It’s been more than eight weeks since Tottenham sacked Antonio Conte to save the season.
It would be fair to say that the movement did not have the desired effect.
Champions League qualifying hopes evaporated some time ago, and the Spurs are now making their final Premier League game of the season in Leeds, with no chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
They need to get a better result than Brighton hosts Aston Villa or they will miss out on European football for the first time since 2009-10.
Conte’s departure did not stop the trend. Italian’s assistant Cristian Stellini only lasted four games, He was sacked after a gruesome 6-1 defeat at Newcastle, which President Daniel Levy described as “totally unacceptable”.
Ryan Mason took charge for the remainder of the season but has amassed 12 points in 12 games since Tottenham beat Chelsea on 26 February.
They don’t have a football director they follow. Fabio Paratici’s debut Due to the 30-month ban miscalculation While he was the sporting director and general manager of Juventus.
And now they’ve been snubbed by Arne Slot, who decided to stay in the Netherlands after leading Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title since 2017.
Alright what now?
Is it still 2021?
Slot’s decision to stay at Feyenoord is a worrying development for Tottenham fans, some of whom are starting to fear the prolonged search for a manager that resulted in Nuno Espirito Santo’s unfortunate appointment in 2021.
Portuguese took four months It has lost five of its last seven matches in the Premier League.
That summer, Tottenham reviewed a list of potential candidates for which Conte, Gennaro Gattuso and Paulo Fonseca were also considered.
So was dear ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino, and at least on that occasion Tottenham did an investigation before discovering how expensive it would be to kick the Argentine out of Paris St-Germain.
This time they didn’t even try. It looks like Pochettino will be in the rival bunker for Tottenham’s next match against Chelsea.
Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has been heavily linked to the Tottenham business following Conte’s departure, but the club has said they won’t approach the Germans and doubled down on that stance after new contact allegations last weekend.
As for the slot, Feyenoord has the appeal of a guaranteed spot in the Champions League group stage, though it’s easy to think that Tottenham’s finances alone should have been enough for the 44-year-old to move to London.
Who else is there?
Well-placed sources have suggested that Tottenham continues to be interested in former Spain and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, who has been unemployed since the World Cup.
But there are other options.
Another former Spain coach, Julen Lopetegui, is in an uncertain situation at the Wolves after discovering that Financial Fair Play restrictions will be a major hurdle to his summer rostering plans.
Like Slot, former Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy has done an impressive job in the Netherlands. The 46-year-old is now in the market after leaving PSV Eindhoven after failing to agree on a path forward.
Graham Potter rose to fame in Brighton and is still held in high esteem despite several months lasting amidst a chaotic recruitment campaign at Chelsea, which is deemed to have been inspired by his owners.
At one point Brendan Rodgers was strongly linked to Tottenham. It didn’t seem like he was having fun at Leicester long before he was sacked, and he has the FA Cup on his résumé since his time at King Power.
Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou has won back-to-back Scottish titles and is on the verge of a domestic trio. Given its progressive tactical approach, it should also be taken into account.
Levy on the agenda
Levy and Tottenham eventual owners ENIC have faced more negative backlash than ever this season.
Their home campaign ended in defeat against Brentford last week, and while the home team are fighting for their Premier League lives, few fans will head to Leeds in hopes of victory.
And then there’s Harry Kane.
The English captain’s contract is one year away and he is again attracting the attention of all the leading clubs in Europe, including Manchester United.
Levy risks either cashing in on the striker or losing him for nothing in 12 months, in the hopes that something positive will emerge that will convince him to dedicate the rest of his career to the Spurs.
It will not be difficult to find an alternative to Slot for Spurs. Finding the right alternative is another question entirely.
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