Burnley manager Vincent Kompany and defender Connor Roberts after the Championship defeat at Watford
Well-known pundit Richard Keys has namedropped the inexperienced Vincent Kompany as a potential Tottenham Hotspur manager.
The Lowdown: Conte’s future looks bleak
It is now being reported that Conte has no future at Tottenham beyond this season, which would see Daniel Levy forced into yet another permanent managerial appointment – his fourth since sacking Mauricio Pochettino.
The irony is that Pochettino is still well-liked by a lot of people at Tottenham and many would love to see him make a return to N17 in the summer if and when Conte departs.
While it’s understandable why many would want Pochettino back given he got Spurs to a Champions League final, it’s not always ideal for players or managers to go back to somewhere they once had great success as it could tarnish their reputation – and it didn’t exactly end well for the Argentinian the first time around.
The Latest: Kompany could be a long-term option
Therefore, going for someone younger and with more to prove such as Kompany could be the best way for Tottenham to go, according to BEIN Sports pundit Keys, who certainly isn’t a fan of Pochettino returning to Spurs.
He tweeted: “I’m reading Conte might ‘check out’ of Spurs at the end of the season. Mentally he already has. And that serial under-achiever Pochettino is wanted back. Why? Surely Tuchel is the best choice? Or Kompany? What a job he’s currently doing.”
The Verdict: Pochettino still the sensible pick
It’s no surprise that some are tipping Kompany for bigger things than managing Burnley – with all due respect to the Clarets – because he has them dominating the Championship and has already earned his stripes out in Belgium as well.
Given the ringing endorsements that Pochettino is receiving from people inside Tottenham, it seems way too much to ignore for Daniel Levy, so that would appear to be the easy decision for the Spurs chairman.
Kompany would be an intriguing appointment given he’s averaging 2.21 points per game with Burnley and has been tipped to manage Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, so he’s highly regarded, but considering the unsteady nature of Spurs, going for a steadier pair of hands in Pochettino would arguably be a far safer successor to Conte.
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