We all know that one guy who has to deal with an irascible partner’s rants about the latest injustice to befall them. Well, that was Paolo Stellini’s role as the right-hand man to Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur. He’d reassuringly mutter “yes, dear” as he glanced up from his newspaper while his counterpart ranted away. But unfortunately, Stellini’s association with Conte didn’t do him any favours and he was ultimately seen as “Conte’s clone” by fans and those within the club.

Now, it’s fair to say that Stellini wasn’t the most qualified person to take the job, and he was always going to be in an impossible position trying to juggle his loyalty to Conte and Spurs. He couldn’t publicly distance himself from the man who gave him his coaching career, but by doing so, he confirmed that he was merely continuing the work of the man who had just left under a cloud. Plus, he couldn’t provide the new manager bounce Spurs needed when he wasn’t giving the players any new ideas.

In the end, Stellini’s desperate attempt to show he could be his own man by ditching Conte’s three-at-the-back system and going with a 4-3-3 led to the humiliating 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United. That’s what sealed his fate. “Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was wholly unacceptable,” said Chairman Daniel Levy on Monday, as he confirmed Stellini had been sacked along with the rest of his staff (or should we say, Conte’s staff).

Stellini was a fundamentally decent and hard-working guy who leaves as simply the latest bit of collateral damage in Spurs’ muddled and increasingly baffled thinking. Unfortunately, he became tainted by his association with Conte, and that’s something he’ll have to deal with as he moves forward with his career, which will most likely include linking back up with Conte.

When it comes to Spurs, their hopes for Champions League football this season are dwindling, and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that they’re facing a season without it. Plus, Stellini’s dismissal, along with the shambles at Newcastle, hasn’t exactly reflected well on the players who have to take some responsibility for it.

However, let’s talk about Ryan Mason. He’s the man who now has to step up and guide Spurs to Champions League qualification, which seems a bit unlikely considering they have only four games left to play. But hey, at least he’ll have a bit more time on his hands now that Stellini’s gone.

All in all, Stellini’s stint at Spurs wasn’t great, and from the beginning, it seemed like too much to expect him to be his own man, and distance himself from Conte. All we can hope for now is that whoever’s next in line can provide some much-needed stability to a club that’s been struggling to land on a winning formula.

Serious News: nytimes