Tottenham Hotspur were heavily linked with the former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca during the summer transfer window but they ended up appointing Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager.
According to the Telegraph, Fonseca was quite close to being appointed as the manager of the London club and he had already begun pre-season plans before the move collapsed.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Fonseca has explained that the agreement was done with the Premier League club but managing director Fabio Paratici pulled out of the deal because he wanted a less attack-minded coach.
Apparently, he wanted to play attractive and offensive football at the London club but Paratici wanted a coach with different ideas and therefore he opted to appoint the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager.
“The agreement was done. We were planning the pre-season and Tottenham wanted an offensive coach. It wasn’t announced but we planned pre-season players. But things changed when the new managing director arrived and we didn’t agree with some ideas and he preferred another coach,” Fonseca said.
“I have some principles. I wanted to be coach of the great teams but I want the right project and a club where the people believe in my ideas, my way to play, and this didn’t happen with the managing director.
“It’s what the chairman and the sporting director (Steve Hitchen) asked for. To build a team who can play attractive and offensive football and I was ready for that. I cannot be a different way. All my teams will have these intentions. In Rome or Shakhtar in the Champions League against the biggest teams, I’m not sending out my teams to defend near their own box.”
Fonseca might have a point because Tottenham have scored just three goals in five Premier League matches so far.
The Londoners have been dreadful going forward under Nuno and they will have to improve immensely if they want to challenge for a Champions League finish.
Given the players at their disposal, an attack-minded coach would have been better for Tottenham and the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min would have benefited from Fonseca’s arrival.
Wolves had a disappointing season under Nuno Espirito Santo last year and they finished 13th in the league table.
It will be interesting to see if the Portuguese manager can recapture his mojo and help Tottenham climb up the table in the coming weeks.
