The 10 favourites to replace Igor Tudor as Tottenham's interim manager have been revealed following the north Londoners’ 5-2 Champions League hammering by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night. Although the Croatian was expected to be given until the end of the season to stop the rot, there have been few signs of progress, and the hierarchy must be weighing up whether they should stick or twist.
Tudor’s side sit just one point above the Premier League drop zone, and his scattergun approach - lacking a clear game plan from one match to the next and constantly rotating personnel - has left many questioning whether time is running out for the former Juventus and Hajduk Split head coach after initially being brought in to replace Thomas Frank.
Across his four matches in charge, Tottenham have lost every single one, conceding 14 goals in the process. His promise of an instant impact has yet to materialise, and while he cannot be solely blamed for the club's dire situation, betting odds on his sacking have now been suspended. The names of favourites for his interim replacement are once again emerging as per Bookies.com, especially after his post-match comments did little to inspire a visibly broken dressing room.
The 10 Favourites to Replace Igor Tudor at Tottenham
Currently at Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola looks set to continue the long line of highly talented Spanish managers making their mark in England. His exciting brand of football could bring the feel-good factor back to Spurs, but whether he is willing to stake his reputation on a job as demanding as Tottenham’s remains to be seen.
Fulham sit 10th in the Premier League, just four points off seventh as they chase Europa Conference League qualification. Under ordinary circumstances, their manager might be content with how things are going and less likely to be tempted elsewhere. But Marco Silva has yet to sign a contract extension at Craven Cottage and could well fancy his chances of succeeding with limited resources at Tottenham, hoping to prove himself as a long-term option.
From one relegation battle to another, Scott Parker looks set to face inevitable doom with Burnley this season, which means his position in the Turf Moor hot-seat is already up in the air. At least a move to Tottenham would mean he has a better chance of keeping his head above the dotted line, and the fight he has got out of his current crop of players in recent weeks would work much better with a squad of Spurs' calibre.
After announcing he would step down from his role at Crystal Palace at the end of the season, it remains unclear whether Oliver Glasner will take on another role in English football or seek to chase another major honour abroad, having already achieved success in Germany and England. If one were to hazard a guess, the Austrian would likely turn down any approaches from a club with a hierarchy in disarray given his own talents.
Marco Rose could be a good fit for Tottenham with his high-pressing, attacking style honed during his time in the Red Bull system, having secured a strong second-place Bundesliga finish with Borussia Dortmund and won trophies at both Salzburg and Leipzig. His intensity could inject energy into Spurs’ squad.
However, sacked by Leipzig in March last year amid poor form, his record at big clubs shows inconsistency and susceptibility to fan backlash. Lacking Premier League experience and currently unemployed, the adaptation risks remain high for a club desperate for stability, making him an uncertain - though potentially progressive - option for a team that needs instant results.
Having failed to turn things around at Nottingham Forest, Sean Dyche is being linked with an instant return to management with the task of saving Tottenham. He would bring a much more boring, route-one style to north London, but perhaps that is what's needed to drag the Lilywhites through the turmoil and into the light at the end of the tunnel. If it's effective, it doesn't matter if it's ugly, might be the mantra if he is appointed.
Ryan Mason knows Tottenham better than the back of his hand, and has taken the club over on an interim basis before. At the end of the 2020/21 campaign, taking the reins from Jose Mourinho. He oversaw four wins from seven matches, boasting a 57 per cent win rate, though his most recent stint in management with West Brom wasn't nearly as promising.
Before Tudor’s appointment, club legend Robbie Keane stepped forward, offering himself to the Tottenham hierarchy and almost pleading for a chance. Currently in charge of Hungarian giants Ferencvaros, the Irishman has also managed Maccabi Tel Aviv and ATK, maintaining a win percentage above 60 per cent. However, with no Premier League coaching experience, his appointment could be a risky gamble. The fact he wants to prove himself so badly is probably the reason he's so high in the odds list.
After leaving Marseille around the same time Frank was dismissed at Tottenham, many were surprised that those upstairs didn't at least tap up Roberto De Zerbi to see if he fancied a return to the Premier League. Best known for guiding Brighton & Hove Albion to the Europa League, the Italian has a track record of instant success wherever he goes, and appears to be the best option for Spurs if they can persuade him to cut his break short.
Beloved former manager Mauricio Pochettino was in attendance as Tottenham were torn apart by Atletico. With him set to oversee the USA at the World Cup this summer, any short-term appointment seems like complete fantasy. But even without that context, what he witnessed in Madrid on Tuesday night may be enough to deter him from taking on what has become a poisoned chalice.