FORMER Manager Watch: Nuno Espírito Santo

[DannyNZ]

So, fire him now? As you just illustrated a pattern over 6 games. Indicating it won’t change. So, would you like him sacked now? Rather than, 6 games from now? 6 games is enough to know who w have as a coach now. So, why not just pull off the band aid? Or, do you want to give him two or three more months? Conversely if we fire him now, who would you like to replace him at this time?

im not mocking. I’m deadly serious. You certainly seem like you’ve already gone past your point of tolerance. So, kinda curious to see how many want him sacked right now based on the 6 games theyve seen?

Personally, I’d like to give him at least until December. But, yes he does need to find a better attacking identity.

I’m not calling for him to be sacked or anything like that. But it is absolutely right to be concerned and disappointed with the football we are serving up. The Palace game was unacceptable and sadly with the team selection, formation and in game management it was entirely predictable.

We have ground out results but there is zero sign of a footballing identity, the team is regressing even after only 4 games. Crystal Palace battered us for most of the 90 minutes, sure give Nuno time but give him time with clarity that this type of performance is unacceptable and not excusable. If he wants to continue down the road of ultra conservative, defensive football with attack based around “we might get lucky”, then he needs to know that isn’t good enough.

As for giving him a bit of leeway because the squad is stretched, absolute bollocks. Gil is not some raw kid we took a punt on, he is a full Spanish international and has played a lot of senior football already. The fact that he has played bugger all minutes is unexplainable, given we have showed a glaring lack of any creativity his integration is at best patient or at worst reflective of an ultra conservative Manager.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

What have you seen so far in the performances that give you hope that he will be successful with us and that we will actually enjoy watching the football he will serve up this season?

I think we've looked a lot more fitter, more aggressive, have a better shape to us, more solidity in defence, players seem to understand their roles, there is a plan on the ball.

Look Nuno wasn't my preferred option either but i'm willing to give him more than 4 matches. It's clear we need more creativity, and more control in midfield. He clearly made mistakes yesterday but he seems a smart guy. I'm sure he'll have a plan to evolve our style of play.

I think once he realises we need to integrate Lo Celso or Ndombele into the midfield 3, coupled with our increased fitness levels the style of play will improve.

 

[ZiggySpurs]

Mate most of us didn’t want him in the first place and have explained our reservations based on our performances across the 4 matches and Nuno’s style of play at his previous clubs not just due to ‘one loss’. He’s a budget nice guy Mouriniho.

What have you seen so far in the performances that give you hope that he will be successful with us and that we will actually enjoy watching the football he will serve up this season?

*cough*

we are playing like nuno said we would to be fair, we are 'solid' but also 'intense' and are making the fans 'proud'.
A lot to like right now, really enjoying supporting the team again.

with Nuno it feels like this is just the start of him building something

Just shows the difference in a manager who focuses on coaching the players and keeping things simple and giving them confidence and playing a system to suit them and not creating drama and trying to stroke his own ego and dropping them left right and centre and playing stupid mind-games.

Given the Kane drama and the relative lack of big strengthening of the 1st team to get 9pts from 9 in the first 3 games with 2 of the 3 games being very tricky and to have no conceded a goal and to have built back such a positive vibe amongst the fans and building the squad to be tight knit again absolutely phenomenal job so far from Nuno, looking like his calm,positive,strong,balanced personality was just what we needed after toxic Jose.

#nunohadadream
#nunoball
COYS
?

Don't mean to single you out in particular as you seem like a nice and respectful poster. Just want to highlight that tides turn and as fans we're fickle.

Did we play well against Man City? I'd say yes. Have we controlled games and played well since then? Not really, minus Pacos at home. But going by your own words, he's trying to build a solid foundation. High stamina and intensity will help strengthen that foundation.

The weakened squad didn't help at all vs Palace, missed key players but that's always a risk as the season goes on and something he'll have to get used to and adapt to. I'd say we set up too defensively and unbalanced in midfield yesterday, and Nuno didn't do us or himself any favours with the team selection or lack of subs. However, it's his 4th PL game with us. I'm giving him a chance to build us up a bit and try to integrate/reintegrate players before I'll get knives out. Way too soon for that.

 

[Kuryakin]

*cough*

Oh dear haha

 

[13VanDerBale13]

View attachment 96594

From Wolves forums. Good for them I guess. What was even the point in sacking Mou if we were getting Nuno. Gonna be yet another long season...

Nuno was ‘suppose’ to be our escape from comments like this, but it looks like history is repeating itself & as usual it’s us fans suffering, from a history of fuck ups from our board ??‍

 

[jolsnogross]

There's no need to go overboard on Nuno after one match. Most of this is just blasting out the emotional response after a game before turning that on its head when the next game turns out differently.

The one major problem with the Palace game was whether it is a signal of what is to come. If that's the case, it'll be a tough run over the next dozen games and he won't last long. But I'm reasonably optimistic that things won't play out that way.

We are tired of having a reactive football team that doesn't create enough chances. It's boring, it invites pressure, and it leads us nowhere - 6th being a ceiling for that type of football. That's not to say a more proactive game will yield better than 6th this season, but it could certainly set us up to be better placed next summer. The last thing we need is more upheaval and a same-sized rebuild next summer as we just went through.

Only Kane and Moura were recognised attackers against Palace. That's just not going to cut it. If you're going to have 2 centre backs and three centre mids - i.e. a very solid core in the middle of our team, you must then have an attacking structure with the other 5, two being full backs. None of us want to see Winks, Skipp, PEH, and Dele play in the same eleven again - they're too similar and we make them look even worse when they don't have different kinds of players to pass to.

The Chelsea game will be revealing of Nuno's intent. If we don't set out like we plan to attack them - which we did against City - then the negative signal is getting stronger.

 

[yiddo]

Over the next few weeks the focus for Nuno has to be getting the team playing confidently in possession, right now and for some time any kind of pressing on our back 4 or CDMs forces us into our shell. After about 3 passes if we still have the ball deep in our own half you can see the players starting to panic and soon after that generally comes a long hit and hope type pass or something worse.
The movement ahead of them may not be helping but until we start to be able to play through a press, to some extent at least, we wont dominate games.

If you are optimistic you have to believe that Nuno will work hard with the squad in getting us confidently playing and hope that the creativity will follow on from that.

The pessimistic view will look at his Wolves past and feel that the warning signs are there already.

At the moment I think the latter is more likely so can understand the reactions here. Its a big test for Nuno's coaching ability, one I think a lot of coaches wouldn't succeed in.

 

[beats1]

I think we've looked a lot more fitter, more aggressive, have a better shape to us, more solidity in defence, players seem to understand their roles, there is a plan on the ball.

Look Nuno wasn't my preferred option either but i'm willing to give him more than 4 matches. It's clear we need more creativity, and more control in midfield. He clearly made mistakes yesterday but he seems a smart guy. I'm sure he'll have a plan to evolve our style of play.

I think once he realises we need to integrate Lo Celso or Ndombele into the midfield 3, coupled with our increased fitness levels the style of play will improve.

I don't think anyone can disagree with the first one, the second was true until palace, we are aggressive off the ball but on it, im not so sure, against palace, Ive never seen us so static

 

[rossdapep]

For anyone in doubt or unable to recall how things were in the beginning under Poch, here are some comments from the match report of the 2-1 defeat vs Stoke. This was the game directly after the Villa win (Kane's free kick)

"That, though, was to be his (Kane) only significant contribution in the first half, with his under-par Tottenham team-mates struggling to provide him with any service.'

Instead, Stoke were fully in control and they took an early lead thanks to a brilliant individual goal by Bojan.

Tottenham offered nothing in response, and the half-time whistle prompted boos from the home crowd as the players left the field.

They barely improved after the break but Pochettino's side, who scored twice in the second half to beat Aston Villa last week, pulled a goal back when Chadli thumped in a volley from a tight angle as the game entered the closing stages.'

I've also seen many people say Nuno just sat there doing nothing. Well, Poch would often do exactly the same.

Let's see how these next few weeks go. Nuno may surprise some on here and show some good attacking intent.

I also really cannot see that same 11 and the same culprits (Winks, Davies, Alli) being part of his starting 11 by the end of the season.

 

[DannyNZ]

I don't think anyone can disagree with the first one, the second was true until palace, we are aggressive off the ball but on it, im not so sure, against palace, Ive never seen us so static

Lost most 50/50 challenges against Palace

 

[beats1]

For anyone in doubt or unable to recall how things were in the beginning under Poch, here are some comments from the match report of the 2-1 defeat vs Stoke. This was the game directly after the Villa win (Kane's free kick)

"That, though, was to be his (Kane) only significant contribution in the first half, with his under-par Tottenham team-mates struggling to provide him with any service.'

Instead, Stoke were fully in control and they took an early lead thanks to a brilliant individual goal by Bojan.

Tottenham offered nothing in response, and the half-time whistle prompted boos from the home crowd as the players left the field.

They barely improved after the break but Pochettino's side, who scored twice in the second half to beat Aston Villa last week, pulled a goal back when Chadli thumped in a volley from a tight angle as the game entered the closing stages.'

I've also seen many people say Nuno just sat there doing nothing. Well, Poch would often do exactly the same.

Let's see how these next few weeks go. Nuno may surprise some on here and show some good attacking intent.

I also really cannot see that same 11 and the same culprits (Winks, Davies, Alli) being part of his starting 11 by the end of the season.

The thing is, what people forget is poch, literally was saved by the coup of the youth players under Sherwood

It was the young homegrown players that had brought in to his methods; Kane, Townsend, Mason, Rose and Bentaleb whereas the other group went to Levy: Lennon, Kaboul, Adebayor and etc.

So people are downplaying how bad poch was but midseason he changed teams.

That said saturday, was the worst performance Ive seen by a spurs team in a very long time

 

[SpursSince1980]

Not hiring Potter was a big mistake. He just wasn’t glamorous enough for people, but he’s a very good coach.

Not glamorous for who? Was Nuno considered any more glamorous? And wasn’t the scuttlebutt on Potter was that he was back channelled approached and had no interest?

 

[SpursSince1980]

I’m not calling for him to be sacked or anything like that. But it is absolutely right to be concerned and disappointed with the football we are serving up. The Palace game was unacceptable and sadly with the team selection, formation and in game management it was entirely predictable.

We have ground out results but there is zero sign of a footballing identity, the team is regressing even after only 4 games. Crystal Palace battered us for most of the 90 minutes, sure give Nuno time but give him time with clarity that this type of performance is unacceptable and not excusable. If he wants to continue down the road of ultra conservative, defensive football with attack based around “we might get lucky”, then he needs to know that isn’t good enough.

As for giving him a bit of leeway because the squad is stretched, absolute bollocks. Gil is not some raw kid we took a punt on, he is a full Spanish international and has played a lot of senior football already. The fact that he has played bugger all minutes is unexplainable, given we have showed a glaring lack of any creativity his integration is at best patient or at worst reflective of an ultra conservative Manager.

No one here is going to give him time. This one loss, and some ‘not attacking enough’ performances, is prime evidence of that. It would seem the majority here have already written him off and the season. So, if the pervasiveness of this perspective his held firm, then I’m sure they’ll get what they want, as he will get the shit booed out of him, anytime he does anything wrong. Levy won’t like that.

Like you said; after 4 games the team is regressing. Of course he knows the team needs to be more potent in attack. Hopefully he will get them there. But, if folks like yourself are seeing a rapid pattern of regression, then if we lose against Chelsea and Arsenal, there will be a mob calling for his head on a spike.

And then we start the cycle again. But, I hope this time we get a manager that is meant to be an attacking genius. So, at least if they lose, theyll be given more patience by the fans, just, like Poch was.

Feel bad for Nuno. He doesn’t stand a chance.

 

[SpursSince1980]

The thing is, what people forget is poch, literally was saved by the coup of the youth players under Sherwood

It was the young homegrown players that had brought in to his methods; Kane, Townsend, Mason, Rose and Bentaleb whereas the other group went to Levy: Lennon, Kaboul, Adebayor and etc.

So people are downplaying how bad poch was but midseason he changed teams.

That said saturday, was the worst performance Ive seen by a spurs team in a very long time

Is there the slightest possibility that a loss and performance like yesterday can be attributed to multiple factors? Injuries. Players missing. Red card. Players playing out of position. At least three players phoning it in. And a manager that was too conservative against a team that was very well rested after the international break and far more aggressive than us?

 

[Johnspur]

I'm sure it's been said on here already, but apart from the City game where we battled really hard (which was good to see because I don't expect us to outplay them), we've been pretty poor and tough to watch in every match.

Lucky against Wolves
Only difference between us and Watford was a fairly lucky goal.
And then against Palace, 2 weak shots over 90 mins. Woeful.

We look uncreative as I've seen and this is a bit of a follow on from last season where even though we scored a decent number of goals in the league (68) this was stat padded by a few results. If anyone cares - we scored a total of 36 goals in 9 league games and in the other 29 league games we got a total of just 32 goals.

Surely we can't start the next game with 3 defensive midfielders. Ndombele has to be given the game time. Gil being introduced into games would also be nice.

 

[whitesocks]

Lost most 50/50 challenges against Palace

We are a team of midgets - Jenas commented on this on saturday.
We know who Nuno wanted in the summer, and Traore's height and power would definitely help against the likes of palace. It is a shame that Nuno, Paratici and mendes tried to pass him off to Levy as a 2nd striker. That role should have been sorted already. Grrr.

Nuno has a weaker squad than last season. It is very optimistic to think he'll do better than mourinho, but reasonable to think he'd be better than mason. He still has a pretty good defence, especially when sanchez and Romero visit us on their holidays. You get the impression they are all well drilled now with the basics.

But a par of upper midtable will see him sacked and it will be interesting to see if paratici will go with him in those circumstances.

 

[olliec]

If he starts winks in one more premier league game I’m done with him.

 

[SpursSince1980]

We are a team of midgets - Jenas commented on this on saturday.
We know who Nuno wanted in the summer, and Traore's height and power would definitely help against the likes of palace. It is a shame that Nuno, Paratici and mendes tried to pass him off to Levy as a 2nd striker. That role should have been sorted already. Grrr.

Nuno has a weaker squad than last season. It is very optimistic to think he'll do better than mourinho, but reasonable to think he'd be better than mason. He still has a pretty good defence, especially when sanchez and Romero visit us on their holidays. You get the impression they are all well drilled now with the basics.

But a par of upper midtable will see him sacked and it will be interesting to see if paratici will go with him in those circumstances.

I hope not. Why would Fabio also get shit canned? Isn’t the whole point of a DoF is to ensure some level of consistency throughout the footballing part of the club? If Levy sacked him, that would be outrageous. There is a far better chance Fabio will resign if Levy undermines him again.

 

[Russ1201]

Disgraceful performance yet again but his hardcore fans still blame his team mates for lack of service. That is only part of the issue if he could be bothered to run, tackle or make himself available instead of sulking like a big spoilt brat. Getting pissed off with his stinking attitude

 

[Gilzeanking]

I've mentioned this before...but prior to last season Wolves were murder to play against .They certainly didn't make their opponents look like Barca . A City fan was moaning before our game vs them that with Nuno we would be miserable to play like Wolves were .

The whole concept that Nuno's Wolves were feeble bus parkers simply isn't true . Not suggesting that he's doing great with us , but the 'Nuno's teams are a soft touch' idea simply doesn't correlate with reality especially of his powerful Wolves team for a few seasons ...who would regularly batter us .

We need to look a bit further than just the manager imo