WHEN news of Antonio Conte’s departure as Tottenham Hotspur manager was confirmed, the only surprise was that the Italian has stayed in his role as long as a week after his outburst at Southampton. There was no coming back from publicly calling out his players in such brutal fashion. Conte, keen to be let go, likely designed it that way.
A reset is needed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While Conte’s delivery was heavy-handed, he was right about some things – this Spurs team are lacking in intensity, recent transfers have been poor and the club continues to make the same mistakes over and over again. Tottenham’s next manager must be a project manager to truly change things.
This is why Julian Nagelsmann’s sudden availability is so tantalising to Tottenham. Surprisingly sacked as Bayern Munich boss last week, the 35-year-old could be the perfect appointment at this specific moment for the North London club. Nagelsmann could be exactly what they are looking for. The right man at the right time.
Nagelsmann’s modern, possession-orientated style of play would be a refreshing change for a fanbase that has endured the attritional approach of defensive-minded coaches like Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte over the last four years. This style would be a better fit for Spurs – a club that has historically sought to entertain.
Julian Nagelsmann’s record as Bayern coach:
84 games: 60 W, 14 D, 10 L
71.4% win percentage
1 Bundesliga title
2 German Super Cups
8/8 wins in UCL this season— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 24, 2023
A period of adaptation would almost certainly be required with Nagelsmann in charge. Tottenham’s squad would need remoulded in the image of the German coach who would likely shift the team into a fluid, interchangeable 4-2-2-2 shape like the one he used to great effect at RB Leipzig. A tactical revolution would take time.
Of course, Tottenham Hotspur need more than just a new manager. The last four years have highlighted the failings of the club’s front office with more misses than hits in the transfer market. Spurs simply have to get much more for their money with over £400m spent on very little since 2019. Nagelsmann would be set up to fail if this transfer success rate continues any longer.
Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with the job. The Argentine has an emotional connection with Tottenham Hotspur and the club’s fans with Pochettino still out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season. His re-hiring would be an easy win for so many different parties including Daniel Levy whose approval rating has never been lower.
🚨🇩🇪 Real Madrid are in for Julian Nagelsmann. They are interested. @SamiMokbel81_DM. pic.twitter.com/f4lfl1aSQx
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) March 27, 2023
And yet Nagelsmann would be a more ambitious, forward-thinking appointment. Real Madrid have also been linked with the German who despite his sacking by Bayern Munich is widely seen as one of football’s next great managers. At Bayern, Nagelsmann never had the freedom to build something new. Spurs could give him that freedom.
The Premier League is where the game’s best managers test themselves and Nagelsmann deserves to keep company with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Erik Ten Hag. Even with Tottenham currently at a low ebb, the job is an attractive one, particularly if Harry Kane decides to stay beyond the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves at a critical juncture in their recent history as a club. They have made themselves regular fixtures in the Champions League in recent times and now boast the best stadium in the Premier League. Spurs’ net spend over the last five years is also one of the highest in Europe.
Yet there remains a gulf between Tottenham and the elite level. As one of the most successful managers of his generation, Conte was hired to push them up to that tier, but left echoing many of the same frustrations vented by his predecessors. Something has to change and Spurs could enter a new era by moulding themselves around Nagelsmann.
