Levy facing biggest call of his Spurs reign and he can't get it wrong

ANTONIO CONTE’S appointment in November 2021 was billed by many Tottenham fans as Daniel Levy’s ‘last chance’, a final roll of a dice from a chairman who was running out of lives after a series of disastrous decisions.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Yet, 16 months on, Levy is preparing to pick his 12th permanent manager, with discussions today continuing over Conte’s dismissal, following his extraordinary tirade against his players at Southampton on Saturday.

In the immediate term, Levy must decide how to give Spurs the best chance of securing a top-four finish and salvaging something from a miserable campaign. Longer term, he faces a choice over what type of manager to go for next, one to not only deliver long-overdue success on the pitch but restore unity, direction and identity to a club which has badly lost its way over the past three-and-a-half years.

Tied to Levy’s huge call are other factors, including his own status with the fanbase and the future of Harry Kane, who has one year remaining on his contract and is likely to be the subject of interest from Manchester United in the summer.

Get another appointment badly wrong and Levy risks the persistent but midlevel dissatisfaction with his chairmanship becoming a full-blown mutiny, while if Kane feels the new coach gives him little chance of challenging for silverware next season, he may push even harder for a summer move.

The likeliest scenario in the short-term is to put first-team coach Ryan Mason in charge until the end of the season, just as the club did after sacking Jose Mourinho in April 2021.