Tottenham’s defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday was surely the nadir of their joyless season, an afternoon when supporters’ frustration manifested in shameful abuse of Davinson Sanchez and the pressure increased on the club’s hapless ownership and acting boss Cristian Stellini.
The defeat left Spurs’ top-four hopes in jeopardy ahead of consecutive six-pointers against Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool, and raises the question of whether they can continue to muddle through to the end of the season with the status quo.
After three matches of Stellini’s proposed 10-game interregnum, his tenure has already soured. Next week’s triple-header is a chance to transform the mood but, given the way Spurs are playing, the situation could easily become toxic, perhaps unsustainably so.
Conte’s former assistant has changed next to nothing about his former boss’s approach, frustrating fans, and his decisions, including the introduction of substitute Sanchez on Saturday, have largely been ineffective and costly.
Unsurprisingly, a coach whose only previously managerial experience was 16 matches in the Italian third tier has quickly appeared out of his depth.
The fanbase is split between fury and apathy, and the mood in the squad is bleak; both Sanchez and Pedro Porro deleted social media accounts after receiving abuse from supporters in the wake of this 3-2 defeat.
Sanchez was the conduit for fans’ frustration on the day, but they recognise that Daniel Levy and the board are the root cause of the chaos, and the fury is likely to be directed at the chairman if Spurs struggle in their next home game against United on Thursday week.
The perception that Levy is thick-skinned and unconcerned by criticism is probably generous, and if the mood worsens and the pressure intensifies, the chairman’s most obvious recourse is another change in the dugout.
Stellini has changed next to nothing about Conte’s approach, frustrating fans
At this stage, the club’s options are limited. Levy could turn to another interim coach, such as Ryan Mason, who took charge of the final seven games of the 2020-21 season after Jose Mourinho’s sacking and tried to get Spurs back to playing on the front foot. Or Levy could accelerate the appointment of a permanent successor to Conte and try to get a new manager in place before the end of the campaign.
Spurs are still doing due diligence on potential candidates as they aim to avoid the repeat of their chaotic 72-day search for a Mourinho successor in summer 2021, and some of the leading contenders are currently employed and, therefore, difficult to poach before the summer.
But there are out-of-work candidates who could potentially take the job immediately, including former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, whose name has been sung by supporters in the last two home matches.
Whatever the results, fans are certain to continue calling for the Argentine — and for Levy to go — at St James’ Park on Sunday and during United’s visit.
The hierarchy have reservations about bringing Pochettino back, given the way the final months of his five-and-a-half year tenure played out, but re-hiring him would immediately lift the mood and ease the pressure on the board.
Levy and the club may have to weigh up their desire to take their time in appointing a new manager with the need to quickly address a situation which is threatening to spiral out of control.
