ON A ROAD TO NUNOWHERE
Spurs fans demand showdown talks over the future direction of the club
TOTTENHAM fans are demanding showdown talks with the club as pressure mounts on Nuno Espirito Santo.
The under-fire boss is odds-on with bookmakers not to last the season following Sunday’s north London derby nightmare.
And fans want answers as struggling Spurs gear up for the Europa Conference League clash with NS Mura tomorrow on the back of three straight league defeats.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST), which represents more than 22,000 fans, wants to discuss the club’s “short and longterm strategic vision.”
Spurs have lost heavily to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal in quick succession, and are bottom of the league for shots, chances and distance covered this season.
Nuno’s job is not under threat so early into the campaign, but he cannot afford another defeat at home to Aston Villa this Sunday.
And with an international break looming, the Spurs hierarchy are expected to start drawing up contingency plans should he be unable to turn things around.
A THST statement said: “Over the past few weeks we’ve been contacted by an increasing number of trust members and the wider fan base who are extremely concerned about the current direction of Tottenham.
“We have asked for a meeting with the club’s executive board to discuss both the short and long-term strategic vision. This meeting is an opportunity for the decision-makers at THFC to explain their plans to supporters. This explanation should include plans for this season and beyond, an explanation of how success will be measured and how the club’s DNA will be regained.”
The Trust urged the board to resign in the wake of the failed Super League fiasco and are likely to call on chairman Daniel Levy to go if he agrees to meet them again.
Levy, who sat down with the group for peace talks in May, is considering their latest offer to meet.
He copped flak in the summer after Spurs, who jettisoned Jose Mourinho last term, were snubbed by a host of managers before finally turning to former Wolves gaffer Nuno (above).
The Portuguese, praised for his work at Molineux, was named Premier League manager of the month for August when his team were top of the league, but it has all gone wrong since.
Despite the downturn, Nuno last week received the backing of skipper Hugo Lloris, who believes he needs more time.
The French international keeper said: “For any manager it’s not easy to change everything in one or two months – it’s impossible.
“But he’s bringing his ideas and, step by step, he’s building his relationship with the players. It’s a new process, a new era, with young players.
“It can’t happen in just two or three months. We need time. We need confidence. We need to stick together.”