Daniel Levy reportedly did not “immediately react” following Antonio Conte’s “outrageous” outburst after Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-3 draw against Southampton.
Tottenham chief Daniel Levy© PA Images
Conte was left fuming after Tottenham dropped two points at St Mary’s over the weekend.
Spurs were 3-1 up but James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty earned Southampton a valuable point.
The head coach went on to accuse his players of being “selfish” and he questioned the club’s mentality as a whole.
It was subsequently claimed that Spurs will get rid of Conte before his contract expires in the summer. If this happens, Ryan Mason would likely replace him until the summer.
The Telegraph are reporting that Levy has not yet made a decision but he is ‘considering whether to sack Conte during international break’.
Conte reportedly ‘spoke with Levy’ after his rant and made it clear that ‘he had not hit out at the club or the owners’. The report adds.
‘Levy is understood to be seeking the opinion of some of his closest confidants over the current situation and did not immediately react to Conte’s comments on Sunday.
‘But sources still believe Levy could sack Conte during this international break once he has taken advice and fully weighed up his options.
‘Were Levy to sack Conte, then Ryan Mason would most likely be put in temporary charge until the end of the season in time for ‘Tottenham’s next game against Everton on April 3.
‘Levy is deciding whether or not Conte will still be able to motivate his players for the run-in, following the Italian’s criticism of them.’
Stan Collymore thinks Conte’s post-match comments were “outrageous” as he is “fuelling the fire” at Tottenham.
The pundit also feels that Spurs should target Brentford’s Thomas Frank or Mauricio Pochettino when Conte inevitably moves on.
“What he has done is outrageous really. He, as the manager, is there to calm tension, not add to it. He’s fueling the fire and he’s almost talking himself out of a job and I wonder if Spurs have a case to turn around and say ‘fine, you’re gone!’ – what he has come out and said may not be a breach of his contract, but he has arguably brought the club into disrepute,” Collymore told Caught Offside.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a clause in Conte’s contract that will make Daniel Levy think twice about sacking him while the side are inside the Premier League’s top four. There may well be an active clause in his contract which means his compensation is a lot higher if the club sack him now as opposed to if they were fifth or lower.
“I know there may be a lot of Spurs fans who think ‘Conte is right, the club is a mess!’ – but he’s there to take the club forward and put his arm around players and make them better. I’ve said it for a long time, just get rid of him and bring in a coach that operates in a completely different way – whether that be a Thomas Frank, or a Mauricio Pochettino, or whoever – the club need someone who is not just progressive, but also optimistic.”
