Nuno Espirito Santo’s honeymoon period at Tottenham Hotspur ended on Saturday.
After three 1-0 wins over Man City, Wolves and Watford, his Spurs side were brought back down to earth with a bump as they lost 3-0 at London rivals Crystal Palace.
The result was awful, even when you factor in that Spurs played a third of the match with 10 men following the 58th-minute red card shown to Japhet Tanganga.
But the performance and style of play was what irked many fans. And many of them took to Twitter to vent.
Among the fan feedback was a common theme, with Nuno repeatedly compared to his predecessor Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho was not widely loved by Spurs fans due to his perceived negative and defensive tactics (and his Chelsea links).
When Nuno was hired, an official statement by club chairman Daniel Levy referenced Tottenham’s “need to revert back to our core DNA of playing attacking, entertaining football”.
But many Spurs fans are not convinced that Nuno is really the man to fulfil this need. His football at Wolves was far from scintillating and, even in their victories, Spurs have been more functional than fantastic.
After Saturday’s Selhurst Park thrashing, Spurs Twitter was ablaze with negative feedback, summed up by a comment from @LeachysCleaner, who termed Nuno: “A pound shop Mourinho”.
I don’t blame Tanganga for that red. Only one who has given 100%. Nuno at fault for perservering with dross like Winks Dele and an unfit Skipp when Ndombele and Gil are on the bench.
Nuno a pound shop Mourinho today. #CRYTOT— DannyBoy™?©®? (@LeachysCleaner) September 11, 2021
Nuno Mourinho
— Small Daddy ?? (@Odogwu_cc) September 11, 2021
Mourinho and Nuno pic.twitter.com/yYgAvdouOd
— Nick Carpenter (@nickyc101) September 11, 2021
I’m not even annoyed at nuno but he shouldn’t have been given the job in the first place. He’s a carbon copy of mourinho without the trophies! What happened to bringing back the ‘dna’ of the club. Blame the board! The transfer window was shit as well, no creation the squad!
— Pressureonspurs (@pressureonspurs) September 11, 2021
The problem is not this game. We are seeing this football since Jose Mourinho. Nuno has never been an attacking coach. This is facts. Not reaction
— Ninon????????? (@Lanigara) September 11, 2021
The problem is not this game. We are seeing this football since Jose Mourinho. Nuno has never been an attacking coach. This is facts. Not reaction
— Ninon????????? (@Lanigara) September 11, 2021
Nuno = Mourinho with a smile
— Tadhg Carey (@tadhgcarey) September 11, 2021
(a) is Nuno just ‘Mourinho-lite’? No real attacking intent or style, just happy to keep it tight & hope to sneak a goal…
(b) are we looking at a season of a half-hearted, disinterested Harry Kane, same as what happened with Eriksen in his final season?@RickSpur @LeeMcQueen
— Mark Q (@NoSpendingCash) September 11, 2021
Spurs fans moaning wow, did they moan when they cheated a win at the molineux, I hope Nuno takes you down, racist B’tards.
Spurs fans acting as if they won a hundred trophies with their so called attacking “dna” football…can they actually afford to criticise jose?