Tottenham Hotspur are approaching kitchen sink time in the battle for survival in the Premier League. It is ridiculous that the Londoners are in this position, but there's no hiding from it anymore.
While Igor Tudor's side picked up a much-needed point against Liverpool on Sunday, that ended a five-match losing run in the top flight, and the interim manager's efforts at that stage had done absolutely nothing to suggest he should continue at the helm, with ENIC Group understood to have been considering his position.
Whether Spurs will now fire the 47-year-old after he steadied the sinking ship remains to be seen, but sporting director Johan Lange has earmarked a number of options as desperation deepens.
Who Spurs could replace Tudor with
Tottenham host Nottingham Forest next in the Premier League, and that's a relegation six-pointer if ever there was one.
WIll Tudor be in charge? Both Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi are considered among the top targets down N17, but whether either of them would take on the role ahead of the summer transfer window is another question. In Poch's case, any hopes of doing so would be barred by USMNT, who he will lead out for the looming World Cup.
According to talkSPORT, Tottenham have a whole host of further candidates on the shortlist, but given how unrealistic some of them are, they might find success going for former caretaker boss Ryan Mason, who was sacked at West Bromwich Albion earlier this season.
Mason, 34, might not be the perfect project manager for the side to get behind, but right now, with their Premier League position at risk and confidence at its nadir, this could prove a shrewd move indeed to galvanise the troops into action.
Mason is young and inexperienced, but he knows Tottenham well after learning the coaching craft at the outfit, and given the dire straits the Londoners find themselves in, this could be a genius gambit that offers shades of Manchester United's recent success with Michael Carrick.
Why Mason could be Spurs' own Carrick
Carrick, of course, once plied his trade for Tottenham, completing 75 senior appearances for the Lilywhites before joining Manchester United in 2006 for a fee shy of £19m.
With Mason, the situation is different, but he has established a connection with the north Londoners since his playing days were cut very short, and now, he could emulate the Red Devils interim manager in saving his club ahead of the final stretch of the season.
Something needs to change, and while Tudor secured an invaluable point at Anfield, too much rides on the final phase of the term, and the Croatian's four successive league losses before that stage stripped Tottenham of any hope that remained after Thomas Frank's dismal run.
Mason understands the club, and he understands that To Dare Is To Do. Still, Spurs are one of the least creative teams in the Premier League, and while Mason is no master tactician, he could help instil belief and a clear focus that aligns with Spurs' values and the specific skills of this crop of players.
After his short-lived stint with West Brom this season, Mason's stock has fallen, but the Hawthorns' problems are deep indeed, and his proactive 4-2-3-1 tactical style, promoting front-footed verticality, suggests he could be the one to steer this ship to safety.
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Carrick, after all, would have started the current campaign with a lesser reputation than Ruben Amorim as a technical tactician, but his impact at Old Trafford has been significant, the club now third in the standings and in good standing to qualify for the Champions League.
And the jury is still out regarding whether he will be in the dugout next term. In that, Mason could mimic his countryman's role, having, after all, taken charge for 13 matches across two spells as caretaker manager in the past. This is something that Carrick did before moving to a permanent managerial residence in the Championship with Middlesbrough.
As Tottenham correspondent George Sessions said, "I think Ryan Mason can keep Spurs up."
Bear in mind that the reporter made that claim before Spurs emerged from Anfield with a well-earned point in the Premier League, but one spirited display does not secure Tudor's position at the helm, and when considering the weight of the club's upcoming clash against Nottingham Forest, ENIC Group must act if they have an opportunity to strike.
In Mason, who knows the club well and fostered his coaching potential in various assistant roles there, the perfect short-term fix may present itself.