of the Month award in August 2021, but Spurs’ form spiralled and he lasted only until the start of November before he was ousted for Conte.
Tottenham were ninth at the time of the switch, but Conte steered them back up to fourth by the end of the season.
To add insult to injury, Nuno is now working wonders back in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest – a club who weren’t even in the top flight in the season when he was in charge of Spurs.