Tottenham have hired their third manager of the season following Cristian Stellini’s sacking
Daniel Levy has dismissed Cristian Stellini from his position as Tottenham’s manager after their humiliating loss on Tyneside over the weekend, and the club’s next manager has been announced.
Following Cristian Stellini’s dismissal as head coach, Ryan Mason has assumed the position with immediate effect at Tottenham. Stellini oversaw a demoralizing loss to Newcastle United over the weekend, which dealt a significant blow to Spurs’ pursuit of a top-four finish. Tottenham conceded five goals in the first 20 minutes at St James’ Park and eventually lost 6-1. Currently in sixth place on 53 points, Tottenham faces an uphill battle to secure a Champions League qualification spot, with Manchester United holding fourth place on 59 points and two games in hand. Third-placed Eddie Howe’s side currently has 59 points and just one game in hand. Mason’s task is to stabilize Tottenham’s position and climb up the table.
In April 2021, the 31-year-old was named caretaker manager after Jose Mourinho’s controversial sacking by Daniel Levy. In his first game in charge, he secured a 2-1 win over Southampton but lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. As interim boss, he won three of his final five games. Interestingly, Mason appears to favor a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Stellini experimented with a back-four against Newcastle before quickly reverting to a back-five after just 21 minutes.
Levy, the chairman, confirmed that Stellini’s coaching staff had also departed. Levy has made no move to bring back former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, despite his popularity with fans, and instead hopes to persuade Julian Nagelsmann to take the job in the summer. The immediate priority is to stabilize the team after the Newcastle loss, which saw the team concede five goals within the first 21 minutes. Tottenham fans were particularly dismayed by the lack of effort from the players and believe that Stellini is no longer capable of managing the team.
“Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was wholly unacceptable,” Levy said in the official statement.
“It was devastating to see. We can look at many reasons why it happened and whilst myself, the Board, the coaches and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility is mine.”
Levy, the chairman, confirmed in a statement that “Cristian will leave his current role along with his coaching staff. Cristian stepped in at a difficult point in our season and I want to thank him for the professional manner in which he and his coaching staff have conducted themselves during such a challenging time. We wish him and his staff well.
In the statement, Levy added: “I met with the player committee today – the squad is determined to pull together to ensure the strongest possible finish to the season. We are all clear we need to deliver performances which earn your amazing support. COYS, Daniel.”
Reportedly, the Tottenham squad was perplexed that Ryan Mason wasn’t appointed as interim coach right after Antonio Conte’s departure, and Mason himself has now agreed to take over despite being initially overlooked by Daniel Levy. It is believed that Fabio Paratici recommended retaining most of Conte’s former staff, including Cristian Stellini, which angered fans and resulted in Spurs winning only one of their last four games. They managed to secure a fortunate win over Brighton but lost twice and failed to beat 10-man Everton.