The Daily Mail reporter Ian Ladyman has revealed that those inside Tottenham Hotspur were baffled by Nuno Espirito Santo’s lack of energy and enthusiasm in his four months in charge of the North London club.
More than two years on from his sacking by Tottenham, Espirito Santo has returned to the Premier League, replacing Steve Cooper at the helm of Nottingham Forest.
Spurs fans certainly do not have fond memories of the Portuguese coach’s time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the side playing extremely uninspiring football under his watch, struggling to score goals or keep them out at the other end.
Espirito Santo only lasted four months in N17 before he was replaced by Antonio Conte but he has subsequently enjoyed success at Al-Ittihad, guiding them to the Saudi Pro League title last season.
Nuno lacked energy when he arrived at Tottenham
On the back of his appointment by Forest, Ladyman has now revealed how those at Spurs were bewildered by the former boss’ demeanour.
The journalist said in It’s All Kicking Off Podcast: “It was almost like a fire went out. By the time he got to Tottenham and I know this from people I know very well at Tottenham, he was like a different person, he was non-communicative, he was flat, he had no energy.
“It was almost as if he went to Tottenham too soon after being sacked by Wolves because they couldn’t believe the character.
“His demeanour was wrong, people at Tottenham were baffled because this wasn’t the person they interviewed, the guy they saw at Wolves or the guy they had good references about, he was almost like a shell of himself.”
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It is perhaps Nuno’s lack of exuberance and personality that convinced the Spurs hierarchy that he is simply not going to win the players over and turn the ship around.
However, in fairness to the Portuguese coach, he did walk into the club at quite a tumultuous time, with Spurs going in a new direction after Paratici took over as managing director, and the whole fiasco surrounding Kane’s failed move to Man City.