Daniel Levy backed out of plans to appoint Ralph Hasenhuttl as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager after Southampton suffered a mid-season collapse, according to The Athletic.
Spurs Chairman Levy considered a raft of candidates to replace Jose Mourinho before hiring Nuno Espirito Sano on Wednesday. The Portuguese’s’ appointment as head coach ended a two-month search for his compatriot’s successor after he was fired in April.
Levy decided he had to fire Mourinho days before the Carabao Cup final as the new Roma boss was prepared to sacrifice league results for potential Wembley glory. Mourinho was willing to rest key players for the preceding Premier League game with Southampton.
Spurs beat the Saints 2-1 at home under the interim control of Ryan Mason. A result that saw the south coast side’s miserable run of results continue after taking just two wins in their previous 14 top-flight fixtures before visiting north London.
Prior to that, the St Mary’s side had topped the Premier League table. And Southampton would win twice in their final six Premier League games to finish the season in 15th. But their torrid run of results saw Levy baulk at the idea of bringing Hasenhuttl to Tottenham.
The Spurs chief also appears to have had concerns over the Austrian’s relationship with his players. Levy was keen to hire a manager who would create a positive atmosphere in the Tottenham dressing room.
The Evening Standard claim several squabbles had broken out in the dressing room toward the end of Mourinho’s tenure. Hugo Lloris added to that when the Frenchman questioned the ‘togetherness’ of the squad after losing to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.
Levy couldn’t hire Hasenhuttl given Tottenham situation
If Levy had any fears over Hasenhuttl being able to bond the Tottenham dressing room, he could never have hired the Southampton boss. Fixing the cracks and bringing the squad back together will be one of the first tasks Nuno faces now that he is in charge.
Spurs cannot allow player rifts or issues with leadership to thwart their 2021/22 after missing out on Champions League football. The north Londoners will want the squad to act as one to get the club back into the top-six immediately.
Hasenhuttl could have been a great appointment at Tottenham if Levy was less concerned by Southampton’s decline, though. Pep Guardiola lauded the Saints boss, via mancity.com, as an ‘exceptional’ coach last season and for his defined playing style.
A style Southampton will hope works well next term after Levy hired Nuno, not Hasenhuttl, as the new Tottenham manager.
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