Football FanCast

The Celtic manager's job is set to be a key talking point this summer as Martin O'Neill prepares to wave goodbye to Parkhead at the end of his second interim spell in charge.

It has been a season of upheaval at Celtic Park. Brendan Rodgers departed under a cloud, O'Neill stepped in on a caretaker basis, Wilfried Nancy was installed as permanent boss and lasted just 33 days before being shown the door.

O'Neill returned for a second interim spell alongside Shaun Maloney, and somehow in the middle of all that chaos, Celtic have remained in the title race — albeit five points behind pace-setters Hearts with time running out.

O'Neill has performed admirably, knocking Rangers out of the Scottish Cup twice and keeping the club fighting on multiple fronts.

A Scottish Cup final against St Mirren awaits at Hampden. Champions League football next season also remains possible, but O'Neill has been clear — he steps down at the end of the campaign, and Celtic desperately need to get their next permanent appointment right.

After the Nancy disaster, there is simply no room for another misstep.

Multiple names have been circulating.

Motherwell's Jens Berthel Askou has drawn widespread admiration for transforming the Steelmen into one of the Premiership's most impressive sides this season and remains a contender for the Celtic job.

Roberto Martinez — managing Portugal but expected to move on from that role — has been linked, with Rangers legend Ally McCoist publicly tipping him this week.

Wales boss Craig Bellamy has also been mentioned, so it is a shortlist of genuine intrigue.

According to The Guardian, though, one man has moved clear of the rest.

Robbie Keane in pole position for Celtic manager's job

Indeed, as per their information, Robbie Keane is now the frontrunner to take charge at Parkhead this summer, with Celtic's hierarchy making background plans for a significant restructuring of football operations.

The report, by Ewan Murray, states that those in power at the club believe the 45-year-old Irishman would be receptive to a move to Glasgow — a city he knows well from a brief but brilliant loan spell as a player in 2010, when he scored 16 goals in just 19 appearances.

What makes Keane's candidacy credible is not sentiment alone — it is his managerial record.

He won the Israeli title with Maccabi Tel Aviv in his only full season there, then crossed to Hungary where he guided Ferencvaros to the league championship last season and is on course for back-to-back titles.

Keane also served as assistant manager at Leeds United under Jesse Marsch, gaining valuable coaching experience at a major club navigating its own turbulent period.

Winning silverware in two different countries with limited resources is no small achievement, and it is that track record that has caught Celtic's eye.

The Irishman has been heavily linked with Tottenham in recent weeks following the sacking of Thomas Frank, but some reports suggest he has no interest in the interim role currently held by under-fire boss Igor Tudor.

That tells its own story — Keane wants a proper project, a long-term role he can build something with. Celtic can offer exactly that.

No formal approach will be made until the domestic season concludes, and Celtic will not be alone in chasing him with other British clubs monitoring the situation closely.

But for now, the Parkhead job appears to have Keane's name written all over it.

It's not unfair to suggest that Tottenham Hotspur's Champions League campaign is over. The chances of Igor Tudor's side overturning a three-goal deficit against Atletico Madrid next week are negligible, based on the evidence of the past month.

In fact, Spurs have done very little all season to suggest they can stage such a comeback, even if the slippery horrorshow in Madrid this week was exacerbated by a series of first-half mistakes, and that the match itself was more closely contested than some of the Londoners' domestic defeats this term.

Tottenham's priority is to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League. Anything beyond that, such as summer transfer plans, comes later.

However, there's no question that Spurs' goalkeepers have been at the epicentre of this enduring crisis, and that needs to change whatever their fate come summer.

Spurs need new goalkeepers

After making a series of mistakes at the Wanda Metropolitano and then suffering the ignominy of being substituted after just 16 minutes, back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky is hoping to leave Tottenham on loan this summer.

To take himself away and rebuild his career is understandable, but Spurs need to sell the No. 1 between the sticks, Guglielmo Vicario, after the Italian's abject performances throughout the campaign.

Vicario has not been a commanding presence in goal this season, and the 27-year-old is among the Spurs stragglers mooted for a move away at the end of the season.

Errors have become commonplace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Vicario as been at the crux of that problem, with his low 63.3% save percentage further evidence that the club need to make a change. In comparison to shot-stoppers who have played at least ten fixtures, Vicario ranks 20th out of 22.

For Kinsky to play a major role in the near future is impossible now. The severity of his disaster in Spain was so extreme that a move away appears to be the only realistic route forward.

This, of course, means that sporting director Johan Lange is going to need to place emphasis on signing a new goalkeeper, but that might not actually be the first port of call this summer.

Tottenham, after all, are going to have a lot to put right, and they will need the funds to complete a successful rebuild.

Spurs must sell £100m superstar

Tottenham need to press the reset button this summer. Some decisions have been made for them. Take club captain Cristian Romero, for example, who wants to leave the club and is the centre of recent transfer stories regarding his future.

However, while this claim might be contentious, Tottenham might want to sell Micky van de Ven too, a player who many of a Spurs persuasion would argue has been the club's Player of the Season (such as it is).

There's no question that Van de Ven, 24, is one of the most talented defenders in the Premier League. He has risen to superstar status since arriving in Ange Postecoglou's system in 2023. However, it's also becoming increasingly clear that the Netherlands international is beyond dispirited in north London, and that he's angling for a move away himself.

Not too long ago, this would have felt inconceivable, but Tottenham's need for a summer reset is so great that banking a pretty penny from Van de Ven's sale could prove the right call for club chiefs to make.

After all, the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona have both been sniffing around recently, ENIC Group responding to the emerging interest by declaring that the Dutchman boasts a market value of £100m.

Van de Ven has been brilliant this season, but Tottenham need to look forward with players who want to fight for the badge, and recent reports do indeed suggest that he is hoping to draw a close to his turbulent time at Tottenham once the season has wrapped up.

Furthermore, Van de Ven was lucky to escape from Madrid without early marching orders after a reckless challenge on Atletico's David Hancko.

This is a player who has been shorn of confidence and has become haphazard in his performances. He will miss Sunday's trip to Anfield in the Premier League.

While Tottenham's hopes of survival largely hinge on the partnership of Romero and Van de Ven, it's clear that, with both hoping to leave this summer, ENIC Group must bite the bullet and cash in, wiping the slate clean and earning a pretty penny to turn back toward the transfer market and begin anew.

It's difficult to see how Igor Tudor remains in the Tottenham Hotspur hot seat until the end of the campaign.

Less than one month since the Croatian coach was drafted in to save Spurs' season, fans are already calling for his head. Tottenham are not in the Premier League relegation zone, but that could change in the coming days, and Tudor has lost all four of his games in charge so far - and miserably at that.

This is a desperate situation, but if Spurs can string a few wins together, they will ease the intensity of their suffering and then some. That's not going to happen with Tudor at the helm; BBC pundit Stephen Warnock said the 47-year-old has already "lost the changing room" after their 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

However, ENIC Group simply have to get their next appointment right.

Who Spurs could replace Tudor with

Fabrizio Romano, expert on all things transfer-related, believes Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are right at the top of Tottenham's managerial shortlist, but neither are likely (or even unlikely) to take charge at N17 before the end of the season.

Other names such as Robbie Keane and Ryan Mason have been bandied about, but there would be such risk in appointing young and untested coaches at such a critical point in Tottenham's direction.

Instead, it might be worth going for a more pragmatic option, appointing a manager who understands the Premier League and who would embrace the desperate situation the Londoners find themselves in.

Well, according to TEAMtalk, the experienced Sean Dyche is eager to replace Tottenham's struggling head coach and steer the club away from relegation, though Spurs have not engaged in official contact with the Englishman or his representatives just yet.

Should Spurs go through with the appointment, Dyche would be appointed on an interim basis, effectively taking Tudor's role until the end of the season.

Why Spurs need to appoint Sean Dyche

Dyche is obviously not the most exciting name on the aforementioned list, but the plain truth is that Tottenham don't need exciting right now.

Tottenham need a manager who knows what it means to battle against the odds, a relegation specialist who will steady the ship ahead of a desperately-needed summer rebuild.

Dyche took Burnley to the Premier League and kept them there for six successive seasons, achieving something well beyond the Clarets' spending capacity and the outside expectations. His topsy-turvy tenure at Everton did start with success in steering away from relegation danger, a feat that pundit Stuart Pearce hailed as "incredible".

Ultimately, Dyche's time at Nottingham Forest didn't work out as he might have hoped, but there has been a lot of instability at the City Ground this season and he did start his tenure with four wins from eight Premier League fixtures.

Defensively grounded and with a wealth of experience (350 games in charge in the Premier League), Dyche could even become Tottenham's own version of Atletico Madrid's long-standing boss Diego Simeone, who Spurs fans will know well after their Champions League defeat on Tuesday.

Simeone is a legend, a two-time La Liga champion in an enduring period of Barcelona-Real Madrid dominance and a manager who has continually beat the odds to set his lot against some of the greatest coaches of his generation.

Dyche is not on a level with the Argentine, but both managers share a focus on tactical discipline and a strong mentality from their players.

While someone like Keane would look to implement an attractive style of football over the business months of the campaign, maybe Spurs need something more pragmatic and rooted in defensive solidity and structure.

Both Dyche and Simeone have fielded a traditional 4-2-2 formation throughout their managerial careers, and again, reverting back to the basics could bear dividends for this Spurs side, especially when considering Tudor's unconventional tactics and philosophy have only sunk the club deeper into their malaise.

Tottenham need to start getting points on the board, currently just one point above the Premier League relegation zone. Dyche might not be the man to create a dynasty, but he could save this club from falling into the second tier and he must be appointed quickly.

Tottenham have reportedly held talks with a title-winning manager to replace Igor Tudor, and it is now claimed he's made a key demand.

Tottenham urged to sack Igor Tudor after disastrous reign

Tudor is somehow still standing.

After the worst week in Tottenham's recent memory — a 5-2 thrashing in Madrid, six consecutive defeats, the club's worst run in 144 years of history — the 47-year-old somehow survived the immediate axe and will take charge at Anfield on Sunday.

That stay of execution came with the narrowest of margins.

Spurs are one point above the bottom three going into the weekend, and with West Ham and Nottingham Forest both playing, the potential results around them have made the Liverpool trip feel like a genuine crossroads moment.

The Lilywhites could find themselves in the bottom three if West Ham and Forest win, and they lose on Merseyside, which makes for pretty grim reading, even if Nuno Espírito Santo's side face title-chasing Man City.

Just 10 months after winning the Europa League and their first major trophy since 2008, a truly historic moment under Ange Postecoglou, the horrendous slide has been a devastation to behold.

The owners, the Lewis family, are said to be scratching their heads in bemusement at the situation as supporters continue to aim their own frustration towards CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange.

Senior players are angry too, and The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has demanded emergency action.

And yet, as of Thursday, Tudor remains in his post — with the board grappling with the messy reality that sacking him brings its own set of complicated problems.

Many names have been touted for the potentially soon-to-be vacant Spurs manager's job, with Sean Dyche believed to be keen on replacing Tudor.

Harry Redknapp has put forward his own willingness to jump into the Tottenham hot seat too, while reports suggest that Spurs have held talks with former striker Robbie Keane.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this week that the north Londoners have spoken to Keane about the job amid his excellent spell at Hungarian side Ferencvaros, with the same outlet sharing another update.

Robbie Keane makes key demand to join Tottenham after talks

The 45-year-old has impressed in his first senior management role, and there is genuine enthusiasm within certain quarters about the prospect of bringing him home.

Keane won the title with Ferencvaros last season, his second league crown after also winning the Israeli first division title with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

He could be a great shout, but there is a significant problem.

Keane is open to returning to N17, TEAMtalk say, and would do so regardless of what division the club finds themselves in next season.

The loyalty is real, and the desire is genuine, but the Irishman wants a long-term contract before fully committing — a permanent appointment, not a short-term lifeline.

Tottenham's current thinking runs in the opposite direction. At this stage, they would only offer a deal until the end of the season, preferring to keep their options open depending on whether they survive the drop.

That mismatch is the crux of the problem. If Spurs stay up, their ambitions for a permanent manager will stretch considerably beyond Keane. If they go down, the financial and structural landscape changes completely. Neither scenario currently suits handing the Irishman the long-term deal he is seeking.

Adding to the complexity is the fact that Keane is not short of interest elsewhere.

Celtic have him prominently on their managerial shortlist as they search for a permanent successor to Martin O'Neill, and that option represents a very credible alternative.

Tottenham's other targets are equally tangled.

Mauricio Pochettino is said to be open to a return in any division, but his financial demands in the Championship would be enormous, while Roberto De Zerbi is a top summer target as well, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Tudor has until Sunday to prove his doubters wrong, but the queue outside Spurs' door is only growing.

One of the main reasons Tottenham Hotspur players are unhappy with Igor Tudor has now been revealed, and it doesn't bode well heading into the final nine games of the Premier League season.

Tudor under mounting pressure after Champions League defeat

Jamie O'Hara certainly didn't mince his words when talking about Tudor after the recent 5-2 Champions League defeat at the hands of Atletico, saying: "I cannot believe how bad we are. I cannot believe how bad this team is. This manager is a fraud. He's the biggest fraud I've ever seen. Who is this guy? Who appointed this guy?'

"We are terrible. It should have been 9-0. Somehow we scored two goals. We were not good. It was embarrassing."

The start the Croatian has made to life in north London has been nothing short of disastrous, losing his opening four games in all competitions, with Tottenham now just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.

However, there are clearly deeper problems, given that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League last season, despite winning the Europa League under the helm of Ange Postecoglou.

The players also have to be held accountable, and the reason they are unhappy with Tudor has now been revealed, with a report from The Guardian sharing they are frustrated by the manager making them work 'incredibly hard' in training.

The interim boss believes his players are unfit, meaning he has been pushing them to the limit, but that approach hasn't gone down well, while they also haven't been impressed by the 'tone of his messaging', which clearly hasn't been effective thus far.

In truth, it feels like a lame excuse, given that nine members of the squad rake in over £100k-a-week, but Spurs may have to appoint a new manager sooner rather than later, with their Premier League status on the line...

Redknapp keen on Tottenham return

It has been a terrible campaign for Tottenham, but few would've predicted they'd be linked with the likes of Sean Dyche and Harry Redknapp, with it recently emerging the latter would be keen on a return to N17.

Honestly, appointing Redknapp could make sense at this stage, given that the former Spurs boss is well-known for his man-management skills, and some members of the squad are clearly lacking confidence, with Antonin Kinsky being substituted after just 17 minutes against Atletico.

A manager capable of lifting the mood in the dressing room could be exactly what is needed right now, and it recently emerged that Tudor may not last much longer in the hot seat...

Tottenham could well part company with under-fire interim boss Igor Tudor sooner rather than later, and a very intriguing name has thrown his hat into the ring.

Igor Tudor to take Liverpool press conference but Tottenham end in sight

Tudor is still in the job — but only just.

Tottenham confirmed on Wednesday that the 47-year-old will take Friday's pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Anfield, all but ruling out an immediate sacking, but nobody at N17 is pretending everything is fine.

The numbers tell the story well enough.

Six defeats in a row. Four losses from four since Tudor took charge. 14 goals conceded in those four games alone. One point above the relegation zone. 11 Premier League games without a win and no top flight victory at all in 2026 — a club record.

The Lewis family are said to be disillusioned, while senior players are also furious.and have little faith that Tudor is the man to keep them up (The Telegraph).

Liverpool away on Sunday, then Nottingham Forest — a genuine six-pointer — the week after. Tudor's fate could be sealed within ten days. If Spurs lose both, it is very hard to see how he survives, and many are calling for the Croatian to be sacked far before then.

So who steps in? That is the question dividing the entire fanbase.

Reports suggest that Sean Dyche is keen on the Tottenham job after being sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this season, while the likes of Thiago Motta and Robbie Keane are also believed to be high on Spurs' managerial agenda.

Anoter man has been making his feelings about the potential Spurs vacancy very clear today as well.

Harry Redknapp makes Tottenham admission after Levy phone call

Harry Redknapp, the 79-year-old who managed Spurs for four years between 2008 and 2012, has never been shy about his love of the game.

And speaking on talkSPORT this morning, the ex-manager who also coached West Ham for years made it crystal clear that he may not be done yet.

Asked directly whether he would take the Tottenham job, Redknapp did not hesitate.

"Yeah, I'd do it, for sure," he said.

"I definitely wouldn't say no, but I don't see myself getting it, to be true."

Honest, characteristically self-aware, and very Harry. He knows the reality — but the desire is absolutely there.

He also revealed the name he believes should genuinely be in the running.

"Tim would be a good shout now," Redknapp told talkSPORT.

"Tim Sherwood would be, you know, I think someone like Tim or Glenn Hoddle, even."

The call for familiar faces is getting louder by the day. Former Spurs midfielder David Bentley has publicly backed Redknapp for a short-term role, arguing that someone who genuinely cares about the club is what this squad desperately needs right now.

Gary Lineker has made similar noises. Even Jamie O'Hara — himself a former Spurs player — has urged the club to pick up the phone to Redknapp immediately.

The backdrop to all of this also comes a remarkable revelation Redknapp shared today — that former chairman Daniel Levy got in touch with him last week.

Their first conversation in over a decade, and by all accounts Levy made clear his admiration for his old manager had not dimmed.

"I got a phone call last week from Daniel, funnily enough," Redknapp continued.

"I think I spoke to him once since I left all that time ago, and I was in the car last week and suddenly the phone goes, it's Daniel Levy.

"I thought 'that's strange' and I was on the phone to him for about half hour, chatting to him and he was explaining what happened to him, and how he got marched out of there, which was really strange.

"And he did say to me 'If I was there now, and I'm not just saying it, I would bring you back in until the end of the season, Harry' - so it would have been interesting."

In the wake of Antonin Kinsky's nightmarish evening in the Champions League, news broke that the young Czech goalkeeper would be seeking employment away from Tottenham Hotspur next season.

Kinsky wants to leave Tottenham on loan, and while Igor Tudor will not be at N17 after his interim deal expires, this speaks toward the total lack of leadership and direction that has punctured the Londoners' hull.

Make no mistake, this is a sinking ship, and faith in Tudor's ability to put things to rights and preserve Spurs' precious Premier League status has already evaporated, four losses from four after Thomas Frank was sent packing.

Why Spurs haven't sacked Tudor

Tudor, adept in crisis management and with experience arriving at struggling clubs mid-season, has been a disastrous appointment, and yet another illustration of the Tottenham board's incompetence.

After being thrashed in a mistake-filled Champions League tie at Atletico Madrid, many of a Spurs persuasion felt Tudor's dismissal was imminent, but it has since been confirmed that he's set to take Spurs' pre-match press conference at 1:30pm on Friday, ahead of a worrying Premier League trip to Anfield.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that, despite this, the 47-year-old is "at serious risk of being sacked at any moment", with ENIC Group and sporting director Johan Lange likely biding their time for the right replacement.

Pickings are slim, and the Lilywhites cannot afford another misfire as they teeter on the cusp of the relegation zone.

However, Romano has also stressed that Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino remain "very high" on the north Londoners' managerial shortlist, and with the latter contracted to lead the USMNT out for the World Cup this summer, it looks like De Zerbi might be in pole position.

The Italian has been out of work since being fired by Marseille in February, but he is proven as an elite coach in the English game and "has been of interest to Tottenham in the past", according to The Athletic's James Horncastle.

Why Spurs should appoint De Zerbi

The bottom line is that Tudor is going to get Tottenham relegated from the Premier League. Confidence in the Croatian coach's capacity to turn things around has already evaporated.

Spurs needed a manager bounce, but they've only fallen deeper into a hole after Frank's dismissal, with BBC pundit Stephen Warnock even claiming that he "has lost the dressing room".

De Zerbi prides himself on being a big personality, and his ball-heavy style of football has been hailed as "unique" by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the past.

Implementing a 4-2-3-1 formation, he might manage to get a tune out of the struggling Xavi Simons while reinvigorating Conor Gallagher in the centre of the park, allowing Joao Palhinha to continue mopping things up as the anchor.

Moreover, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero's respective skills on the ball could finally be well utilised, thus creating more fluid and progressive build-up patterns. De Zerbi knows how to make these things work, described as "one of the best coaches in the world" by his former players at Marseille.

After all, De Zerbi's proven record in the Premier League with Brighton far outstrips Tudor's own meagre experience in the English game, and with time running out, Tottenham need to make a change and could benefit from such a profile taking to the dugout, rousing the confidence in this beleaguered bunch.

Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.

Tottenham have had countless problems to overcome this season. Injuries, a total lack of leadership and issues stemming from poor recruitment all play their part.

De Zerbi - a "genius" in the words of Statman Dave - would add fire and respect to the struggling squad, bringing with him a wealth of Premier League experience and an attractive, ball-playing style of football that could rekindle some confidence in these struggling stars.

Ultimately, Tottenham are in grave danger, but there's still plenty of time to change the narrative and secure their position next season. However, it already looks highly unlikely that this will happen with Tudor at the helm.

Igor Tudor’s tenure at Tottenham is a “car crash” that needs to be brought to an end, according to former England defender Gary Neville.

Tudor's Tottenham "shambles" must end - Neville

The Croatian’s position is under intense scrutiny after four straight losses and in the aftermath of Tuesday’s debacle against Atletico Madrid, where Tudor selected reserve keeper Antonin Kinsky only to substitute him after 17 minutes with Spurs 3-0 down.

They went on to lose 5-2, all but ending their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals, and, speaking to The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Neville said of the treatment of Kinsky: “I thought it was brutal.

“I thought the whole thing of the last few weeks and then that, the whole thing is just a car crash, a shambles.

“The problem I had was Tudor’s interview. I think he’s got to come in there and say, ‘Look, I got this wrong, I should have left (Guglielmo) Vicario in net’, but he didn’t, he doubled down.”

Tudor was only appointed four weeks ago following the sacking of Thomas Frank but Neville believes Tottenham must act again immediately to have any hope of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

“If you’re going to make another change, that for me needs to be today or tomorrow, because you don’t wait,” he added.

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright agreed that Tudor is not the right man for the role, saying: “You don’t want to see anybody get sacked but, when you see somebody who’s blatantly out of their depth, it’s uncomfortable.

“For him to make that decision, for that poor goalkeeper, for him to go into a game like that at a club like that to start, I don’t know what he’s seen in training. For me, Vicario is the number one, he plays in that game.

“You do that in another game for him because now, look at this guy Kinsky. That’s the biggest nightmare since the Liverpool goalkeeper.”

Wright was referring to Loris Karius’ horror show in the 2018 Champions League final, and Tudor’s treatment of Kinsky drew mixed reviews.

The Croatian did not acknowledge the 22-year-old after hauling him off, but Roy Keane described the outcry as an overreaction, saying: “He’s made a couple of mistakes, huge mistakes.”

Former England striker Wayne Rooney added: “He’s tried to protect him but it looks horrendous. I think the biggest issue was starting him. I’ve no problem with him taking him off.

“Should he hug him? If I got brought off after 20 minutes, I wouldn’t want a hug off my manager. He can speak to him after the game.”

Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who is currently in charge at Hungarian side Ferencvaros, was cited as a possible replacement along with Sean Dyche.

Rooney reserved his strongest criticism for the Spurs squad, saying: “Those players need to look at themselves because I think they’ve been an absolute disgrace. The performances, the attitude, the lack of desire, the lack of fight, lack of anything in them.

“I think they need someone to go in and absolutely batter them. They need some fear put into them.”

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano revealed Spurs could sack the manager "at any moment", with the 47 year-old on the brink of the sack despite the club confirming he will take the pre-Liverpool press conference.

“It is four games under Igor Tudor and four defeats, which is the first time in Tottenham’s history with a new manager.

“It is also the first time Tottenham have lost six consecutive matches.

“At the moment Tottenham have confirmed that Tudor will take the press conference ahead of the Liverpool game, but he remains at serious risk of being sacked at any moment. The situation is very fluid in the short term.

“For the long term the plan has always been clear, because Tudor signed a short contract and in the summer Tottenham want a new manager.

“The two names still very high on the shortlist are Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino.”

Spurs have not won away at Liverpool in any competition since 2011, and were reduced to nine men in the reverse fixture this season following red cards for Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero, who is a doubt for the fixture with a possible concussion.

One manager who's been called the ideal man to rescue Tottenham is now reported to be keen on replacing the under-fire Igor Tudor.

State of play as Igor Tudor narrowly avoids Tottenham axe for now

Journalist Henry Winter declared Tudor would be gone within 24 hours, while talkSPORT reported the Tottenham hierarchy were "considering sacking" him before the weekend.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust issued a statement demanding "emergency action" and calling Tuesday's 5-2 humiliation in Madrid "a total disgrace."

The Lewis family, who own the club, were said to be "disillusioned" by their interim manager's total lack of impact.

Senior figures in the dressing room will also undoubtedly be furious at the way he handled the infamous Antonin Kinsky substitution — walking straight past the distraught 22-year-old without a word of consolation as he trudged from the Metropolitano pitch.

And yet, by Wednesday afternoon, Tudor was still in his job.

Tottenham confirmed he would take Friday's pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Anfield. Not sacked. Not even officially under review. Just surviving, at least for now.

It is an extraordinary situation at a club that has lost six games in a row for the first time in its history, that has not won a Premier League match since December 28, and that sits just a single point above the relegation zone with nine games left to play.

The Champions League exit is as good as rubber-stamped. The drop, once unthinkable, is becoming a very real possibility.

Tudor, in charge for just 25 days, has managed to make things dramatically worse since replacing Thomas Frank.

So who replaces him when the end inevitably comes? That is the question consuming the entire club, and one name is starting to generate some heat.

Sean Dyche 'keen' to replace Igor Tudor at Tottenham

As per TEAMtalk, Sean Dyche would be 'keen' on taking charge at Tottenham.

The 54-year-old has been out of management since his sacking by Nottingham Forest in February and has Premier League experience spanning stints at Burnley, Everton and the City Ground.

His track record of grinding teams to safety — ugly, functional, effective — makes him a fairly logical fit for what is essentially a rescue mission with nine games remaining.

However, TT sources are also playing down the likelihood of a swift appointment, which may be music to the ears of some Spurs supporters.

Despite Dyche's personal interest in the role, there has been no contact between the two parties as yet. No phone call, no approach, no formal or informal discussion. It remains interest on one side only, with Tottenham yet to make a definitive move in any direction.

The 54-year-old, who Darren Bent called the 'perfect' manager to rescue Spurs right now, appears to be an outside contender at best.

The decision-making process at Spurs, as has been well documented this week, involves CEO Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange, owners Vivienne and Charles Lewis, and — perhaps surprisingly to most fans — Vivienne's son-in-law Nick Beucher, who is said to wield growing influence in key calls.

Getting all of those parties aligned quickly enough to make a change before Sunday seems unlikely, which is presumably why Tudor is still standing.

A Dyche appointment would be controversial by any measure.

His brand of direct, no-frills football is the polar opposite of what Spurs fans have spent years demanding. But with relegation on the horizon, the priority is no longer style. It is survival.

Tottenham Hotspur's calamitous season could yet swerve the biggest disaster of them all: relegation from the Premier League.

But time is running out, and the Spurs board are surely grappling with the sense that Igor Tudor was the wrong appointment, and that, after four disastrous defeats in a row, the interim boss may take the club down into the Championship if he is not dismissed quickly.

It's already been confirmed that Tudor is set to conduct Tottenham's press conference on Thursday ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool in the Premier League, but even this has left many fans frustrated that a change has not already been made after the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Who could replace Tudor at Spurs

Tudor has been in a job for less than a month, replacing Thomas Frank after the former Brentford manager's much-needed dismissal. Frank endured a torrid spell at the helm, but it's only gotten worse over the past month.

Sporting director Johan Lange cannot afford another misfire, not with Spurs only one point clear of the relegation zone.

However, there's no denying that the pickings are slim. Harry Redknapp, 79, has already ruled himself out of a sensational return to the dugout in north London, while the likes of Ryan Mason and Robbie Keane are both young and inexperienced coaches.

However, it was reported before Frank's dismissal that talks had been held with the representatives of former Barcelona boss Xavi as ENIC Group considered their route forward.

A move didn't come to fruition, but the 46-year-old's title-winning spell at La Blaugrana and his attacking ethos could help reinvigorate a Spurs side who have completely lost their way.

In the past, Xavi, who is a fluent English speaker, said, "I would love to work in the Premier League,"

Why Xavi could be the perfect pick

Xavi might not have any experience in English football, but he certainly has more pedigree as a title-winning manager at the highest level, with the Spanish legend said by pundit Thierry Henry to be "up there with Pep", in regard to his footballing brain and his capacity to inspire those around him and under him.

Implementing a 4-3-3 formation during his time as the Camp Nou boss, Xavi's approach could help to give Tottenham more control in the middle of the park, taking the ineffective Xavi Simons out of the equation and instilling more control.

This might feel like something of a risk, but the alternative, should Tottenham want to appoint a manager with a wealth of Premier League experience, would be Sean Dyche, whose arrival would hardly fill supporters (and perhaps players too) with confidence.

Tottenham have suffered one of the most porous defences in the Premier League this season, and much has been left to be desired in attack too.

Xavi might not be the perfect fix, but his progressive, rousing presence in the Spurs dugout could be exactly what these beleaguered players need.

It's clear that the situation is already bordering on untenable for Tudor after the defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. What's less clear is the club's strategy, and whether, indeed, a potential replacement has already been earmarked.

It'sv safe to say that Tudor's position isn't under imminent threat, but there's no time to waste, and with Xavi boasting one of football's great reputations while having a penchant for attractive football, there's a chance that he could whip this struggling squad into shape and restore the absent confidence that will relegate Tottenham from ther Premier League if not swiftly rediscovered.