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Tottenham news – LIVE: Nagelsmann and Enrique lead next Spurs manager chase

Tottenham Hotspur begin their search for a new manager after Antonio Conte was sacked.

Daniel Levy has opted to wield the axe once more despite Spurs sitting fourth in the Premier League and primed for a place in next season’s Champions League. But with the atmosphere in this particular corner of north London turning sour, Levy has been ruthless.

Cristian Stellini has been installed as Acting Head Coach and will be joined by Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach. Julian Nagelsmann, after his sacking at Bayern Munich, and Mauricio Pochettino have already been linked and coud succeed the Italian, with the chasing pack of Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton looking to overhaul the deficit. Follow the latest updates as Levy looks for his next manager:

Next Tottenham manager latest

Emerson Royal to undergo surgery as Tottenham’s injury list grows

19:00 , Michael Jones

Emerson Royal has added to Tottenham’s growing injury list, with the defender set for surgery on his knee.

The full-back suffered the issue during the closing stages of Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Morocco on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, the PA news agency understands.

Emerson will have surgery on Tuesday and faces a race against time to feature again for Spurs this season, with the Premier League due to finish on May 28.

It is the latest blow for Tottenham and their new acting head coach Cristian Stellini, who was promoted from assistant on Sunday night following the departure of long-term confidant Antonio Conte by mutual consent.

Emerson Royal to undergo surgery as Tottenham’s injury list grows

Do Spurs’ players have too much power?

18:45 , Michael Jones

“I have seen the managers that Tottenham had,” Conte said in his last press conference as Tottenham Hotspur manager. “You risk disrupting the figure of the manager, to protect the other situation [the players], in every moment.”

Conte was alluding to a typical problem at Spurs in that the board backs the clubs players over the manager whenever pressure - from bad results and performances - begins to mount.

The clearest example of this is the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino had been Spurs’ best manager for an age, consistently getting them into the top four and even leading them to a Champions League final.

When results started to turn poor instead of backing Pochettino in the transfer market, both by bringing in new players but also offloading the ones he didn’t want, the Tottenham board gave the manager the boot, effectively telling the players that they are more important than the manager.

That same situation happened to Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and now Antonio Conte too. Will the Tottenham board recognise this fallacy with their next appointment or are Spurs stuck in the same cycle?

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham's season

18:34 , Michael Jones

Get top-four charge back on track

Antonio Conte’s departure may look odd on paper given Spurs are fourth in the table, but they have Newcastle breathing down their neck whilst Liverpool and Brighton will no doubt be firmly in the Champions League qualification race.

Tottenham are already guaranteed a 15th consecutive season without silverware and to many fans another top-four finish will not be enough, but anything less will make it a disastrous campaign.

Crucially, getting back into Europe’s elite competition could be a way of convincing Kane to stick around and the financial windfall for the club will surely translate into a portion of the summer spending for the new boss.

Whilst a crunch seven-day period in April sees fixtures against Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool, six of Spurs’ other matches are against bottom-half teams. Fourth place is there for the taking.

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham's season

18:21 , Michael Jones

Fix misfiring forwards

While Harry Kane has been a model of consistency this season with 23 goals, his fellow forwards have struggled.

on Heung-min, the joint-Premier League Golden Boot winner last May, has scored in only six of his 37 appearances this campaign and been a shadow of himself with his confidence seemingly being drained with every passing week.

Meanwhile, £60million summer addition Richarlison has failed to score in the league and only has two goals to his name during an injury-hit season.

The fourth big hitter, Dejan Kulusevski, has also only found the net twice with Conte’s reliance on individual magic backfiring. If Spurs are to achieve anything during the final 10 matches, Kane finally requires some much-needed support.

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham's season

18:09 , Michael Jones

Attack the day!

Tottenham were free-scoring during the final months of the 2021-22 season and it was Conte’s 3-4-3 system in full flow.

When his trusted formation of wing-backs and three attackers does click, it can be a joy to behold but those days have been few and far between in this campaign.

Spurs supporters have instead repeatedly witnessed dull first halves where a pragmatic team sit back and invite pressure. Inevitably, it has led to goals aplenty being conceded with 40 shipped in 28 Premier League fixtures. But fans would accept a leaky defence if it was full throttle in attack.

Yet a third of the goals scored under Conte in the top flight have been from set-pieces such has been their toothless nature up front. A simple way to get the fanbase back on side would be to ditch the negative counter-attacking tactics of the last three managers.

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham's season

17:55 , Michael Jones

Lift squad morale

Squad morale will understandably be low after Conte’s tirade against “selfish players” that “play for themselves” last weekend.

It was not the first time the Italian had turned on the group and while some of the passionate monologue hit the nail on the head, it made his position untenable.

The majority of Spurs’ players departed for international duty immediately after their collapse at St Mary’s and new surroundings may have helped them forget the explosive scenes on the south coast, but it has ensured all eyes remain on a squad that has underachieved this season.

A flurry of summer activity was expected to translate into more consistency. Instead, the opposite happened and even though a change of manager has occurred, bruised egos remain.

Tottenham manager for first game of 2023/24 Premier League season

17:43 , Michael Jones

Via Betfair

Julian Nagelsmann: 15/8

Mauricio Pochettino: 3/1

Oliver Glasner: 5/1

Luis Enrique: 9/1

Zinedine Zidane: 11/1

Thomas Frank: 12/1

Ruben Amorim: 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi: 14/1

Massimiliano Allegri: 18/1

Ange Postecoglou: 18/1

Why Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit sets a new Premier League record

17:31 , Michael Jones

Antonio Conte’s departure from Tottenham was the 11th in the Premier League this term, a record for in-season managerial changes.

The Italian’s exit by mutual consent was announced by the club on Sunday evening, with his assistant Cristian Stellini placed in charge until the summer.

Here we look back at this season’s departures and how the tally compares to past seasons.

Why Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit sets a new Premier League record

Mysterious Daniel Levy has lost his Tottenham vision – but one choice could save Spurs

17:19 , Michael Jones

The good news for Daniel Levy is that Tottenham’s pursuit of a Champions League place will be overseen by the manager who was in charge on the touchline for their best result of the season. It is rather harder to present Cristian Stellini’s interim promotion as the masterplan, despite the 1-0 win over Manchester City that he supervised in Antonio Conte’s absence.

Rather, it is a peculiarly Tottenham-esque end to a season: after some of Levy’s previous statement appointments, of Glenn Hoddle, Andre Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho, they have instead finished campaigns under David Pleat, Tim Sherwood and Ryan Mason. After Conte brought his brand of dynamite, stood on it and pressed the detonator, his long-term assistant has to sift through the rubble.

The oddity is that, with a few fine results under Stellini, Conte’s reign of increasingly negative football and rhetoric could go down as a qualified success. Spurs got fourth last season and stand fourth now. One eventual verdict on both the season and the Italian’s regime may be that Levy secured Champions League football and bought himself time.

Mysterious Levy has lost his Tottenham vision – but one choice could save Spurs

The outburst that got Conte sacked

17:05 , Michael Jones

The end for Antonio Conte was on the cards following Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton, when they were leading 3-1, and a goalless draw against AC Milan which saw them knocked out of the Champions League.

“I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in],” declared Conte following the Milan game.

He added, “I see only 11 players that play for themselves. Why is it happening?

“Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It is easy in this way.”

The five most disastrous matches of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham tenure

16:55 , Michael Jones

Southampton 3 Tottenham 3 (March 18, 2023)

Holding a 3-1 lead and set to move into third place, Spurs pressed the self-destruct button at St Mary’s and their head coach did the same after full-time.

James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged Saints a point and saw Conte let rip into his squad across several interviews. During an explosive post-match press conference that lasted 10 minutes, the Italian described his players as “selfish” and hit out at “the story of Tottenham” when he reflected on one cup win over a 20-year period.

While Conte later clarified with the board his comments were aimed at the underperforming squad, he had attacked all parties at Spurs and this act of self-preservation proved the final straw with the axe falling days later.

The five most disastrous matches of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham tenure

16:43 , Michael Jones

Tottenham 0 AC Milan 0 (March 8, 2023)

Yet another tame display in a season-defining fixture edged Conte a step closer to the exit door. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg and with the Champions League the only cup competition Tottenham were left in, a memorable European night in N17 was required.

Instead, Spurs produced an insipid first-half performance that suggested they did not even realise they needed a goal. A similar pattern remained after the break and, while Cristian Romero was sent off late on for the hosts, Conte’s decision to withdraw attacker Dejan Kulusevski for centre-back Davinson Sanchez left the majority of 61,602 in attendance dumbfounded.

Kane did have a last-gasp header saved in what was essentially the home team’s only chance of note across 180 minutes of the two-legged last-16 tie, but another year without silverware was rubberstamped.

The five most disastrous matches of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham tenure

16:30 , Michael Jones

Sheffield United 1 Tottenham 0 (March 1, 2023)

A year on from losing in the FA Cup fifth round to a Sky Bet Championship play-off hopeful in Middlesbrough, history repeated itself for Tottenham with a late capitulation at Sheffield United.

Conte was absent while recovering from gallbladder surgery but was a key figure in the decision to rest Harry Kane and make five other changes from the weekend win over Chelsea.

The end result was a disjointed display where the Premier League outfit were toothless in attack and cut open with 11 minutes left when Iliman Ndiaye embarked on a mazy dribble before firing home the winner.

To add insult to injury, Sheffield United had made more changes than their opponents and this embarrassing exit virtually guaranteed another trophyless season.

The five most disastrous matches of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham tenure

16:18 , Michael Jones

Burnley 1 Tottenham 0 (February 23, 2022)

Conte threatened to quit after he watched Tottenham’s inconsistent form continue during the first few months of his tenure with a painful loss at Turf Moor.

In an extraordinary post-match press conference, the former Chelsea boss insisted his team needed to “pay attention to the relegation zone”.

He conceded the challenge at the north London club may be even too great for him, but months later he hinted this performance in front of the media was planned to get a reaction from the squad.

While it worked as Spurs pipped Arsenal to fourth place come May, it would prove a false dawn.

The five most disastrous matches of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham tenure

16:04 , Michael Jones

Mura 2 Tottenham 1 (November 25, 2021)

Three weeks into his reign, Conte truly grasped the size of the task at hand when Spurs collapsed to lose in stoppage time away to the Slovenian minnows.

Mura, who were the lowest-ranked team in the Europa Conference League, had lost all four of their matches in the tournament but stunned 10-man Tottenham despite a Harry Kane goal.

Conte afterwards admitted: “At this moment the level at Tottenham is not so high.” He went on to insist he was not a “magician” and perhaps as early as this the writing was on the wall that this marriage of convenience would not last long.

Antonio Conte has left a trail of destruction at Tottenham - where will he cause chaos next?

15:53 , Michael Jones

One of football’s finest tactical brains has been finessing a unique strategy for a while now. It seems forever on the brink of succeeding. And yet, however often or vituperatively Antonio Conte criticises Tottenham, they refuse to sack him and pretend none of his comments are about Daniel Levy and the board.

Perhaps it is an approach born of a mixture of pragmatism and desperation, rationalising their chances of a top-four finish are higher even with Conte setting fire to the building on his way out than without him. Or maybe Tottenham simply think the greatest punishment they can give him is to force him to manage Tottenham for the rest of the season.

Whichever, Conte’s exit plan seems a little needless, given he is leaving when his contract expires anyway; not so much by mutual consent as mutual discontent. But part two of his gameplan always promised to be harder, and Conte is making it tougher again. He has to find another club and one more suited to his particular demands and the danger is that he is making himself the best unemployable manager in football.

Conte has left a trail of destruction at Spurs - where will he cause chaos next?

How will Stellini fare?

15:38 , Michael Jones

Christian Stellini took temporary charge of the Tottenham team when Antonio Conte was recovering from gallbladder surgery earlier this season and did an admirable job.

He helped the club beat Manchester City, West Ham United and Chelsea all difficult fixtures. However, during his time in charge Spurs were defeated by Sheffield United in the FA Cup and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league, games they would have expected to win.

What does that say about Stellini’s prowess going forward? At the very least it shows that he can motivate the squad for big games but my struggle to keep the lackadaisical tendancies in check against the perceived weaker opponents.

Levy on Conte’s departure

15:23 , Michael Jones

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to part ways with Antonio Conte but his assistant, Cristian Stellini, will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, and Spurs crisis man, Ryan Mason, will be his deputy.

Levy decided to focus on the job at hand which is to ensure Tottenham earn Champions League football next season. They are currently fourth in the table but their immediate rivals, Newcastle and Liverpool, both have two games in hand on the London side.

“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,” Levy said.

“We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

15:09 , Michael Jones

Mauricio Pochettino

The saying goes that you should never go back but there is a sense of unfinished business with Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham.

A sliding doors moment saw Pochettino sacked from the club in 2019 when he should have instead been backed in the transfer market. There is a growing sense of optimism that things may be different this time around and his potential return is something Daniel Levy could buy into.

The Argentinian would be a romantic choice to lead the rebuild which was taken away from him four years ago but he would have to completely revamp a squad that is arguably worse than the one he left behind.

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

14:59 , Michael Jones

Michael Carrick

Some clubs have gone down the route of having a former player at the helm but that tends to bring mixed results. For every Mikel Arteta there’s a Frank Lampard or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Michael Carrick is proving his worth by dragging Middlesbrough back into the promotion picture in the Championship after just a short period of time in charge.

Lampard’s jump from Derby to Chelsea was too big of a leap so how would Carrick fare with such a big job so early into his career?

Carrick also took charge of Manchester United for three matches before leaving the club and went unbeaten, beating Villarreal in the Champions League and drawing with Chelsea in the Premier League before signing off with a 3-2 win over Arsenal.

Antonio Conte departs Tottenham after 16 months in charge

14:49 , Michael Jones

Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte have parted ways after only 16 months.

A decision was made after the 53-year-old’s extraordinary post-match rant following the club’s 3-3 draw at Southampton last Saturday.

Conte, who had seen his side exit the FA Cup and Champions League in quick succession, watched Spurs concede twice in the final 13 minutes on the south coast to lose ground in the top-four race.

“We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual agreement,” Tottenham’s statement read. “We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well for the future.”

Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Tottenham future ‘every single day’

14:39 , Michael Jones

Steven Gerrard has said that Harry Kane will be thinking about his future at Tottenham Hotspur “every single day” as the striker plots how best to progress his career.

Kane, now the leading goalscorer for both Spurs and England, has enjoyed a standout individual career since breaking through in 2014, but the club are yet to win a trophy with him in the side.

The 29-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away in the past, angling for a move to Manchester City during the summer of 2021, with many of Europe’s biggest clubs reportedly interested.

Comparisons have been made between Kane’s current situation and that of Gerrard during his time at Liverpool, when the midfielder endured a significant trophy drought while still performing at somewhere near his best towards the end of his career.

Gerrard does not believe the situations are totally comparable, but believes that thoughts on a potential move are sure to be on Kane’s mind.

Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Spurs future ‘every single day’

Tottenham manager for first game of 2023/24 Premier League season

14:29 , Michael Jones

Via Betfair

Julian Nagelsmann: 15/8

Mauricio Pochettino: 3/1

Oliver Glasner: 5/1

Luis Enrique: 9/1

Zinedine Zidane: 11/1

Thomas Frank: 12/1

Ruben Amorim: 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi: 14/1

Massimiliano Allegri: 18/1

Ange Postecoglou: 18/1

Why Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit sets a new Premier League record

14:19 , Michael Jones

Antonio Conte’s departure from Tottenham was the 11th in the Premier League this term, a record for in-season managerial changes.

The Italian’s exit by mutual consent was announced by the club on Sunday evening, with his assistant Cristian Stellini placed in charge until the summer.

Here we look back at this season’s departures and how the tally compares to past seasons.

Why Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit sets a new Premier League record

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

14:09 , Michael Jones

Luis Enrique

Appointing a manager who is yet to manage in the Premier League is not the done thing under Daniel Levy but the Spurs chairman has shown he is willing to make big calls.

Enrique’s tenures at Barcelona and the Spanish national team prove he could have what it takes to be successful in England and his appointment would signal a change in direction for the the club.

 (PA)
(PA)

Tottenham sack Antonio Conte after 16 months

13:59 , Michael Jones

Antonio Conte has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur.

Conte was out of contract at the end of the season but Spurs have decided to part ways with 10 games of the campaign remaining following the Italian’s extraordinary outburst in the aftermath of the 3-3 draw against Southampton last weekend.

Conte attacked his own players and questioned Tottenham’s mentality in an astonishing 10-minute rant, which was the latest of a series of incidents in which the manager criticised Spurs in public during his spell at the club.

Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham by mutual consent days after outburst

Levy on Conte’s departure

13:38 , Michael Jones

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to part ways with Antonio Conte but his assistant, Cristian Stellini, will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, and Spurs crisis man, Ryan Mason, will be his deputy.

Levy decided to focus on the job at hand which is to ensure Tottenham earn Champions League football next season. They are currently fourth in the table but their immediate rivals, Newcastle and Liverpool, both have two games in hand on the London side.

“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,” Levy said.

“We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”

Conte takes shot at players and board

13:30 , Michael Jones

The end for Antonio Conte was on the cards following Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton, when they were leading 3-1, and a goalless draw against AC Milan which saw them knocked out of the Champions League.

“I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in],” declared Conte following the Milan game.

He added, “I see only 11 players that play for themselves. Why is it happening?

“Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It is easy in this way.”

Where next for Antonio Conte?

13:22 , Michael Jones

Antonio Conte’s next job will be fascinating with his options slimmed down given his unique personality and demands to succeed.

It would be a surprise if Inter or Juventus call again, while AC Milan is not modelled to his ideal conditions. Roma must also adhere to stricter financial limits, even if Jose Mourinho does depart.

A period away from the game might be best for Conte to consider his next step in what has been a remarkable coaching journey so far.

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

13:15 , Michael Jones

Ange Postecoglou

Celtic boss, Ange Postecoglou, has brought them back to the top of Scottish football in just over 18 months in charge after the hoops were knocked off their perch by Rangers.

He is already being rumoured to move to a bigger club after impressive displays, though not results, in the Champions League group stages.

The Greece-born Australian is respected in coaching circles but his appointment would be a risk given the step up to the Premier League.

Is it a risk worth taking?

 (PA)
(PA)

Mysterious Daniel Levy has lost his Tottenham vision – but one choice could save Spurs

13:08 , Michael Jones

The good news for Daniel Levy is that Tottenham’s pursuit of a Champions League place will be overseen by the manager who was in charge on the touchline for their best result of the season. It is rather harder to present Cristian Stellini’s interim promotion as the masterplan, despite the 1-0 win over Manchester City that he supervised in Antonio Conte’s absence.

Rather, it is a peculiarly Tottenham-esque end to a season: after some of Levy’s previous statement appointments, of Glenn Hoddle, Andre Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho, they have instead finished campaigns under David Pleat, Tim Sherwood and Ryan Mason. After Conte brought his brand of dynamite, stood on it and pressed the detonator, his long-term assistant has to sift through the rubble.

The oddity is that, with a few fine results under Stellini, Conte’s reign of increasingly negative football and rhetoric could go down as a qualified success. Spurs got fourth last season and stand fourth now. One eventual verdict on both the season and the Italian’s regime may be that Levy secured Champions League football and bought himself time.

Can Daniel Levy finally fix broken Tottenham?

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

13:00 , Michael Jones

Brendan Rodgers

Despite their poor showing in the league this season Leicester have won more trophies in the last 15 years than Spurs with their successes in the FA Cup and the Community Shield coming under Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers has experience of rebuilding struggling teams. He put in a title challenge with Liverpool, won a treble with Celtic and the aforementioned FA Cup victory with the Foxes show he is good at turning things around with limited resources.

Tottenham’s board and ownership are not likely to start splashing vast amounts of cash having resisted it for so long so Rodgers’ skill set could be an ideal compromise.

 (AP)
(AP)

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham season

12:54 , Michael Jones

Get top-four charge back on track

Antonio Conte’s departure may look odd on paper given Spurs are fourth in the table, but they have Newcastle breathing down their neck whilst Liverpool and Brighton will no doubt be firmly in the Champions League qualification race.

Tottenham are already guaranteed a 15th consecutive season without silverware and to many fans another top-four finish will not be enough, but anything less will make it a disastrous campaign.

Crucially, getting back into Europe’s elite competition could be a way of convincing Kane to stick around and the financial windfall for the club will surely translate into a portion of the summer spending for the new boss.

Whilst a crunch seven-day period in April sees fixtures against Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool, six of Spurs’ other matches are against bottom-half teams. Fourth place is there for the taking.

Tottenham ‘have no plans to sell Harry Kane’ this summer

12:46 , Michael Jones

Tottenham are reportedly determined not to sell Harry Kane in the summer.

The Manchester Evening News, citing Sky Sports, says Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has no intention of sanctioning a sale, regardless of whether or not the 29-year-old striker signs a new deal.

The news could be a particular blow to Manchester United, with the Red Devils heavily linked with Kane during their search for a new striker.

Tottenham ‘have no plans to sell Harry Kane’ this summer

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham season

12:39 , Michael Jones

Fix misfiring forwards

While Harry Kane has been a model of consistency this season with 23 goals, his fellow forwards have struggled.

on Heung-min, the joint-Premier League Golden Boot winner last May, has scored in only six of his 37 appearances this campaign and been a shadow of himself with his confidence seemingly being drained with every passing week.

Meanwhile, £60million summer addition Richarlison has failed to score in the league and only has two goals to his name during an injury-hit season.

The fourth big hitter, Dejan Kulusevski, has also only found the net twice with Conte’s reliance on individual magic backfiring. If Spurs are to achieve anything during the final 10 matches, Kane finally requires some much-needed support.

What Cristian Stellini must do to save Tottenham season

12:30 , Michael Jones

Attack the day!

Tottenham were free-scoring during the final months of the 2021-22 season and it was Conte’s 3-4-3 system in full flow.

When his trusted formation of wing-backs and three attackers does click, it can be a joy to behold but those days have been few and far between in this campaign.

Spurs supporters have instead repeatedly witnessed dull first halves where a pragmatic team sit back and invite pressure. Inevitably, it has led to goals aplenty being conceded with 40 shipped in 28 Premier League fixtures. But fans would accept a leaky defence if it was full throttle in attack.

Yet a third of the goals scored under Conte in the top flight have been from set-pieces such has been their toothless nature up front. A simple way to get the fanbase back on side would be to ditch the negative counter-attacking tactics of the last three managers.

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

12:22 , Michael Jones

Southampton 3 Tottenham 3 (March 18, 2023)

Holding a 3-1 lead and set to move into third place, Spurs pressed the self-destruct button at St Mary’s and their head coach did the same after full-time.

James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged Saints a point and saw Conte let rip into his squad across several interviews.

During an explosive post-match press conference that lasted 10 minutes, the Italian described his players as “selfish” and hit out at “the story of Tottenham” when he reflected on one cup win over a 20-year period.

While Conte later clarified with the board his comments were aimed at the underperforming squad, he had attacked all parties at Spurs and this act of self-preservation proved the final straw with the axe falling days later.

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

12:15 , Michael Jones

Tottenham 0 AC Milan 0 (March 8, 2023)

Yet another tame display in a season-defining fixture edged Conte a step closer to the exit door. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg and with the Champions League the only cup competition Tottenham were left in, a memorable European night in N17 was required.

Instead, Spurs produced an insipid first-half performance that suggested they did not even realise they needed a goal.

A similar pattern remained after the break and, while Cristian Romero was sent off late on for the hosts, Conte’s decision to withdraw attacker Dejan Kulusevski for centre-back Davinson Sanchez left the majority of 61,602 in attendance dumbfounded.

Kane did have a last-gasp header saved in what was essentially the home team’s only chance of note across 180 minutes of the two-legged last-16 tie, but another year without silverware was rubberstamped.

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

12:05 , Michael Jones

Roberto De Zerbi

Will Spurs be thinking of poaching a manager from an over-achieving Premier League team, again?

They’ve already done so twice by taking Mauricio Pochettino from Southampton and Nuno Espirito Santo from Wolves. Those appointment’s yielded vastly different results for the club but the signs are there that De Zerbi would align closer to Pochettino’s tenure than Santo’s.

 (PA)
(PA)

The candidates to replace Antonio Conte

11:56 , Michael Jones

Julian Nagelsmann

Fresh off his firing from Bayern Munich, 35-year-old Julian Nagelsmann has jumped to the top of the betting markets to take on the job at Spurs.

His fast-paced style of play would appease fans and whilst at RB Leipzig the German has already proved himself at a club wanting to challenge the elite.

Would he get the backing to take Spurs to the next level though?

 (PA)
(PA)

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

11:44 , Michael Jones

Sheffield United 1 Tottenham 0 (March 1, 2023)

A year on from losing in the FA Cup fifth round to a Sky Bet Championship play-off hopeful in Middlesbrough, history repeated itself for Tottenham with a late capitulation at Sheffield United. Conte was absent while recovering from gallbladder surgery but was a key figure in the decision to rest Harry Kane and make five other changes from the weekend win over Chelsea.

The end result was a disjointed display where the Premier League outfit were toothless in attack and cut open with 11 minutes left when Iliman Ndiaye embarked on a mazy dribble before firing home the winner.

To add insult to injury, Sheffield United had made more changes than their opponents and this embarrassing exit virtually guaranteed another trophyless season.

How will Stellini fare?

11:34 , Michael Jones

Christian Stellini took temporary charge of the Tottenham team when Antonio Conte was recovering from gallbladder surgery earlier this season and did an admirable job.

He helped the club beat Manchester City, West Ham United and Chelsea all difficult fixtures. However, during his time in charge Spurs were defeated by Sheffield United in the FA Cup and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league, games they would have expected to win.

What does that say about Stellini’s prowess going forward? At the very least it shows that he can motivate the squad for big games but my struggle to keep the lackadaisical tendancies in check against the perceived weaker opponents.

Do Spurs’ players have too much power?

11:28 , Michael Jones

“I have seen the managers that Tottenham had,” Conte said in his last press conference as Tottenham Hotspur manager. “You risk disrupting the figure of the manager, to protect the other situation [the players], in every moment.”

Conte was alluding to a typical problem at Spurs in that the board backs the clubs players over the manager whenever pressure - from bad results and performances - begins to mount.

The clearest example of this is the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino had been Spurs’ best manager for an age, consistently getting them into the top four and even leading them to a Champions League final.

When results started to turn poor instead of backing Pochettino in the transfer market, both by bringing in new players but also offloading the ones he didn’t want, the Tottenham board gave the manager the boot, effectively telling the players that they are more important than the manager.

That same situation happened to Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and now Antonio Conte too. Will the Tottenham board recognise this fallacy with their next appointment or are Spurs stuck in the same cycle?

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

11:17 , Michael Jones

Burnley 1 Tottenham 0 (February 23, 2022)

Conte threatened to quit after he watched Tottenham’s inconsistent form continue during the first few months of his tenure with a painful loss at Turf Moor.

In an extraordinary post-match press conference, the former Chelsea boss insisted his team needed to “pay attention to the relegation zone”.

He conceded the challenge at the north London club may be even too great for him, but months later he hinted this performance in front of the media was planned to get a reaction from the squad.

While it worked as Spurs pipped Arsenal to fourth place come May, it would prove a false dawn.

Levy on Conte’s departure

11:08 , Michael Jones

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to part ways with Antonio Conte but his assistant, Cristian Stellini, will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, and Spurs crisis man, Ryan Mason, will be his deputy.

Levy decided to focus on the job at hand which is to ensure Tottenham earn Champions League football next season. They are currently fourth in the table but their immediate rivals, Newcastle and Liverpool, both have two games in hand on the London side.

“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,” Levy said.

“We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”

Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Tottenham future ‘every single day’

11:00 , Michael Jones

Steven Gerrard has said that Harry Kane will be thinking about his future at Tottenham Hotspur “every single day” as the striker plots how best to progress his career.

Kane, now the leading goalscorer for both Spurs and England, has enjoyed a standout individual career since breaking through in 2014, but the club are yet to win a trophy with him in the side.

The 29-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away in the past, angling for a move to Manchester City during the summer of 2021, with many of Europe’s biggest clubs reportedly interested.

Comparisons have been made between Kane’s current situation and that of Gerrard during his time at Liverpool, when the midfielder endured a significant trophy drought while still performing at somewhere near his best towards the end of his career.

Gerrard does not believe the situations are totally comparable, but believes that thoughts on a potential move are sure to be on Kane’s mind.

Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane will be considering Spurs future ‘every single day’

Lift morale and attack the day – tasks facing Cristian Stellini at Tottenham

10:45 , Jack Rathborn

Lift squad morale

Squad morale will understandably be low after Conte’s tirade against “selfish players” that “play for themselves” last weekend. It was not the first time the Italian had turned on the group and while some of the passionate monologue hit the nail on the head, it made his position untenable. The majority of Spurs’ players departed for international duty immediately after their collapse at St Mary’s and new surroundings may have helped them forget the explosive scenes on the south coast, but it has ensured all eyes remain on a squad that has underachieved this season. A flurry of summer activity was expected to translate into more consistency. Instead, the opposite happened and even though a change of manager has occurred, bruised egos remain.

Lift morale and attack the day – tasks facing Cristian Stellini at Tottenham

Where next for Antonio Conte?

10:30 , Jack Rathborn

Conte’s next job will be fascinating with his options slimmed down given his unique personality and demands to succeed.

It would be a surprise if Inter or Juventus call again, while AC Milan is not modelled to his ideal conditions. Roma must also adhere to stricter financial limits, even if Jose Mourinho does depart.

A period away from the game might be best for Conte to consider his next step in what has been a remarkable coaching journey so far.

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

10:15 , Jack Rathborn

Mura 2 Tottenham 1 (November 25, 2021)

Three weeks into his reign, Conte truly grasped the size of the task at hand when Spurs collapsed to lose in stoppage time away to the Slovenian minnows. Mura, who were the lowest-ranked team in the Europa Conference League, had lost all four of their matches in the tournament but stunned 10-man Tottenham despite a Harry Kane goal. Conte afterwards admitted: “At this moment the level at Tottenham is not so high.” He went on to insist he was not a “magician” and perhaps as early as this the writing was on the wall that this marriage of convenience would not last long.

5 matches that contributed to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit after 16 months

Tottenham manager for first game of 2023/24 Premier League season

10:00 , Jack Rathborn

Via Betfair

Julian Nagelsmann: 15/8

Mauricio Pochettino: 3/1

Oliver Glasner: 5/1

Luis Enrique: 9/1

Zinedine Zidane: 11/1

Thomas Frank: 12/1

Ruben Amorim: 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi: 14/1

Massimiliano Allegri: 18/1

Ange Postecoglou: 18/1

Next Tottenham manager odds

09:50 , Jack Rathborn

Antonio Conte has left Tottenham after only 16 months in charge. Spurs announced they had parted company with their manager late on Sunday evening.

Cristian Stellini has been placed in charge for the remainder of the season, but who is in the running for the permanent post this summer?

Here is a look at the contenders to replace the Italian.

Mauricio Pochettino (5-1)

The former Spurs boss remains out of work after he left his position at Paris St Germain at the end of last season. He insisted not long after his departure from Tottenham in 2019 that he had unfinished business after failing to win a trophy during his memorable five-and-a-half-year spell. A remarkable run to the Champions League final proved the pinnacle but he was sacked months later after a poor start to the 2019-20 season. The uncertainty over the Real Madrid managerial role and any reluctance from the Spurs board to admit his sacking was a mistake could prove a stumbling block.

The favourite to be next Tottenham manager is not Mauricio Pochettino

Antonio Conte has left a trail of destruction at Tottenham - where will he cause chaos next?

09:40 , Jack Rathborn

One of football’s finest tactical brains has been finessing a unique strategy for a while now. It seems forever on the brink of succeeding. And yet, however often or vituperatively Antonio Conte criticises Tottenham, they refuse to sack him and pretend none of his comments are about Daniel Levy and the board.

Perhaps it is an approach born of a mixture of pragmatism and desperation, rationalising their chances of a top-four finish are higher even with Conte setting fire to the building on his way out than without him. Or maybe Tottenham simply think the greatest punishment they can give him is to force him to manage Tottenham for the rest of the season.

Whichever, Conte’s exit plan seems a little needless, given he is leaving when his contract expires anyway; not so much by mutual consent as mutual discontent. But part two of his gameplan always promised to be harder, and Conte is making it tougher again. He has to find another club and one more suited to his particular demands and the danger is that he is making himself the best unemployable manager in football.

Conte has left a trail of destruction at Spurs - where will he cause chaos next?

Tottenham sack Antonio Conte after 16 months

09:21 , Jack Rathborn

Antonio Conte has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur.

Conte was out of contract at the end of the season but Spurs have decided to part ways with 10 games of the campaign remaining following the Italian’s extraordinary outburst in the aftermath of the 3-3 draw against Southampton last weekend.

Conte attacked his own players and questioned Tottenham’s mentality in an astonishing 10-minute rant, which was the latest of a series of incidents in which the manager criticised Spurs in public during his spell at the club.

Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham by mutual consent days after outburst