There is no escaping the magnitude of the decision coming Daniel Levy's way. His call on Tottenham's next manager is enormous and one that will shape the club's future going forward.
With Arsenal and Manchester United drastically improving after regularly finding themselves behind Tottenham in the past few years, Newcastle United very much in the mix for Champions League football due to their wealthy owners and with Liverpool and Chelsea unlikely to repeat their woes from this term, Levy and Tottenham must get things right. If not, there is the very real possibility that they will find themselves some way behind their rivals and playing catch-up for quite some time
The high-profile appointment of Jose Mourinho as head coach in November 2019 did not result in the silverware Levy and the club craved, with the less said about Nuno Espirito Santo's reign the better. Antonio Conte did manage to turn around the club's fortunes and lead them to a top-four finish against the odds, but his Spurs tenure now looks set to come to an abrupt end after an extremely frustrating second season in the hotseat.
READ MORE: The inside story as Daniel Levy faces major decision to call time on Antonio Conte Tottenham era
Someone who has no issues at all with making his feelings crystal clear as he has demonstrated numerous times in the past at various clubs, many pointed to how the 53-year-old would fare working with Levy and if the chairman would be able to continue to meet the head coach's lofty demands and ambitions during their time together. A much different job to the ones he had taken on in the past and certainly a slower road to success, it appeared that Conte had finally reached the end of his tether last Saturday following the 3-3 draw at Southampton.
Dropping points against lowly opposition once again, just a few weeks on from their dismal FA Cup and Champions League exits, the Italian let fly at his players and the club in an eye-opening post-match press conference at St Mary's. His outburst, one which has to be said that many supporters did agree with, does look like it will bring a swift end to his Tottenham stay and now Levy will have to decide on a fourth permanent manager since dismissing Mauricio Pochettino almost four years ago.
The Argentine, who is currently without a job, has been linked with a stunning return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Others linked with the hotseat include Thomas Tuchel, Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva, Ange Postecoglou, Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim.
All have their own merits and it leaves Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici with a mammoth decision to be made. The return of Pochettino does seem to be a popular call amongst a number of fans even though his first spell in charge ended on a sour note.
Making it clear that he would like to return to the position one day in the future, his homecoming could come a lot sooner than some expected with Conte nearing the exit door. What Levy must decide on is his Tottenham vision and the path he wants the club to follow and not veer away from it when there is a sign of trouble.
If he wants to put together a project that will see the team play attractive football and challenge for top honours once again, he may want to turn to Pochettino despite how things ended last time. There may be a split in opinion among the board over a possible return for the Murphy-born boss, which would be admitting a mistake for some after his November 2019 exit, but Levy and Tottenham must do what is right for the club regardless of what happened in the past.
The 51-year-old taking on the job again would bear some similarities to when he first arrived in the capital in May 2014 as players need to be moved on, the squad needs refreshing and it very much is the start of a whole new project. The ex-PSG boss worked wonders in his first few years in the job and transformed the team into Champions League regulars and also had them in Premier League title contention in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
Tottenham were riding the crest of a wave and his spell as head coach gave fans some incredible memories that they will cherish forever. Having reached the final of the Champions League in 2019 and failed to kick on the following season, Pochettino was dismissed after a nightmare set of results saw the team slip down the league table.
A rocky spell was always going to come Tottenham's way, especially after failing to sign a single player in 2018/19 as other teams around them strengthened and duly moved forward when Spurs stood still. Rather than persist with Pochettino and give him more time to see out this negative period as he had plenty of credit left in the bank, Levy pulled the trigger and Tottenham have not progressed as a club since.
While many will point to Pochettino's final year in charge as the run to the Champions League final masked some bad results in the league as well as his failure to guide them to silverware, supporters should remember what came before it as the team made everyone in the Premier League sit up and take notice. The Lilywhites need to get back on track and Pochettino can be the man to help them do so.
Tottenham need to reset as a club, decide on their blueprint to move forward and stick to it. Pochettino changed the culture of the club back in 2014, and while he may return to a completely different structure, he would have the opportunity to seize control, shape it as he sees fit and implement his football philosophy.
The Argentine walking through the doors again could also hold the key to Harry Kane deciding he wants to remain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium amid question marks over his future as he approaches the final year of his deal. What it would also do is bring some much-needed positivity and togetherness to the club once more and allow supporters to dream again.
This current malaise at Tottenham cannot continue and Levy holds the key to what comes next in N17. Pochettino transformed Tottenham nine years ago and he can do the same if the chairman fully invests in him once again.
READ NEXT:
Udogie wows, Spence proves point to Conte, Reguilon nightmare - Tottenham loan player ratings
Daniel Levy's new Tottenham blueprint must follow Mikel Arteta and Edu's ruthless Arsenal call
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gives verdict on Antonio Conte's Tottenham outburst and what he must do
The truths and flaws in Antonio Conte's explosive Tottenham tirade and Daniel Levy's decision
The new partnership forming at Tottenham and Antonio Conte's role in shaping their future
