Going from Antonio Conte to Paulo Fonseca in the space of a week must feel like going from a diamond ring to a Haribo ring for Tottenham Hotspur fans, such is the reputation of the two. Paulo Fronseca is no terrible manager, that’s for sure. The former Roma man was a serial winner at Shakhtar Donetsk and also won the Portuguese Super Cup at Porto.
In comparison, however, Conte is a former Premier League winner who has just ended Juventus’ near-decade spell of dominance in the Serie A. Conte arrived at Inter Milan before transforming them into a title-winning side and leaving. When a manager of that calibre is available, you fight with everything you’ve got to secure him if you’re Spurs.
Paulo Fonseca: A Risk That Could Continue Tottenham Hotspur’s Downward Spiral
Spurs Lack the Needed Attraction to Secure Big Name
Truthfully, it seems as though Spurs did originally want the serial winner in Conte. In fact. in the end, it was Conte who rejected Spurs and not the other way round. As a result, Paulo Fonseca looks likely to get his chance with talks at an advanced stage, according to Fabrizio Romano.
But, in comparison with other names mentioned, Fonseca is the blandest choice. He’s the vanilla of the available selection, whilst Conte is the classy, but more expensive, lemon sorbet. And it is that choice of ‘vanilla’ that could continue Spurs’ downward spiral.
Paulo Fonseca is Walking Into a Sinking Ship
Writing Fonseca off from the get-go would be harsh, but it’s undeniable that he will struggle at the start, should he take the job, of course. He is potentially walking into a sinking ship in search of a new captain. He could be forced to contend with the departure of Harry Kane, too. The fact is, Fonseca might not just be walking into a transitional period, he could be strolling into a rebuild.
And that’s where he might be favoured. Whoever the next Spurs manager is, patience will be their best friend. Everyone associated with the club will know how long a rebuild could take. They will be aware that a new manager does not mean instant success. Perhaps that is the thinking by Daniel Levy. Conte didn’t want to oversee a rebuild so a break down in talks isn’t the end of the world.
They need a manager willing to take on a project, and Fonseca will be eager for that. Such is his relatively quiet reputation, a job in the Premier League will be on his list of priorities. He and Spurs want the same thing, and that’s crucial. Levy tried a big name in Jose Mourinho before, and that far from worked out. So why not try thinking outside the box?
There is a risk involved with the appointment of the man who didn’t exactly set the world alight in Rome. But, in football, sometimes a risk is all it takes. Should Fonseca take the job, it could go either way. Either Spurs would have struck gold, or the digging will only continue in search of something special- eventually becoming a hole more resemblant of a grave.
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