Cristian Stellini should not be held responsible for Tottenham’s failure to land a Champions League spot - the damage was done long before he stepped into the breach and was subsequently fired.
That’s the verdict of Spurs fans when asked to pinpoint who is to blame if the club finishes outside the top four.
Prior to being fired yesterday, Stellini had picked up just one win from his four games at the helm, with Spurs shipping nine goals in their last two outings, including an embarrassing five inside the first 21 minutes against top-four rivals Newcastle United.
READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings vs Newcastle: Lloris, Romero, Dier among those dreadful in collapse
However, despite the collapse in the north-east, less than 1% of Spurs fans in our football.london poll singled out Stellini as the root cause of the Champions League failure.
Not surprisingly, it is the board who bear the brunt of the fans’ ire, with 47% holding them responsible for Spurs ’ slide down the Premier League table.
The players don’t escape entirely scot-free, though, with 30% of respondents believing they should be held accountable for Tottenham’s failure to keep pace with Manchester United and the Magpies.
And while Stellini’s spell in the hotseat is viewed as almost entirely blame-free, that is not the case for Antonio Conte.
The collapse against Southampton that prompted his furious outburst and subsequent departure was small-fry compared to what happened at St James’ Park.
Nevertheless, despite Conte’s words proving somewhat prophetic, 21% of respondents believe it was his failings as a manager which mean, barring a miraculous turnaround, there will be no Champions League football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.
Do you agree with the poll results? Have your say in the comments section below.
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