October 04, (THEWILL) – A finish for Tottenham Hotspur outside the top six of the English Premier League’s 2021/2022 season can earn new manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, the sack for free according to a clause in the club-friendly contract the Portuguese manager agreed with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy this summer when he was offered the job.
After a brief honeymoon period under Nuno, in which Spurs climbed to the top of the Premier League and he won the Manager of the Month for August after three straight wins, the squad hit rock bottom with a string of severe defeats, which ended with Sunday’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Spurs are now eighth in the Premier League rankings, two points behind the top four, but Levy is clearly expecting more from Nuno.
That was made abundantly obvious to the 47-year-old when he was hired, as Levy put a clause in the manager’s contract that allows him to be fired for free next summer if Spurs do not finish in the top six.
Spurs have a lot of leeway with this agreement. Nuno is expected to guide them back to the Champions League or at the very least the Europa League, but if he fails to do so, he can be let go with no fuss.
Spurs will need more performances like the one they put up against Villa to get back to where they want to be, but Nuno admitted after the game that they still need to work on their consistency before getting carried away.
After that victory, a more assertive Nuno said: “We are aware we have been through a tough moment. When the players gel and combine they can do very well. We have to find the balance between the defensive and attacking part of the game.
“All the players did well, we have talented players and when they are confident, they are unstoppable. We needed a win but a well-deserved win. We did a good match against tough opponents. Important for us, the boys and the fans. We reacted well after conceding and [were] positive in a lot of ways.
“The boys did well. Villa are a very good team with the press so it was about taking risks. Our front three were always in the middle. They played well.”
The victory over Villa helped Nuno’s side avoid a run of four straight losses, which could have been their first since 2004. When they reconvene after the international break, they will head to Newcastle to take on Steve Bruce’s charges in search of back-to-back victories.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
