There have been some rumours linking Maurizio Sarri to Spurs as a replacement for José Mourinho, these have been met with understandable negativity from Spurs fans.

So I’ve been giving it some thought.

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The big issues that come to mind are:

- Ex-Chelsea, obvious reasons + José/AVB/etc.

- Some questions of his character (previous homophobia, among other things that I am not well informed on)

So this alone is probably enough reason to get a big no from many Spurs fans.

However, Levy is known to be a fan of Sarri as he was keen on him as a Poch replacement, should he have left for Real Madrid circa-2017/2018. Also, let’s face it, he seems to have a thing for hiring ex-Chelsea coaches.

So, let’s imagine Levy sacks José and appoints Sarri. What should we think? What should we expect?

Here is a @TifoFootball_ video from early on in Sarri’s reign at Chelsea, giving insight and glowing reports of how Sarri sets up his teams:

This is another, later in the season, where some of the issues with Sarri’s Chelsea side are highlighted and a less positive report is given of his tactical setup:

Key takeaways:

- Sarri would fit the bill for Levy’s tendency to flip-flop between coaching philosophies, he’s the antithesis of Mourinho and would be a project, for want of a better term.

- Stylistically he may appease the fanbase, as most fans are sick of José’s bad mid/low block and counter.

- There are question marks over his ability to adapt, he has a philosophy and will rarely waver from that.

- Does the current Spurs’ squad suit his style of play? That’s something that can be looked at in far more detail at another time.

Sarri came in for a lot of criticism during his time at Chelsea, was it fair?

Glancing at the numbers (from @fbref & http://understat.com ) it seems fair to say that his Chelsea side were comfortably the 3rd best in the league behind two of the best sides the PL has ever seen.

They also won that season’s Europa League final against Arsenal.

For context, this is how Sarri’s Chelsea compared to Conte’s final season in charge:

However, Sarri’s side were criticised for boring possession and being overly reliant on Eden Hazard, who made up around 50% of their goals and assists that season.

Now let’s take a look at his final season with Napoli, which may be seen as the peak of “Sarriball”. His Napoli side had both the highest xG difference p90 and expected points in the 2017/18 Serie A season. They were unlucky not to win the league, fading towards the end.

Verdict:

This may be disappointing but I am undecided here. I was initially put off by the Chelsea links, potentially boring football (according to Chelsea fans), and finally the previous homophobia charge while at Napoli really does not sit well with me at all.

However, it is likely that Sarri would build an attacking possession based system that Spurs fans can only dream of under José Mourinho. Although, he did struggle to successfully implement his ideas at Chelsea to the extent he managed at Napoli.

Could this be due to the lower intensity of Serie A? Does he struggle to adapt to his players having less time on the ball?

Sarri may not be a “serial winner” but hey, look how that went! To be fair to him, he has won a scudetto and a Europa League.

If I had to decide, I would rather appoint someone younger and without the previous controversy. I think Graham Potter would be a great fit at Spurs, and Nagelsmann would be the ideal first choice but that seems more unlikely by the day now.