Antonio Conte is out, and Cristian Stellini is in, with 10 Premier League games to go this season for Tottenham's caretaker coach to lead the club to a top-four finish.

Conte left Tottenham by mutual consent on Sunday night - which came as no surprise after his incredible rant at his players following their 3-3 draw against Southampton - but the announcement his assistant Stellini would take charge raised more than a few eyebrows.

Despite being a close confidante of Conte, he will lead the team forward until the end of the season alongside Ryan Mason - and there are several problems which Stellini must solve. 

From the mood around the Spurs squad after the attack from their previous manager to their struggling style on the pitch, he will have a number of areas to address as they go all out to secure Champions League football.

Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the in-tray left behind for Stellini.

Cristian Stellini (right) has a huge job on his hands to secure a top-four finish for Tottenham after the departure of Antonio Conte 

ENTERTAIN THE FANS!

Fans go to games to be entertained. We wait all of our working week to walk through those turnstiles on a Saturday in the hope that, for 90 minutes, we can cheer and celebrate and win.

Yet Conte's style of play was not delivering that of late. There was too much pragmatism - a primary plan to sit back and soak up pressure and target scoring from breakaways.

At the back end of the 2021-22 season, it was delivering, with Conte's 3-4-3 system securing wins over Arsenal (3-0), Burnley (1-0) and Norwich (5-0). After that five-star victory at Carrow Road in May, Conte was serenaded in the sunshine as it seemed Tottenham had completed their transformation in style, securing a return to the Champions League.

But now, Stellini must walk in with his own ideas. He cannot show himself to be merely a clone of Conte. If Stellini wants to get the supporters onside, it might be a better idea to abandon the formation that's been frustrating and find his own way of getting this team to click.

BOLSTER THE BACK LINE

Supporters might have forgiven the focus on counter-attacks if their attack was singing when they actually flew forward. But for too long, Tottenham have been passive when it comes to the final third.

Harry Kane is still chipping away at the goal charts, scoring 21 in the Premier League this season. Yet Heung-min Son, last season's Golden Boot winner, is on six. Dejan Kulusevski is on two, and Richarlison has yet to score. That is clearly a key area that needs addressing.

However, Stellini also needs to bolster the back line. Fourth-placed Tottenham have conceded 40 goals this season, which is as many as Everton and more than West Ham and Crystal Palace. Newcastle, in fifth, have conceded 19 goals by comparison.

They've been too open to shots from opponents, with only Bournemouth, Everton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Wolves facing more. It's a tricky balancing act for Stellini - improve the attack while also shoring up the vulnerabilities at the back.

GET THE SQUAD ONSIDE

Kane and Co will return from the international break wondering what is going on at Tottenham. They cannot be left in the dark - they need addressing by Stellini as soon as they're back in the building.

The caretaker coach needs to sit down with the squad of players and get them onside, otherwise the fight for a top-four finish will be fruitless if they aren't playing for him. 

Qualification for the Champions League remains the only potential source of smiles at this club.

Remember, Conte attacked the team after that 3-3 draw at Southampton before the international break. 

He called them 'selfish' and said they have no 'heart', and talked about how player power at Tottenham has been the undoing of managers before him, such as Jose Mourinho.

Though he was Conte's assistant, Stellini cannot double down on that opinion. 

He needs to sympathise with their struggles and show that they can still salvage something out of this season, even if that is qualifying for a competition they have little chance of winning.

A trip to Everton is next for Tottenham. That performance, whether fiery or flat, should tell us if Stellini's returning rally to the troops worked.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE A TOP-FOUR FINISH

If Tottenham do not finish inside the Premier League's top four, that will damage their chances in the transfer market. The biggest names only want to sign for clubs competing at the elite level.

Not to mention Kane's future may well rest on their final position in the table, with the striker, now 29, perpetually linked with moves away.

The money that Tottenham can secure from qualifying for the Champions League could be used to back the next boss in the summer, whether that is Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique, whoever.

While Spurs are already guaranteed to go another season without silverware - and they're yet again embroiled into another attempt to finish inside the top four - Stellini needs to convince the players and supporters that there is still plenty for them to play for.

IGNORE THE OUTSIDE NOISE

Stellini is a nice chap. When standing in for Conte at press conferences, he speaks well. He has to get the right messaging out there, particularly after that rant from the previous manager.

Stellini cannot let himself get distracted by the outside noise, and that includes the situation surrounding Tottenham's managing director Fabio Paratici, whose court case has started.

Paratici, who has been hit with a 30-month ban from football by the Italian FA, is one of 12 former Juventus executives who is locked in a legal battle at the Court of Turin. Local prosecutors alleged the club were guilty of financial malpractice. 

The preliminary hearing was scheduled to start on March 27. All those involved deny any wrongdoing.

There are concerns about the running of football operations at Tottenham amid the ambiguity of Paratici's future. That cannot be easy on Stellini, who will no doubt use his press conferences to say he is merely focused on managing the team until the end of the season.