Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson wants to see the club appoint Vincent Kompany as their new manager ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Spurs made the decision on Monday to relieve Antonio Conte of his duties as head coach after 16 months in charge. The Italian’s position became untenable following his latest rant after Spurs' 3-3 draw with Southampton, where he labelled the players “selfish” and criticised the club’s culture. Spurs are on the lookout for their fourth permanent manager since sacking Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.
Appearing on the Betfred Football Show, Robinson feels that Spurs should be looking at Burnley boss Kompany as Conte’s successor due to his instant impact in England.
“I’d go for Vincent Kompany,” he said. “I think he’s been so impressive. Spurs need stability, they need a base, they need some foundation to build on. They’ve tried two winning managers in [Jose] Mourinho and Conte - that hasn’t worked.
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“Vincent Kompany’s capable of winning now but he’s also capable of playing a style of football, developing players and getting a squad together. He’s such an exciting, young manager.
“And from what I hear from Burnley, [his] passion, his drive, his commitment, the hours he puts in, his focus - he’s incredible. I’d get him at the end of the season.”
Kompany has had a fruitful first year managing in English football as he has the Clarets on the cusp of an instant return to the Premier League with the club sitting first in the Championship. The former Manchester City defender has been widely praised for his coaching style and the way his Burnley side play football.
Robinson also criticised Spurs for waiting until the summer to appoint a new boss as he mentioned that exciting coaches in Luis Enrique, Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann are all available now. Although he reiterated Kompany would be his first choice, he feels that if Spurs want one of these three experienced coaches then they cannot afford to wait.
While on the subject of Conte’s exit and the news that sporting director Fabio Paratici has been banned from football across Europe, Robinson ripped into his former employers as the fans' discontent towards chairman Daniel Levy grows.
He added: “The club is in a position that is far from ideal, that’s putting it politely. They’re in a mess. They’ve got rid of the manager and now the sporting director has been banned from football across Europe for however long. It’s a ship without an udder.
“They’ve got massive games coming up, there’s still an opportunity to finish fourth. The manager has gone, I think it was time for him to go. What he said was good and refreshing. I enjoyed listening to him, but I think his time was up. Spurs were boring to watch, they were playing the same system every week and they were so predictable.”
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