Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino, Robbie Keane: Six contenders for Tottenham Hotspur manager's job following Thomas Frank sacking

TNT Sports takes a closer look at six of the contenders for the Tottenham Hotspur job following Thomas Frank's sacking. The former Brentford boss is out of the job following his side's 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League. Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and Robbie Keane are among the runners and riders for the role. Spurs are currently 16th in the Premier League table.

A career in football management can be cruel - just ask former Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank.

For years, he was the hipster darling at Brentford, impressing fans and pundits alike as he helped turn The Bees into an established Premier League club.

He was rewarded for his hard work with the Spurs job over the summer, but less than eight months on from his appointment, he has been sacked.

Frank leaves the north London club in 16th place in the Premier League after a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, on Tuesday.

The managerial merry-go-round will keep turning, though, and the bookmakers have quickly collated a list of potential candidates to take over from the Dane.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the runners and riders to be the next Spurs boss.

Roberto De Zerbi

Timing is key in the beautiful game, and things could not have lined up better for the Italian.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss left his role as Olympique de Marseille manager a matter of hours before Spurs sacked Frank, and he immediately stood out as the favourite for the Spurs job as a result.

De Zerbi deserves to be in the running after an impressive stint with The Seagulls, who he led to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League - all while playing an exciting brand of attacking football.

However, despite an impressive start to life at the Velodrome, similar to his time on England's South Coast, things unravelled very quickly, so his appointment is far from a formality.

Mauricio Pochettino

A man who knows how to make Spurs tick, having previously taken them all the way to the UEFA Champions League final.

Pochettino is the sentimental choice after his impressive first spell in the role between May 2014 and November 2019.

However, he has struggled to replicate that success since, failing to last longer than two years during brief stays with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

He is now the manager of the USA national team, meaning Spurs may have to wait until after the FIFA World Cup to get their man should they plump for the Argentinian.

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Robbie Keane

The club's former striker is another name that has become synonymous with Spurs, and he is now in the running for the role after a strong start to his career in management.

He made excellent progress with Ferencvaros this season, guiding them into the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.

The Hungarian club are also top of their domestic league, so it would not just be an appointment based on emotion and club allegiance.

Oliver Glasner

The German guided Crystal Palace to their first major trophy last season, masterminding a 1-0 win against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

He also has a serious pedigree in Europe, having won the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.

He is set to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season, so he would likely only be an appointment for the summer.

However, Glasner has had a tumultuous few months in south London with a humiliating FA Cup exit, big names departing and perceived criticism of the board - so seeing out the rest of his contract is far from a certainty.

Marco Silva

The Fulham manager has quietly gone about his business at Craven Cottage, re-establishing the west London club in the Premier League.

His side are 12th in the table, and he has experience managing top teams in Portugal and Greece.

Silva's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so, like Glasner, he could be an option in the summer.

Xavi

A Barcelona legend who has experience managing at the highest level.

Xavi guided Barca to the 2022/23 La Liga title, all while helping develop some of the biggest names the beautiful game has to offer.

Furthermore, unlike many on the list, he is not in work, meaning it would be far easier to secure his services.

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