Ruben-Amorim-during-an-interview-for-Sporting-CP
Tottenham Hotspur managerial target Ruben Amorim would be interested in replacing Antonio Conte, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Spurs manager hunt continuing?
The Lilywhites have yet to announce their official intentions over the future of Conte but reports heavily suggest he is on the way out.
Conte had already been linked with an exit from Spurs, with his contract set to expire at the end of this Premier League season, but his astonishing post-match rant after Southampton could mean he is gone even before then.
The Italian launched a scathing attack on both his players and Tottenham’s board – drawing attention to their long trophy-drought whilst criticising Spurs’ very culture.
“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in),” explained Conte after his side’s 3-3 draw at St. Mary’s.
“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.
“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”
Amorim, who is garnering an excellent reputation with his job at Sporting Lisbon, is apparently a contender to replace Conte.
The Latest: Amorim interested in joining Spurs…
The Portuguese, who knows Spurs defender Pedro Porro very well from his time at Sporting, would apparently be ‘interested’ in joining Tottenham.
That’s according to The Guardian, who also claim members of the Spurs board are real admirers of him and his work in Liga Portugal.
The report adds he would be difficult to prise away mid-season but Amorim’s deal has a release clause of around £13 million which comes into effect this summer.
The Verdict: Exciting candidate…
The 38-year-old is a very promising young coach and members of the press aren’t lost on that fact in the slightest.
Tottenham journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke, commenting on the tactician last year before Man City’s Champions League encounter with Sporting, called Amorim ‘the most exciting young manager in European football’.
The former Braga boss favours a similar formation to Conte, the 3-4-3, but he does really like his teams to attack high up the pitch with a fluid front three consistently interchanging into pockets of space.
The likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min, given their pace and directness, could thrive in such a system theoretically.
If Tottenham can’t get their hands on Mauricio Pochettino, Amorim may well be somebody worth considering.
About the Author
