Mauricio Pochettino Return Would Highlight How Much Time Tottenham Hotspur Have Wasted

Filmed on a flight back to Italy during the international break this week, it would be a surprise if Antonio Conte ever returned to Tottenham Hotspur. Indeed, the 53-year-old is under intense pressure following another disappointing result with Conte laying the groundwork for his own dismissal by making a series of inflammatory comments after the 3-3 draw against Southampton.

Reports claim Conte will be fired by Spurs before the end of the international break leaving the North London club looking for their fourth manager in just three years. Thomas Tuchel and Ruben Amorim have been linked with the job, but most fans and experts predict Mauricio Pochettino will be rehired.

Pochettino was fired by Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 just a matter of months after leading the club to their first-ever Champions League final. The Argentine coach was an extremely popular figure in North London, but grew frustrated at what he perceived to be a lack of backing from the club in the transfer market.

Spurs have spent over €300m on transfers since Pochettino left three years ago and have very little to show for their money. Jose Mourinho failed to finish in the top four as Tottenham manager, Nuno Espirito Santo lasted only a few months in charge and while Conte achieved a top four finish last season, things have unravelled very quickly for him and his team this season.

A rebuild will be on the cards if Pochettino is re-appointed this summer. The Argentine favours a very different style of play to the three defensive-minded coaches who succeeded him at Spurs and so patience will be required if a reunion takes place in North London at the end of the 2022/23 season.

The return of Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur would highlight just how much time the club has wasted over the last three years. Spurs had a world class manager in the form of Pochettino, but inexplicably chose not to back him and instead back a series of successors who never had the connection to the club of the Argentine.

Over the past two decades, Spurs have hired 10 permanent managers. Those 10 managers won a combined 61 trophies and titles before and after coaching Tottenham, yet the North London club have lifted just one piece of silverware in that time. This underlines just how bad Tottenham’s decision-making has been.

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves at a critical juncture in their recent history. There’s no denying the progress they have made over the last 20 years – just look at the club’s shimmering new stadium – but a more coherent strategy is required for Spurs to fulfil their potential. Pochettino might be the man to make that happen, but the same might have been said three years ago.