‘It has been a trigger’ – Pundit reveals why he thinks Spurs sacked Nuno now

Paul Merson believes the final top-four spot being up for grabs this season acted as a trigger for Spurs to sack Nuno and hire Conte, as well as fan opinion. 

The Portuguese coach was sacked on Monday following the heavy defeat at the weekend and has since been replaced by former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. 

The encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was marred by chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” after Nuno elected to substitute Lucas Moura for Steven Bergwijn, followed by boos directly after Marcus Rashford slotted in United’s third. 

Former Arsenal man Merson believes the fans played a big part in Spurs making a managerial change, but feels sympathetic towards Nuno in the way his profile simply did not fit the task at hand. 

In his column for Sky Sports, he wrote: “Wherever you go, the fans get you the sack. It’s very rare a manager gets the sack if the fans are singing your name.

“When Nuno made the Lucas Moura-Steven Bergwijn sub in the 3-0 defeat by Manchester United, the fans were booing, and he looked quite lost. I like him as a manager, but it was just the wrong time.

“They’ve made a decision, they’ve done it very quickly, only 10 games in.”

With Conte now at the helm in North London, Merson now believes Spurs are now in a race for the final top-four spot, as Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool look to be creating a gap from the rest of the pack. 

He added: “Before the start of the season, the top four was shut – it was Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United – but I think Spurs have looked at Man Utd and it has been a trigger. 

“There is a gap now, and they can’t miss a trick. That fourth place is 100 per cent up for grabs, and I think that’s why the decision was made quickly.”

Spurs Web Opinion 

The atmosphere against United was very negative and it was understandable as to why. The team was playing poorly, the tactics were wrong and not working and the decision-making throughout was very questionable. There is a fresh face in the dugout now, and hopefully, Conte will be able to rally the side and get them on the right path. 

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