Avid football writer and Premier League specialist. Meticulous eye for player prop bets across English, European and International football honed over four years in football analysis.
Avid football writer and Premier League specialist. Meticulous eye for player prop bets across English, European and International football honed over four years in football analysis.
Roberto De Zerbi is the clear favourite, with Mauricio Pochettino and Xavi towards the top of the market, to replace Thomas Frank.
The market is quite open with a range of options behind the leading trio, including Robbie Keane and Julian Nagelsmann.
Who will be the Next Tottenham Manager?
My Outsider Pick
Next Tottenham Permanent Manager
Premier League
1 Selections @ 15.00
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane is my outside shout for the Tottenham job. He’s been quietly building his managerial CV over the last five years and has found success with Hungarian side Ferencvaros - winning 35 of his 60 games in charge of the club. They currently sit top of the league, and Keane has been credited with the development of younger players, which could be a really beneficial trait for Tottenham.
The main driving force behind this angle is Keane’s previous affiliation with Tottenham. The fanbase is very disconnected from the club and will need some winning over by the new coach. This is where Keane has a real advantage over the other managers in the running - Keane had four different stints at Tottenham throughout his playing career between 2002 and 2011, making 200 appearances for the club in that time.
Keane may initially be hired on an interim basis, but I think he’s earned a chance at a bigger job from his work in Hungary and other clubs outside of Europe. Tottenham may also take inspiration from the approach of Manchester United, and see Keane as a Carrick-type figure that can get them through till the end of the season.
The barrier to Keane becoming Spurs boss is the situation Tottenham currently find themselves in. It may be deemed that giving Keane his shot at a big job at this stage is too risky with what could be at stake for Tottenham. That being said, it may be tough for Spurs to attract some more notable names to what is set to be a media-frenzied relegation battle.
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Roberto De Zerbi is as short as evens to take on the role as new Tottenham manager with some bookmakers, and he would be an interesting fit to a fanbase that demands more personality from their coach than Frank had during his unsuccessful start at the club.
I would lean away from names like Glasner, Iraola and Silva for the moment - all would be difficult for Tottenham to take from their clubs at this stage of the season, and I also don’t think it would be wise for Tottenham to target another manager that has impressed at sides lower down the league, following the failures of Nuno Espírito Santo and Frank.
De Zerbi has had some time away from the Premier League, but has always been vocal about his admiration of the league and could be set for a return with the atmosphere at Marseille looking to be quite heated. De Zerbi has had clashes with the board all season, and has failed to mount a substantial title charge despite the shortcomings of PSG this term.
The risk with De Zerbi is that he is incredibly combustible, things could collapse quickly with the former Brighton boss being if he feels as though ambition isn’t being shown, which has been a recurring issue at Tottenham. One thing that De Zerbi would bring is instant energy on the touchline, which is naturally infectious so from that point of view I think he’d be popular with Tottenham fans.
There isn't a clear front runner for the Tottenham job at the moment - Robbie Keane, Xavi and Xabi Alonso are tied as favourites at 4.0, though it is worth noting that Xabi Alonso is the favourite for the Liverpool job.
Thomas Frank is under pressure for poor results, and a play style which is unpopular with the Tottenham fanbase. It was always going to be a difficult step up for the former Brentford boss, especially seeing as he took over from a manager who played with the polar opposite style of what Frank envisions.
Furthermore, Tottenham's home form has been shocking under Frank with just two wins from their 11 home games this season - most recently losing to a relegation threatened West Ham side in the final few minutes. Frank has been missing key players this term, but this alone isn't enough to account for the poor performances that Tottenham have repeatedly put in this season - particularly in North London.
Tottenham fans are widely calling for the dismissal of Frank having seen little progress from their league displays last season. There is a real disconnect between Frank and the fans when it comes to the approach of this Tottenham side. Historically, Tottenham fans have demanded that their side play on the front foot - which is why managers like Pochettino and Postecoglou enjoyed relative success at the club.
Many fans have had enough of Tottenham's dry performances in the Premier League this season, and the home atmosphere has grown increasingly toxic with Tottenham recently failing to get results against Sunderland and West Ham at home.
This is one of the more open races for a manager with no clear succession plan in place for Thomas Frank. This is partly due to the variety of coaches that Tottenham have had over the last few years, ranging from managers like Nuno Espirito Santo to experienced coaches like Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
It is worth noting that Tottenham's board has taken on a slightly different make up this year with Daniel Levy taking a bit of a backseat when it comes to football operations. The new hierarchy are likely to look for a project manager, in line with the direction of clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea.
The fanbase is split on who should succeed Thomas Frank with no clear option that would immediately change the fortunes of the club. Whoever Tottenham do bring in, it's likely that success will take time - potentially convincing the board to stick with Frank for just a little longer.
A return for Ange Postecoglou is surely off the cards, though his return would be popular with the fanbase who thought his sacking was harsh. Another former boss in Mauricio Pochettino seems to be the loudest cry from the Tottenham fanbase, though any move for the Argentinian would have to wait until after the World Cup.
It's hard to judge if Tottenham have improved that much following their shocking season last year which saw them finish just outside of the relegation zone. Frank hasn't improved on that position too much with Tottenham sitting 14th in the Premier League - 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Tottenham's home form has been relegation standard with just two wins from their 11 matches in North London this term. This is probably the most pressing matter at the moment for Frank as there is a toxic atmosphere starting to form when Tottenham play in front of their home fans.
No, Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League.
Tottenham travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley next, before a crucial run of games which could really spell the end for Thomas Frank. Tottenham take on Frankfurt in the Champions League before facing Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal in successive Premier League games.
It is not out of the question for Tottenham to be dragged into the relegation battle with only 10 points separating them from the drop zone. That being said, it is highly unlikely that Tottenham are relegated this season.
