@Krishnadas KP

It will be a big ask to find a club that polarizes its own fans more than Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur. Whether the topic is ENIC’s investment into the club, Jose Mourinho’s sacking before a cup final or the chances of Dele Alli regaining his old form, most fans of the Lilywhites find each other on either ends of the spectrum. And the biggest such topic that has divided the White Hart Lane faithful is Nuno Espirito Santo, or more specifically, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Nuno’s Spurs find themselves 8th in the Premier League table with 12 points from a possible 21, most of which gained during their spectacular start to the season, winning 3 out of 3 matches. However, Nuno’s “honeymoon” period ended very abruptly after crushing defeats to London rivals Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal threw them down the ladder. Considering the quality of opposition faced, 12 points should not be a concerning start to the season, however, cries of “Nuno Out” came from sizeable parts of the fanbase. And it has all to do with the ex-Wolves gaffer’s eerie similarity to his predecessor at Spurs, Jose Mourinho. Jose Mourinho on his much acclaimed “second season” at Spurs, went to a flying start, reaching the top of the PL table with impressive displays against Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal along the way. However, the Portuguese tactician’s team crashed and burned spectacularly, culminating in his in ominous sacking in April 2021. The major flaw of Mourinho’s tactics were his so-called defensive setup which ironically magnified the defensive weaknesses of the team. The attacking outputs of the team were almost always carried by Son and Kane having world class seasons.

Daniel Levy was at the knife’s edge following the debacle of a season and came out publicly with a vow to uphold the “Tottenham DNA” while searching for the new manager. Ten Haag, Flick, Conte etc. were all approached, unsuccessfully, and the search quickly went from the highs of Conte and Flick to the significantly less glamorous Fonseca, Gattusso and then… Nuno. Nuno Espirito Santo did an excellent job at Wolves getting them two top 7 finishes and a deep Europa League run however it was evident that he wasn’t the first choice for Levy by any stretch of imagination. Nuno have been known to play a similar risk averse system as Mourinho and was certain to try and implement the same at Spurs, which makes it the opposite of the “Tottenham DNA”. And more significantly, it follows the same blueprint that got Mourinho sacked just months ago in humiliating fashion.

Nuno has struggled extremely in getting his team to be creative, with his side finding themselves bottom in all key statistics, an insanely concerning fact. Spurs fans have also been concerned by the Portuguese’s starting lineups at times and his reluctance to introduce changes quickly. It has been an unconvincing start to life at North London for Nuno and there are cries to plug the leak early by his sacking, however Tottenham just cannot afford to sack their 3rd manager in 3 years.

It does take a while to implement a manager’s system in a club which was evident in the early Pochettino era. Nuno faces an uphill task to get players such as Ndombele, Dele, Sanchez, Lo Celso etc. to work, who are one of the most inconsistent players in the squad, and unfortunately suffering an out of form Harry Kane. And he also seems to be stamping a defensive system in a team that just isn’t suited to play on the back foot, just like Mourinho learned months ago. And as the illustrious Portuguese learned, it is very easy to lose the dressing room at Tottenham. Nuno on his back of his mind will have the words “Tottenham DNA” ringing in Daniel Levy’s stern voice and must satisfy expectations that he just hasn’t had in his career. All in all, it seems like Nuno is in a game he is setup to lose, and the fans think he is just a “placeholder” for a better manager to come soon, as evident from his small contract.

It is another curious season at White Hart Lane (or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), and it begs the question… How early is too early and how late is too late.