“Mo Money, Mo Problems” by Puff Daddy might as well be the theme song for Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo right now. The Portugese made a big step up in club (and obviously, paygrade) this summer when he left Wolverhampton Wanderers and took the gig in north London.
Or perhaps the more fitting rap song for Nuno is Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” as the gaffer admits his side/club have a lot of problems, but Harry Kane isn’t one.
Wolves vs Tottenham Carabao Cup 3rd Round FYIs:
Kick-off time: 7:45 PM GMT, 22 September Wednesday
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Form Guide (All Competitions): Wolves (LWLWL) Tottenham (WWLDL)
Spurs actually sat top of the Premier League table at the first international break, but have suffered a massive drop in form since. Spurs began the season by beating City 1-0 and then Wolves and Watford by the same score.
After the internationals they have since slumped to 3-0 losses against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, and Nuno admits that good feeling has been now been lost.
“‘Problems’ that are public,” Nuno said, ahead of the League Cup clash tonight.
“‘Problems’ is the situation that the momentum that we are. ‘Problems’ is what we suffer during the international break.
“‘Problems’ is the absence of players. ‘Problems’ is that we have to improve the level of performance. ‘Problems’ is we concede goals from set-pieces, that we played so good in the first half and then we are not able to sustain. So many problems that we have to solve.”
The Harry Kane holdout situation this past summer, where he wanted a move to Manchester City but didn’t get it, has obviously affected his play. Despite what Nuno may say, our eyes do not deceive us, the England captain is clearly not himself.
Asked about whether Kane’s disappointment in having to stay at the club was a factor in his on-field drop in form, Nuno responded:
“That’s the past, that’s the past. Nothing that we can say or do now or in the future can change the past. So what we have to do with the past is put it behind our heads and focus on the present.”
Kane has already done damage to his individual brand, and some would say that damage is irreversible.
If he doesn’t start banging in the goals, with regularity, then it’s possible his on the pitch form will suffer irreparable damage too.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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