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Tottenham Hotspur are looking for a new manager and Xavi Simons has already given his verdict on potential candidate Marco Rose

Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a host of potential candidates to be their next manager, and one of them is Marco Rose. Spurs parted company with Thomas Frank earlier this week after their defeat to Newcastle United, and now the search is underway for a replacement.

Rose is one of several names already being linked with potentially replacing Frank in the Tottenham dugout.

The former RB Leipzig boss is joined by Roberto De Zerbi, Edin Terzic, Robbie Keane, Mauricio Pochettino, John Heitinga and Oliver Glasner to all have their names linked with the vacancy.

Rose has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in March last year, and has a wealth of experience managing in the Bundesliga, with spells at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach as well as Leipzig.

Tottenham star Xavi Simons has experience working alongside Rose from his time at Leipzig before he moved to north London last summer.

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After completing a move to Spurs, Simons was quick to praise his former manager, which offers a hint as to what Tottenham could get if they decide to appoint Rose.

Simons was responding to a question about himself being one of the first players to arrive at training and last players to leave during his time at Leipzig, and it was also put to the Tottenham star that Rose had praised his work ethic in training, too.

“I'm glad Marco said that; my respect for him couldn't be greater. Of course, I didn't check who arrived at or left training when,” Simons told Leipziger Volkszeitung in September last year.

“For me, it was and still is perfectly normal not to show up at the last minute. And between sessions and afterwards, our sensationally equipped training centre offered plenty of opportunities to do something good for yourself and your body.

“Some things don't change, even in the fast-paced world of football: talent is helpful on the path to becoming a professional, but you only play as well as you train.

“On the weekend, I can only show what I've worked on during the week.”

“Marco is always right! We had a special relationship from day one,” Simons added. “I quickly realised he was a fantastic coach and a great person.

“Marco often talked to me about the essentials: what matters on the pitch, in the locker room, and off it. Where I needed to improve, how I should behave differently in certain situations.

“He knew I had a strong winning mentality. And, yes, you could see my frustration after losses.”

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Tottenham Hotspur now seem to have several candidates on their shortlist of contenders to replace Thomas Frank, just days after deciding to sack their head coach

Tottenham Hotspur are said to have added Edin Terzic and Marco Rose to a shortlist of options to replace Thomas Frank as the next Tottenham manager, which already includes Mauricio Pochettino, Robbie Keane and Roberto De Zerbi.

Spurs have begun the interview process with candidates, according to The Telegraph, and are holding talks with agents regarding the position. Pochettino, notably, was in London this week, sharing a photo on Instagram of himself at one of the capital's restaurants celebrating a friend's birthday.

football.london understands the club are confident of appointing an experienced interim head coach who can make an immediate impact over the rest of this season before the start of next week. A permanent successor would then by sought this summer, with the interim having the chance to become a contender over the coming months.

RB Leipzig sacked Rose just under a year ago and has also coached Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, as well as Red Bull Salzburg. Terzic has spent 18 months out of work after leaving Dortmund barely a fortnight after losing the 2024 Champions League final to Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium.

The former assistant coach to Slaven Bilic at Besiktas and West Ham United replaced Rose at Dortmund in 2022, barely a year after becoming the club's technical director. They finished second to Bayern Munich on goal difference in his first full season in permanent charge.

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Terzic started his coaching career at Dortmund's academy after first serving as a scout and reporting to their then-manager, Jurgen Klopp. He then left in 2013 to work with Bilic before returning five years later with a UEFA Pro Licence done through the Football Association.

The German-Croatian assisted Lucien Favre for two-and-a-half years before replacing the first-team head coach on an interim basis in December 2020. Terzic's team ended that season by winning the German Cup, beating Leipzig 4-1 in the final.

Dortmund, however, appointed Rose as Favre's permanent successor, with the interim stepping up to be their technical director rather than reverting to being an assistant coach. Terzic then replaced his coach after a single season in which they finished eight points behind Bayern.

Rose got revenge two days into his new role at Leipzig by winning 3-0 against Terzic's Dortmund. They ended that season by winning the German Cup, beating Eintracht Frankfurt, and retaining the title his predecessor, Domenico Tedesco, had won 12 months earlier.

He signed a new contract one month later, but it only lasted until March of the following season. Leipzig sacked Rose after a downturn in form left their chances of qualifying for the Champions League in doubt.

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The coach began his career with his former clubs, Mainz and Lokomotive Leipzig, for whom he also played when they were known as VfB Leipzig, before moving to Austria to coach Red Bull Salzburg's under-16s and under-18s. He won the Austrian championship and the UEFA Youth League with the latter, and then replaced former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Oscar Garcia as first-team head coach.

In his first season, Red Bull Salzburg won the league but lost the Austrian Cup final to Sturm Graz, and in Europe, they beat Dortmund and Lazio en route to the Europa League semi-finals. Rose's second and final season saw more success, reaching the Europa League quarter-finals and completing a league and cup double. The campaign also began with an Austrian Bundesliga-record-breaking 10-game winning run.

After Crystal Palace suffered a shock home defeat at home to Burnley, Oliver Glasner was posed a question linking him to the Tottenham job

Oliver Glasner shook his head in disappointment when asked about reports linking him to the Tottenham Hotspur job.

Glasner, 51, has been identified as a potential contender to replace the recently sacked Thomas Frank. The Crystal Palace manager has also been linked with the Manchester United job in the past, rumours which only increased when he announced his intention to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the campaign.

As of right now, the Austrian is intending on remaining in situ until the end of the campaign. Despite making this clear, he is still being asked about stories linking him to other positions.

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Murmurs linking him with the Tottenham job are only getting louder and louder. A brace from January signing Jorgen Strand Larsen looked to have put the Eagles on their way to a second consecutive win.

But a bonkers eight-minute window saw Hannibal Mejbri and Jaidon Anthony find the net for the Clarets, before Jefferson Lerma scored an own goal just before half-time.

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Palace could not recover from their first half capitulation and ended up losing the match. During the post-match press conference, one bold reporter asked him a question regarding the Tottenham job.

Instead of a verbal takedown, Glasner gave the individual asking the question "a stern look" before "shaking his head." He then proceeded not to answer the question about the Spurs job.

Considering the way in which Palace let their lead slip against Scott Parker's side, the question only made him angrier. Palace are 13th in the table on 32 points, but considering they were in the European places before Christmas, it's a huge fall from grace.

While he did not want to comment on the Spurs job, he did answer a question on whether his decision to leave at the end of the season is impacting his players. He replied: "I will not question their [the players] character, because I mention it so often, and I know them.

"It's a good, fantastic group of players, awesome. Awesome to work with them but it happened a few times. Then we get nervous, and we lose the structure and the second half at Nottingham, one player up, we have to win now, we have to win now.

"And then we get nervous, making mistakes, wrong decisions. We all know this when you're not calm, when you're not in your balance, you don't make good decisions.

"There could be many excuses, but I don't have. With excuses, maybe we can explain it, with what you are telling. But in the end, it is a huge missed chance to come closer to the midfield."

Having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Macclesfield, Palace's next game comes on Thursday February 19 against Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League.

As Tottenham Hotspur continue to look for their next manager after sacking Thomas Frank, Mauricio Pochettino was reportedly in London at the time

Mauricio Pochettino has been spotted in London as Tottenham Hotspur look for their replacement for Thomas Frank.

Pochettino, 53, has been identified as a potential target for the Spurs managerial hotseat in the summer, when he has finished leading the USA's World Cup campaign. The ex-Chelsea boss has been linked with a romantic return to the club he led to the 2019 Champions League final.

In the past, he has said he would relish a return to the Premier League, suggesting he would contemplate replacing the sacked Thomas Frank. But as Spurs continue their search for an interim or permanent appointment, Pochettino was spotted in the capital.

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The Argentine uploaded an Instagram story of himself celebrating a friend's birthday in a restaurant in London. There is no other indication he is in London to speak with Tottenham bosses in the Instagram story.

It's most likely the timing is coincidental with Frank being dismissed straight after this week's home loss to Newcastle United. However, Pochettino has made no secret of the fact he wants to return to the Premier League in the future.

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Not long ago, he told Sky Sports: "When I left the club I always remember one interview. I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham.

"I am in the USA, so I am not going to talk about that now - but what I said then I still, after six years or five years, feel in my heart. Yes, I would like one day to come back."

In another interview on the High Performance Podcast this month, he also said: "To win a Europa League, that the team won [under Ange Postecoglou], is good, but it’s not enough. It is not enough to challenge for the Carabao Cup, or the FA Cup, or the Europa League, or the Conference [League].

"It’s a club that should be, or needs to be, because the fans, what they expect is to be in the Champions League, fighting for the Champions League, trying to believe that you can win the Champions League and also fighting for the Premier League and believing that you can win the Premier League."

Pochettino does remain a possibility for the summer, with Spurs willing to hire an interim manager until the end of the season, football.london understands. This would give time for the club to put together a lucrative financial package to convince the USA into letting Pochettino leave his contract early.

The Tottenham striker had to sit out and watch his team-mates after losing his head for a moment during a big game at the weekend

Will Lankshear will be raring to get back to action this weekend after apologising to the Oxford United supporters following a red card that could have been costly.

The 20-year-old Tottenham striker has enjoyed a fruitful loan season in the Championship, bagging seven goals and one assist in his 32 matches for United across this campaign. However, Lankshear's enthusiasm got the better of him in the 77th minute of Oxford's clash against table-toppers Coventry on Saturday.

The forward had only come on in the 57th minute and picked up a yellow card two minutes later. Then with 13 minutes to go he ran on and caught his man while trying to get on to the ball, leaving the referee with no option but to produce a second yellow card and then the red.

The next day Lankshear took to social media, posting in an Instagram story: "I'd like to apologise for yesterday. I'll always give my all for this football club and compete for every single ball. However, in the circumstances, I should've avoided it. I will learn from it and keep moving forward."

Lankshear was off the pitch when a Tottenham team-mate came on to it in the shape of Yang Min-hyeok, who was brought off the bench by Frank Lampard for Coventry in the 90th minute but the high-flying hosts could not find a winner against the 10 men of United, who ended up taking home a much-needed point.

It is not Lankshear's first senior red card as he was sent off for Tottenham in the Europa League at Galatasaray last season after scoring his first goal for the club earlier in the game.

Oxford are four points from safety in 23rd place in the Championship table and Lankshear was suspended from their 3-0 home defeat to Norwich City on Tuesday night.

The FA Cup brings respite from the league this weekend as United welcome Premier League side Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, giving Lankshear a chance to test himself against a top flight defence.

Oxford have another Spurs player in Jamie Donley, who had a great experience in the FA Cup with Leyton Orient last season, but the midfielder got injured in his first match for United - the FA Cup win at MK Dons last month - after a sickening aerial collision left him with multiples injuries he is still recovering from.

Marco Rose has been tipped to become the next Tottenham Hotspur manager following the sacking of Thomas Frank

Marco Rose has already explained exactly what he'll bring to Tottenham Hotspur. The 49-year-old has recently emerged as one of the many potential candidates to fill the vacant head coach position at Spurs.

football.london understands that the Lilywhites are currently working on a contingency plan. It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will appoint an interim or permanent head coach ahead of the North London Derby later this month, but Rose has suddenly become the bookies' favourite to take the reins.

The German has been without a job for nearly a year since March 2025, when he parted ways with RB Leipzig. Rose enjoyed a two-and-a-half-year stint at the Red Bull Arena, winning the DFB-Pokal and the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.

Xavi Simons worked closely with the former Mainz defender at Die Roten Bullen, scoring 18 goals and providing 22 assists in 68 games across all competitions. Rose had previously also enjoyed spells in the dugout at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, but it was at RB Salzburg where he earned his stripes.

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After a brief spell as head coach at Lokomotive Leipzig in the depths of the football pyramid, the German was picked up by Red Bull. Rose climbed the ranks at Salzburg, winning silverware with the under-16s and under-18s before eventually becoming the first-team boss.

He etched his name into the history books of the Austrian outfit, winning the domestic double in 2018/19. Rose's distinctive press-and-attack brand of football caught the eye, and he enjoyed a meteoric rise to superstardom in Germany.

On his playing philosophy, as quoted by the Bundesliga website, Rose once said: "We want to be very active working against the ball when we lose possession, lots of sprinting. We want to win the ball high up the pitch and have a short path to goal.

"And when we have the ball ourselves, we want to play well; we don't want to punt high balls up the pitch, but be quick and dynamic getting forward."

Interestingly, Jurgen Klopp signed Rose for Mainz in 2002, and he went on to make almost 200 appearances for the German outfit. Together, they won promotion to the Bundesliga.

"I spent a lot of years under 'Kloppo', and it was a great time," Rose said. "He shaped all of us. We picked up a few things in terms of football, but above all, it was the way he was with people [that was influential].

"Maybe there are a few [coaching] parallels with me and Jürgen, but I've also found my own style."

Tottenham Hotspur are looking for a new manager with former RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose emerging as a potential contender for the job

Marco Rose has emerged as the new favourite to become the next manager of Tottenham Hotspur following Thomas Frank’s departure earlier this week,

Spurs are searching for their next boss, which has already seen a host of potential candidates linked with the job.

Frank left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

As a result, Tottenham will now be searching for their next manager and have some time before their next fixture to confirm an appointment, with Arsenal next on the agenda in the North London Derby on February 22.

A host of names have already been linked with potentially being Tottenham’s next manager, including former Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi and ex-Spurs striker Robbie Keane, who is currently in charge of Hungarian club Ferencvaros.

Rose has now emerged as the favourite for the job in North London, with one bookmaker’s odds recently falling.

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One such bookmaker has listed Rose as the 5/4 favourite to replace Frank in the Tottenham dugout, which is now leading to speculation that the former RB Leipzig manager could take charge in the days ahead.

Rose has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in March last year, and has previously had spells in charge of fellow Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach

It remains to be seen what Tottenham have planned for the managerial position for the rest of the season, and if Rose will turn out to be a genuine contender for the job.

As football.london reported this week, Tottenham are planning to confirm the appointment of a new manager by Monday, which would give the new boss almost a week to prepare for the North London derby against Arsenal at the end of next week.

It’s still unclear if Tottenham will make a permanent appointment or install an interim head coach in charge until the end of the season, with the club hierarchy still weighing up their decisions in the aftermath of Frank’s departure.

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Tottenham Hotspur are looking for a new manager following Thomas Frank's departure earlier this week

Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with the Tottenham Hotspur manager’s job in recent days, and now there has been a fresh update about the former Brighton boss. Spurs are looking for a new head coach after Thomas Frank’s departure earlier this week.

Frank left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday following the club’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League in midweek.

Spurs will now begin their search for a new manager, with the club not back in action until February 22 for their next match, which will see them face Arsenal in the North London Derby in the Premier League.

De Zerbi has been tentatively linked as a potential replacement for Frank in the Tottenham dugout, with the 46-year-old leaving his role as Marseille boss earlier this week.

There has now been a fresh update about De Zerbi’s future amid continued links of a return to English football for the former Brighton boss.

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Sky Sports have reported that De Zerbi currently does not plan to take on a new job in the immediate future following his exit from Marseille.

It has been reported that De Zerbi is looking to take a break from managerial work, meaning the likelihood of taking the Tottenham job is not that high.

Tottenham are currently in 16th place in the Premier League table and five points above the relegation zone, with a clash against leaders Arsenal next on the horizon.

It remains to be seen who will be in charge of Spurs when they face the Gunners in the North London Derby later this month, but the latest report suggests that it will not be De Zerbi.

John Heitinga, Mauricio Pochettino, Robbie Keane and Oliver Glasner have all been linked with the Tottenham job in the last couple of days and are mentioned among the favourites for the job.

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Robbie Keane has been linked with a return to Tottenham for the managerial vacancy after the sacking of Thomas Frank, along with former manager Mauricio Pochettino, but there are complications in hiring both.

Robbie Keane is unwilling to make a return to Tottenham as an interim manager, but is open to re-joining Spurs as a permanent candidate for the role in the dugout.

That's according to the Telegraph, which claims that the former striker isn't keen on giving up his post with Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros, unless it's for the job on a full-time basis. It rules Keane out of the running for the interim manager role, if it's the route that the club hierarchy decides to go down.

It's currently unclear which way Spurs will move, with an option to either name an interim with a view to buy time for a decision in the summer, or to make a move now. The first call could be the best long-term move, but it risks costing the club dearly, given their proximity to the relegation zone.

However, if the club make their move now, that will likely rule out a number of candidates that would be available in the coming months. That includes Mauricio Pochettino, who is set to take the US Men's National Team squad into a World Cup on home soil in the summer, with a possible exit coming after the tournament.

With Pochettino seemingly unlikely to give up that role after spending time preparing his team for the competition, there are clear problems in making the right decision for this season and beyond. With Keane out of the running for a short-term move, there is an opportunity for another candidate to take the interim role.

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That man is John Heitinga, who only recently joined Tottenham to become part of Thomas Frank's backroom team, before his eventual sacking. The former Premier League player has experience in management, having taken charge of Ajax earlier this season, though that didn't go to plan and he was eventually dismissed.

The lack of other options means that Spurs may have to consider Heitinga, though the report from the Telegraph claims that there is a preference towards an external candidate. Time is on the side of the decision-makers, at least for now, due to Tottenham's early exit from the FA Cup.

There are ten days between now and the next match, which is the North London Derby clash against Arsenal next weekend. That should give those at the top time to find the route they want to go down, whether that is appointing an interim manager or a permanent option.

Keane was asked recently about his links to the Tottenham job, where he was short and sweet about the possibility of returning to the club he played the most games for in his career. A reporter asked: "Would you expect their invitation for you to become their manager?"

Keane responded: "I can't help speculation," while shrugging his shoulders before walking away from the interview. That hardly ruled him out of contention, but his stance appears to be that a return is possible, but only if it is a permanent hiring rather than a temporary appointment.

Daniel Levy's exit in the summer ended a reign of nearly 25 years as chairman, which was always going to bring about a transition period. On top of that there has been restructuring behind the scenes, with the addition of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO in the past 12 months, as well as the return and second exit of Fabio Paratici.

It all points to a club in flux that needs to get its ducks in a row before pushing on to greater heights. There are some key decisions to be made in the coming days, with the threat of relegation very real this season compared to last.

The January transfer window may have come and gone, but Tottenham Hotspur could still dip into the free agent market to give them a much-needed boost as they look to avoid relegation

Tottenham Hotspur could turn to the free agent market to address injury issues currently haunting them for the latter stages of 2025/26.

The Lilywhites are currently without 11 first-team players as a result of various problems spanning from pulled hamstrings to ruptured ACLs, with absentees clearly having an issue on Spurs' performances on the pitch. As things stand, Spurs currently sit 16th in the Premier League standings, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

As the club look to appoint a new head coach following the dismissal of Thomas Frank - who was sacked on Wednesday morning after a lacklustre run of form - the board could also opt to scour the market for late reinforcements for their final 12 Premier League fixtures.

While Raheem Sterling looked to be available for a move following his Chelsea exit, the former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City star has instead joined Feyenoord, linking up with Robin van Persie's side until the end of the season.

Here, football.london breaks down a number of stars who currently are without a club and could potentially be a good fit for Spurs...

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Ryan Kent

A Liverpool academy graduate who never really saw a chance to thrive in the Premier League, Ryan Kent made a name for himself with Rangers between 2019 and 2023 - helping the Glaswegian giants to a Scottish Premiership and a Scottish Cup apiece in an era largely dominated by Celtic.

A four-year deal with Fenerbahce followed, although he lasted just a year with the Turkish titans before his contract was mutually terminated. While Kent enjoyed a season-long stint with Seattle Sounders in 2025, he has been a free agent since January. A pacey left-winger with fast feet, Kent could be exactly what Spurs need to bolster their attacking line.

Jesse Lingard

With James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski all out of action at present, Spurs could also look to bolster their engine room for the second half of the season. He might be 33 and into the twilight years of his career, but Jesse Lingard could still be a viable option in the short term.

Out of contract since cutting ties with FC Seoul in December, the midfielder has already proven he has Premier League quality thanks to successful stints with Manchester United, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

While his age come as a slight concern, Jordan Henderson has continued to put on plenty of POTM-worthy performances with Brentford at 35, while 33-year-old Granit Xhaka has arguably been Sunderland's signing of the season.