Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new manager to replace Thomas Frank, following an eight-match winless run in the Premier League.
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Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat at home to an out-of-form Newcastle United side proved to be the final nail in the coffin of Thomas Frank’s eight-month stint in charge of the Lilywhites.
The 52-year-old signed a three-year contract when he replaced Ange Postecoglou at the end of last season, following his impressive seven-year-spell at Brentford, but has struggled to pick up results in his new game particularly when playing at home.
They have just two home league wins all season, with the loss against the Magpies marking their seventh home league defeat of the campaign. The atmosphere around the ground in recent weeks has been particularly vitriolic, with fans once again aiming chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” towards their manager as the prospect of a relegation battle begins to become a reality.
Frank leaves Spurs in 14th position following an eight-match winless run in the Premier League, which stretches all the way back to December last year. They are just five points away from West Ham in 18th position and face the prospect of a North London derby against Arsenal and an away trip to Fulham in their next two matches.
Tottenham are already working on contingency plans to find a successor to Frank as the club continue to try and juggle the demands of a European campaign with a relegation battle. Here we take a look at the leading candidates to replace Frank as things stand.
Roberto De Zerbi emerges as frontrunner for Tottenham job
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckgzqdzz1zdo
Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to resign from Marseille in the wake of their 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain came just hours before Tottenham’s decision to sack Frank leading to speculation that a return to the Premier League could be on the cards.
The former Brighton boss joined Marseille as head coach in 2024 after two seasons at the Amex, including a sixth placed finish in 2022/23 which remains the best ever season in the club’s history. He led Marseille to a second placed finish in his first term in charge and restored the club back into the Champions League. His team started this campaign brightly but have experienced a challenging period in his final months in charge after falling short in Europe and dropping down to fourth in the Ligue 1 standings.
The timing of his departure from Marseille and the widespread admiration for his work in Premier League circles has made him an obvious early favourite - with some bookmakers providing odds as short as 5/4 that he takes the job.
Mauricio Pochettino comeback could be in the works
Former Spurs boss Pochettino is arguably the only manager in the last decade that’s unlocked the true potential of the football club, leading them to their highest ever points tally in 2016/17 and a Champions League final in 2018/19 in what would prove to be his final season in charge.
Pochettino has done well at most of the clubs he’s been at since - leading PSG to a domestic treble in his one term in charge and helping Chelsea to a sixth placed finish and a League Cup final in one season at Stamford Bridge - marking a major improvement from the 12th placed finish the year before his arrival.
The Argentine, however, isn’t likely to be a feasible option until the summer due to his role as USA national team boss as he prepares to lead the host nation into a World Cup campaign. Should Spurs opt for an interim manager with a permanent replacement in the summer, however, he becomes a feasible candidate. Odds of 5/1 have been offered.
Oliver Glasner could consider a new challenge - but former Liverpool man could be a wildcard
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has already confirmed that he’ll be leaving Selhurst Park when his contract expires in the summer.
The Austrian, who led Frankfurt to Europa League glory before relocating to London, led the Eagles to their first ever major trophy by winning the FA Cup last season. He’s Premier League proven, has a history of improving stars like Marc Guehi, Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Daniel Munoz - and could potentially be a great fit. 12/1 are the best early odds - curiously, longer than the likes of Xavi Hernandez and Marco Silva, another rival coach who could be in the running if he decides to leave Fulham.
Former Tottenham and Liverpool striker Robbie Keane is also one of the top names with the bookmakers. The ex- Republic of Ireland frontman played 306 times for the Lilywhites across two spells, scoring 122 goals, while winning the League Cup in 2008.
He’s currently the manager of Hungarian champions Ferencváros, who won the league last season. Keane also previously won the league and cup double with Maccabi Tel Aviv and has held coaching roles with Leeds and Republic of Ireland. Odds vary wildly on Keane’s appointment - between 3/1 and 10/1 at the time of publishing.