football.london writers give their take on who is next in line for the Tottenham Hotspur hotseat in the wake of Thomas Frank's sacking, with Spurs at risk of a relegation battle
Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after just eight months at the helm, as the club scramble to appoint a successor ahead of next weekend's North London Derby.
The 52-year-old had faced mounting pressure for weeks as a result of a series of uninspired performances, with an eighth game without a Premier League win on Tuesday evening coming as the straw that ultimately broke the camel's back. A chorus of boos were heard around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Lilywhites endured a 2-1 loss at the hands of Newcastle United, who had also seen their fair share of struggles headed into the fixture.
Despite his confidence that he was the right man for the job with Spurs languishing in 16th, just five points clear of the relegation zone, the club made the decision to part ways with Frank on Wednesday morning. An official statement from the club read: "The club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.
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"Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.
"Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future."
With a hectic period in which Spurs will now look to appoint a successor, football.london writers give their take on who is the right man for the job going forward...
Alasdair Gold
Spurs have to go for the interim option for now because there's no long-term solutions currently available unless the club takes a big risk.
Roberto De Zerbi would help them in the short-term but the fiery Italian would likely fall out with everyone at Tottenham within a year. Meanwhile, Xavi represents a gamble with his lack of real experience outside the Barcelona bubble.
Mauricio Pochettino is the easy win for the north London club. The decision would bring everyone together and would finally answer the 'what if' questions left by his sacking in 2019. If he succeeds then the new board can take the credit, if he fails then they can say 'you asked for this'.
The Argentine would not be available until the summer, though, and potentially quite late depending on the USA involvement in their home World Cup. That means plans for the transfer window and the squad would be heavily delayed; it's not ideal during another rebuild summer.
Barring a remarkable turnaround, Xabi Alonso is unlikely to be in Spurs' sphere while Oliver Glasner's football would not excite the fans. An interim and then a move for Pochettino seem the safest best. The closest Pochettino clone in the Premier League currently is probably Andoni Iraola if a move for the Argentine does not materialise.
Aaron Morris
Spurs have left it far too late to look for a replacement for Frank, with relatively slim pickings in terms of managers currently available to pull the club out of a relegation battle. Roberto De Zerbi is the odds-on favourite to take up tenure in north London after parting ways with Marseille on Wednesday morning, but it's not a head coach I have particular faith in on English soil.
The Italian managed just 89 games with Brighton and Hove Albion between September 2022 and June 2024, leaving the south coast with a win percentage of just 42.7% - hardly impressive going. Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with a return to the club he previously managed between 2014 and 2019, although given the United States national team would require "one of the biggest financial compensation fees in football history" to let him leave ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it seems a highly unlikely appointment just yet.
While Enzo Maresca is a longshot, his appointment makes the most sense to me at present - given he is a free agent since parting ways with Chelsea last month and has already proven himself in the Premier League. The 45-year-old helped the Blues to a Europa Conference League and Club World Cup double in 2025, and had Chelsea playing exciting attacking football - something Spurs have severely lacked under Frank-ball.
Whether the Italian would be willing to team up with one of Chelsea's London rivals so soon, remains to be seen, however.
Amie Wilson
Firstly, I think the decision to part ways with Frank is the right one for Tottenham. Once that disconnect with fans comes in, which has been there for a while, it’s very hard for a manager to turn things around. Tottenham needed a change to halt the slide towards the relegation zone.
So, now the golden question is, who should they turn to next? The first decision should be if they go down the interim or permanent manager route. I think Spurs are still in a position to look more long-term with the rebuild starting this season.
Roberto De Zerbi is available and has experience of the Premier League. I don't think he would be a bad appointment. A return of Mauricio Pochettino I think would be the ideal move in reconnecting the team with fans, but the compensation due to USA if he leaves before the World Cup could be a stumbling block.
If Spurs are looking more long-term, a move for Oliver Glasner would be one that could work. The Austrian has had a big impact at Crystal Palace and has confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season, it could present an opportunity for Spurs.
Jake Stokes
Tottenham should appoint Roberto De Zerbi. The Lilywhites need to bring in someone who can immediately transform their fortunes on the pitch while also laying the foundations for a long-term project, and I think the Italian has the tools to do exactly that.
De Zerbi takes no prisoners; he would light a fire in the dressing room and shift Spurs into gear, just in time for the business end of the season. The former Brighton boss would also bring an exciting brand of football to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which he can build on next season.
The Lilywhites have accepted mediocrity for far too long, and the Italian would quickly raise the standards. However, it remains to be seen whether or not he would be willing to go straight back into management so soon after leaving Marseille.
If De Zerbi wants a break, Tottenham should wait until the summer to secure his signature and, in the meantime, appoint an interim head coach.
Matt Abbott
Spurs have 11 days to appoint someone before the North London Derby, and John Heitinga is the obvious choice to take interim charge until at least the March international break. However, it won't be until the end of this summer when more options than the likes of Enzo Maresca and Roberto De Zerbi will become available, both of whom may have their eyes on upcoming vacancies in Manchester.
Mauricio Pochettino remains the itch that Tottenham have still yet to scratch, while Ruben Amorim and Xavi Hernandez seem long shots at this stage. Robbie Keane, meanwhile, would be a risk too far given his current resume, and likewise, Ryan Mason isn't ready.
That leaves a trio of soon-to-be-out-of-work Premier League bosses in Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner. All three becoming available this summer has obvious appeal, and Iraola would be my pick.
The way he has handled Bournemouth's outgoings over the summer and this winter, including Antoine Semenyo, was admirable. Glasner and Silva's constant complaints to the contrary suggest they would be ill-fitted to a club of Spurs' stature. Iraola's proven adaptability would be welcome for a Tottenham team beset by injuries for a second straight season.
Sam Truelove
What a mess. But we have been here before so many times with Tottenham Hotspur, so should we really be surprised?
The club had no option but to sack Thomas Frank, in my opinion, although I do feel sorry for the Dane. I liked him as a head coach, but his position became unquestionably untenable. Now, attention turns to his replacement.
There will be clamour for Mauricio Pochettino to return but the timing feels somewhat off. He is leading the US in the World Cup and would not be available until the back end of the summer. The Argentine could agree to return to north London after the tournament, but that would not be ideal as he would need and want to have a big say on transfer plans, pre-season and much more.
Roberto De Zerbi is another who has been tipped to replace Frank but he is just not what Spurs need right now. They need someone who is capable of getting them out of this mess, not a man potentially capable of securing relegation to the Championship.
Ryan Mason or John Heitinga seem sensible enough interim appointments, to try and get Spurs out of this mess so the club can reassess in the summer. Do that and one of Pochettino, Oliver Glasner or Xabi Alonso would be my picks, should they want to even come to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, of course.