Tottenham Hotspur were initially hopeful that Nuno Espirito Santo would keep his players on their toes with a more distant approach than Mauricio Pochettino, per The Athletic.
Nuno has cut a far less dominant figure at Hotspur Way since succeeding Jose Mourinho at the helm this summer. Pochettino, in contrast, was a huge presence at the training ground, and made time to speak with everyone there.
Spurs’ players have not bought into Nuno’s distant style and see him more as a coach than the Tottenham manager. He is not a particularly talkative type with his squad compared to Pochettino, with little dialogue other than in training.
Tottenham chiefs were initially optimistic Nuno’s distant style would keep players on their toes better than, perhaps, Pochettino or Mourinho. He made no attempt to make promises over game time or to say how important certain players would be.
Nuno also did not make any introductory phone calls to players, even those who entered the summer with uncertain futures. Spurs felt those aspects would keep the players on tenterhooks and motivated to impress. But the feeling in the dressing room is the opposite.
There is a sense in the Tottenham squad that Nuno’s lack of communication is bordering on distance. It also does not help the Portuguese get his message across, with players unclear over how he expects them to play, which led to the dismal first-half at Arsenal last Sunday.
Tottenham squad not buying into Nuno style
The Athletic have reported previously that Tottenham players find Nuno to be distant and uncommunicative outside of training. But his focus on the football side of the club is now having an impact on other aspects, as well.
Pochettino’s personality transformed the culture at Spurs, while Mourinho’s personality – although different – also rubbed off on those at the club. Both also took a keen interest in matters off the training pitches to keep all club aspects running smoothly.
Nuno has shown less interest in the other club aspects than Pochettino and Mourinho since taking over at Tottenham. He has a tunnel vision on the football side, which can complicate planning commercial commitments with occasional short-notice changes to session timing.
Tottenham will surely hope Nuno improves his communication to avoid losing the dressing room. Both Pochettino and Mourinho made their presence felt outside of training, but Nuno is not building those relationships or, seemingly, gain the full respect of his players.
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