Football FanCast

Manchester United have the red ribbon in their sights, and if they cross it ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, they will play Champions League football next season.

The Premier League has not been a happy hunting ground for the Red Devils in recent years, and last year's 15th-place finish under Ruben Amorim was a new low, aggravated by the salt-to-wound Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

So many failings, but with Michael Carrick now in interim charge, there's a strong sense that changes have been made under the INEOS regime, and the looming summer transfer window poses the perfect opportunity to reinforce this strong position.

Whether Carrick will keep hold of the reins is uncertain right now, but Casemiro is set to leave when his contract expires and Man United are going to need a top-class replacement at number six.

Man Utd ready to sign a Casemiro upgrade

Casemiro, 34, has been a dutiful servant for Manchester United, and it's interesting to see him improve during the later stages of his Premier League career.

There's not much to say about it. INEOS have waived the option to extend the Brazilian veteran's deal by one year, and given the finances involved and the need for change, that's understandable.

However, it's now crucial that the Old Trafford side make the right call in replacing him, and while Premier League stars like Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Carlos Baleba have been earmarked, there's one man above all others who must be prioritised.

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have chosen Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson as their dream choice to bolster the Old Trafford midfield this summer. However, neighbours Manchester City are also keen, and separate reports claim Pep Guardiola's side hold the lead in the race.

The England international has emerged as one of the best in the business, and he won't come cheap. In fact, he's been valued at £100m by the Tricky Trees.

Casemiro is on the way out, and the Red Devils need a new six. A range of options have been tagged, but Anderson might just be the pick of the bunch.

Why Anderson is the perfect Casemiro upgrade

Anderson isn't the only one on Jason Wilcox's shortlist at Manchester United: Newcastle's Guimaraes and Tonali are both admired, and both are likely to come at a similar cost as Anderson.

It's one of the three, then. While Eddie Howe's lieutenants are more accomplished than Anderson, 23, there's a reason that the Magpies manager has been vocal in his regret at selling him to Forest, and his desire this season to bring him back to St. James' Park.

Anderson has outgrown Forest, in a way. He is well placed to star alongside Declan Rice in the England midfield at this summer's World Cup, his powers drawing him to the top of the Premier League tree too.

Man United would not only upgrade on the ageing Casemiro with Anderson charging the engine room, but they'd also land a better deal than investing in Tonali or Guimaraes, the former of whom has ebbed and flowed on Tyneside and the latter turning 29 in November.

Anderson is young and still unrefined, and yet he has already been described as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by England manager Thomas Tuchel.

He is also more accomplished as a number six than Tonali, whose elegance and intelligence work well as an adjunct to the more orchestrated Guimaraes at the heart of the pitch.

Is Anderson better than Guimaraes right now? There's certainly a case to be made there.

In truth, Guimaraes probably boasts a slightly more expansive range of passing. But whether the Brazilian's creativity needs to be prioritised when Bruno Fernandes is riding the crest of a gargantuan wave is questionable, for sure.

In Anderson, Carrick (or whoever is given the permanent job) would find an all-action midfielder with dynamic athletic and physical properties, one whose potential is still untapped - and yet he is already rivalling someone like Guimaraes.

Would it be a gamble? Anderson would cost a lot of money, but he's proved himself over two successful years at Forest, first leading a high-flying outfit punching above their weight and then keeping the City Ground afloat as it threatens to sink.

The best is yet to come, and Wilcox needs to make sure it comes together at the Theatre of Dreams.

Tottenham Hotspur, after previously enjoying such a settled period under Mauricio Pochettino, are almost mirroring the post-Sir Alex Ferguson chaos of Manchester United, now left wondering where to turn after so many failed managerial appointments.

There have been the explosive, brief tenures for the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, alongside the swift sackings of Premier League-proven figures like Nuno Espirito Santo and Thomas Frank.

All those missteps and mistakes have led the Lilywhites to their current predicament, staring down the barrel of relegation after another car-crash tenure for new interim boss, Igor Tudor.

The question remains as to whether the ENIC regime will stick or twist with the Croatian, heading into the final stretch of the season, with there also the nagging issue of whether the club's long-term targets are willing to be parachuted in immediately.

The latest on Tottenham's manager search

One point from five Premier League games in charge, alongside a 7-5 aggregate loss in the Champions League, has left Tudor on thin ice in north London, with Spurs having gone into the international break following a dismal home defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

If ENIC are to make a ruthless decision on the 47-year-old's future, this brief hiatus from club action is the time to do it, with a raft of names having been mooted as potential options in recent days.

Among the frontrunners appears to be ex-Marseille man, Roberto De Zerbi, with reports earlier this week indicating that the Italian would be ready to dive in and lift the club to safety.

That said, contrary reporting has also suggested that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss would rather wait until the summer, in order to see if the Lilywhites are able to beat the drop.

With regard to the naming of Frank's long-term replacement, ahead of next season, De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino appear to be the frontrunners, although they aren't the only contenders.

Indeed, reports earlier this month, as per talkSPORT, suggested that Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner could also be under consideration, with the Austrian having confirmed that he will leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season, upon the expiry of his contract.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss has had his own struggles this term in south London, although his work to date shouldn't be ignored, having certainly put himself in the frame for the end of the campaign, if not in the immediate future.

Why Glasner could be an upgrade on De Zerbi

The focus is on replacing Tudor as a priority, but Spurs do also need to look ahead to the summer too, with Glasner a worthy target to pursue, not least considering he will be a free agent.

While De Zerbi might be the glamour name, Glasner would arguably represent something of an upgrade, having proven his credentials when it comes to winning silverware at the elite level.

In contrast to De Zerbi's medal haul, which stands at just a solitary Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk, the Palace boss has overseen far more notable successes in his managerial career to date.

Back in Germany, for instance, the 51-year-old defied the odds to lead Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, beating Rangers in the final, after having seen off the likes of Barcelona and West Ham United en route.

Since joining the Eagles in 2024, meanwhile, Glasner has been responsible for arguably the greatest day in the club's history, having beaten Manchester City at Wembley in May to claim Palace's first-ever FA Cup triumph.

That was followed by another showpiece triumph over Liverpool just a few months later in the Community Shield, now boasting a trophy haul in English football that even eclipses Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, leaving pundit Jamie O'Hara to suggest that it is the Austrian who is the "better manager".

It is not out of the question that Glasner's side may also even end the campaign as Conference League winners, having moved into the quarter-final stage, a result that would be another feather in his cap.

Of course, there's no denying that it has been a turbulent season at Selhurst Park, with Glasner drawing criticism from supporters for revealing his intention to leave, but there have been extenuating circumstances.

Indeed, he has been dealt a poor hand following the exits of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi at crucial junctures of the campaign, while the lack of adequate investment has hamstrung a Palace side now competing on multiple fronts.

Even so, Glasner has still led the Eagles comfortably away from danger, amid all that turmoil, with his settled 3-4-2-1 approach working wonders in recent seasons.

A man with a better trophy record than both De Zerbi and Arteta, despite having never coached a truly giant club, Glasner is deserving of a shot at the big time.

Whether it is now or this summer, he should certainly remain on ENIC's list of leading Frank or Tudor replacements.

There was to be no third season or third act for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Aussie coach having been ruthlessly dismissed following the club's Europa League triumph in Bilbao.

That shift was a factor in Spurs' dismal 17th-place finish, although, regardless, the experienced coach had nowhere to hide after a season in which he'd overseen a staggering 22 top-flight defeats.

Whether replacing the 60-year-old was the right call or not remains up for debate, although it's fair to say the Lilywhites have sunk even lower in his absence, ensuring they are heading for yet another crucial crossroads this summer.

The future of Igor Tudor is of course the more immediate and pressing issue, but in the long-term, ENIC need to get it right with regard to Thomas Frank's long-term successor.

It feels a matter of when and not if Tudor will be replaced at N17, even if it has all gone a little quiet on that front in recent days, with there understandably no rush for a decision to be made, not least with the Croatian's father having sadly passed away at the weekend.

Respect needs to be shown to the 47-year-old in the wake of such awful news, although the mutterings are that talk is going on behind the scenes regarding the end of his interim tenure and the naming of a successor.

There has been suggestion that free agent Roberto De Zerbi is ready to take the reins in the immediate future, although contrary reports have also indicated that the Italian would rather wait until the end of the season before making the move.

Indeed, there does appear to be a growing list of candidates in the frame heading into this summer, with a new name having been mentioned in the form of Galatasaray boss, Okan Buruk.

As per Italian outlet TuttomercatoWEB, the 52-year-old is on Spurs' summer shortlist - alongside De Zerbi and Marco Silva - with his contract set to expire with the Istanbul giants in June.

The north Londoners aren't alone in their admiration for him, however, with Serie A side Lazio also in the frame, alongside Saudi Pro League outfit, Al-Ittihad.

Why Buruk could be another Postecoglou at Spurs

There's no denying that Spurs have tried it all with regard to recent managerial appointments, going down the Premier League proven route with regard to Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo, as well as bringing in serial winners in the form of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

For all his flaws, however, it was Postecoglou who ended the club's lengthy trophy drought, having also overseen an encouraging first season that ended with a respectable fifth-place finish - a solid achievement considering the Tottenham hierarchy didn't actually sign a direct replacement for Harry Kane that summer.

Postecoglou may also have been aware that he was hardly the club's first choice, with then-Feyenoord boss Arne Slot having been the leading candidate at one stage, while the likes of Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and Ruben Amorim were all in the equation.

He managed to secure silverware regardless, with Spurs' gamble on a man with no prior Premier League experience having paid off to some degree.

In many ways, the hiring of Buruk could be something of a repeat scenario, with the Turkish tactician likely to be another wildcard appointment, having never managed outside of his homeland since beginning his coaching career back in 2013.

In Postecoglou's case, the well-travelled coach had won league titles in Australia, Japan and Scotland, breeding a winning mentality that ultimately was replicated in north London.

Buruk - who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 set-up - has also had that winning feeling during his time in Turkey thus far, winning three league titles with Galatasaray, while looking on course to make it four-in-a-row this time around.

Perhaps more impressively, however, was his achievement of leading Istanbul Basaksehir to the Super Lig title in 2019/20, the first time the club had ever been crowned champions.

He might not be the glamour name of De Zerbi or even Mauricio Pochettino, with the pair likely to be ahead of him on ENIC's shortlist, although like Postecoglou, Buruk has proven he is a winning manager, and one who typically favours a high-press, high-energy approach from his teams.

There is a relentless quality to his tactical set-up, one which Spurs have seen first-hand, with Gala putting on a rampant display in their 3-2 win over Postecoglou's side in the Europa League last season.

He may not be the obvious, popular choice, just as Postecoglou was not, yet Buruk certainly shouldn't be overlooked this summer.

Fabrizio Romano has suggested that a new attempt from Tottenham to appoint a very highly-rated manager isn't out of the question.

Spurs identify managerial targets as Igor Tudor faces imminent axe

Everything at Tottenham is in a real state of flux right now.

Igor Tudor is reportedly heading for the exit after one of the most calamitous interim spells in the club's recent history — overseeing just one win in all competitions since taking charge.

A 3-0 battering at home to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest was the final straw, and reports suggest that a departure by mutual consent looks the most likely conclusion, allowing the Croatian to step away with dignity while the club prepares for what comes next.

The question of who that is has rarely been murkier.

L'Equipe in France reported earlier this week that talks with Adi Hutter have begun, the Austrian coach who has been out of work since leaving Monaco in October, and he is now a frontrunner for a short-term appointment.

TEAMtalk also claimed that formal contact has been made, and Hutter himself is keen to take the job.

Further up the managerial food chain, Mauricio Pochettino remains an emotional and obvious long-term fit — but he will be managing the United States at the World Cup until at least July, making any immediate appointment essentially impossible.

Marco Silva has also been discussed internally, Romano confirmed via social media.

Andoni Iraola, who leaves Bournemouth at the end of his contract this summer, could be an option too, but none of them solve today's problem.

Which brings everything back to an Italian who is at the centre of this entire saga.

Roberto De Zerbi — the man Arne Slot has called one of the best managers in the world, the man Chelsea star Joao Pedro dubbed a "top three" manager on the planet, and a coach who turned Brighton into a force and guided Marseille to second in Ligue 1 — remains a dream target for the Lilywhites.

Fabrizio Romano suggests Tottenham could make new Roberto De Zerbi attempt

Transfer insider Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel and transcribed by GiveMeSport, has provided the latest on Spurs and De Zerbi.

He has maintained his position throughout, insisting the focus has always been on the summer.

De Zerbi would consider the Tottenham role from June — but only if the club preserve their Premier League status.

"If Tottenham stay in the Premier League, to get the job at the end of the season is something that Roberto De Zerbi would consider," Romano said.

"That remains the focus."

But the crucial addition in Romano's latest update is the door he has left ajar.

Over the last four to five weeks, De Zerbi has not opened the doors to an immediate mid-season appointment. As things stand, nothing has changed. Yet, Romano added:

"Let's see if Tottenham decide to make one more attempt for De Zerbi now."

That single line changes the dynamic.

It suggests that while De Zerbi's position has been consistent — summer, not now — Spurs have not entirely given up on convincing him to act sooner.

The possibility of a relegation break clause deal was floated by The Times earlier in the week, though reservations existed on the Tottenham side.

Whether a further, more compelling approach might shift De Zerbi's thinking remains an open question.

For a club one point above the drop zone with seven games to play, the answer cannot wait much longer.

At the same stage of the season two years ago, Tottenham Hotspur went into the March international off the back of a crushing 3-0 defeat to Fulham, a result that looked set to have real repercussions for the climax of the campaign.

There's a similar feel in the present day, although the final outcome could be very different.

In 2023/24, for instance, that loss at Craven Cottage set the tone for a climax to the season that would end with Ange Postecoglou's side in fifth, narrowly missing out on Champions League football.

As for 2025/26, Sunday's crushing home defeat to Nottingham Forest could set the Lilywhites even further down the path toward relegation, with the club's fortunes having declined so drastically in the space of just two years.

Igor Tudor, despite his turbulent tenure, is certainly not to blame for that descent, but he is the man in the crosshairs right now, with a change in the dugout seemingly inevitable.

Spurs managerial target now ready to replace Tudor immediately

In line with Rory Smith's work in the Observer this week, in an era of sporting directors and long-term projects, the status of a manager has been stripped away, no longer the omnipresent figureheads like in the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

Managers still matter, of course, but increasingly they seem the symptom of a club's problems rather than the cause, merely someone to take the blame for the failings above them.

Tudor, in that sense, is just the latest post-Mauricio Pochettino manager in north London to have become the target or scapegoat for wider problems, albeit with it hard to look past the Croatian's dismal return of just one point from five Premier League games in charge.

The 47-year-old's departure has not yet been confirmed in the wake of Sunday's loss, although it appears to be on the horizon, with the i paper reporting that Roberto De Zerbi is ready and waiting to take his place at N17.

Despite reports to the contrary, their belief is that the Italian is 'ready to get his hands dirty' and lift Tottenham away from danger, with the Tottenham hierarchy said to be contemplating hiring him 'immediately'.

De Zerbi, following his dismissal from Marseille last month, is said to be 'refreshed' and keen to get back into work as soon as possible, with discussions taking place behind the scenes regarding Tudor's future in the dugout.

Why Spurs target would be a big upgrade on Adi Hutter

As the report above also outlined, another man to have been linked with the job is fellow free agent, Adi Hutter, with the 56-year-old having been out of work since his own Ligue 1 exit from Monaco last year.

A more experienced and proven coach than Tudor, Hutter could very well represent an upgrade on the current interim boss, but is he really what Spurs are in need of?

Having been stung by appointing a manager with no Premier League experience, to repeat that move would almost be bordering on laughable, with Spurs having seven games left to play to save themselves from disaster.

Whether De Zerbi is any better qualified to be the 'firefighter' that the north Londoners need is up for debate, although his prior work at Brighton and Hove Albion would make him a far better pick than the left-field Hutter.

Of course, De Zerbi has the tendency to add fuel to the fire, as seen in his turbulent time at the Stade Velodrome, although he largely oversaw a positive spell at the Amex, prior to departing after a dispute with owner Tony Bloom over the club's transfer policy.

In a sense, perhaps the Italian was right to have fought back against Bloom's approach, with the Seagulls having not exactly kicked on since his 2024 summer exit, after two mixed seasons under the youthful Fabian Hurzeler.

It was De Zerbi who led the south coast side into the Europa League, finishing sixth and 11th in his two campaigns at the helm, boasting a creditable record of 97 points from 70 Premier League games, while utilising his favoured, yet flexible, 4-2-3-1 formation.

Even for all the chaos at Marseille, the 46-year-old still led the French side to a second-placed finish in 2024/25, prior to ultimately departing the club with a points per game ratio of 1.81 from his 69 games in charge.

Hutter, for comparison, had a slightly slower points per game average of 1.77 from his 93 games at Monaco, albeit while leading the club to second in his first year in charge.

Either way, De Zerbi is the young, exciting candidate who also boasts prior Premier League experience, with that arguably the most important factor when it comes to finding a possible successor to Tudor.

Tottenham appear to be moving for Igor Tudor's potential replacement, with contact now reportedly established as a title-winning manager becomes keen on the Spurs job.

Tudor facing Tottenham sack as Spurs identify potential heirs

Spurs has been the most chaotic dugout situation in the Premier League this season, bar Nottingham Forest's managerial merry-go-round, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Tottenham, 17th in the table and one point above the relegation zone, are apparently poised to part ways with interim boss Tudor by mutual consent — a decision reportedly made the moment Morgan Gibbs-White slotted home Forest's second goal in Sunday's dismal 3-0 home defeat.

Tudor hasn't won a single Premier League game since being appointed in February, picking up one point from five attempts.

Tudor himself, dealing with the passing of his father Mario, is understood to be ready to step away.

The club's next game is not until April 12 — Sunderland away — giving the hierarchy a rare window to act without immediate pressure.

The hunt for a replacement is sprawling in several directions at once, and today's developments have only added to the complexity.

Roberto De Zerbi — widely seen as a dream appointment and described by Pep Guardiola as one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years — appears to be ruled out for now.

Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio confirmed today that De Zerbi, who left Marseille in February, has no intention of returning to management before the end of the season.

Fabrizio Romano echoed that assessment on social media this afternoon, confirming the Italian remains the club's preferred candidate from the summer but is not going to Tottenham now.

Both summer targets De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino — the Argentinian currently managing the USA at the World Cup — are off the table until at least June.

In a fresh development today, Romano also confirmed that Fulham boss Marco Silva has been discussed internally at Tottenham.

The Portuguese has won four trophies, led Fulham to the Premier League as Championship winners in 2022 and has kept them established in the top flight ever since.

Whether that conversation progresses into something more concrete remains to be seen.

One man who could be ready to step in right now, though, is Adi Hutter.

According to TEAMtalk this afternoon, formal contact has now been made with Hutter.

The 56-year-old is also understood to be interested in the role, opening the door for Spurs to appoint the free agent as their second interim manager of the season.

German reports this morning claimed no concrete talks had taken place, but TEAMtalk have pushed back on that, with their 'well-placed sources' claiming initial approaches have now been made.

Hutter has been out of management since leaving Monaco last October and brings a serious CV to the table.

The Austrian won the Bundesliga Coach of the Year twice at Eintracht Frankfurt, and has won multiple league titles across spells at Red Bull Salzburg and BSC Young Boys.

He also secured Champions League football at Monaco, so he does have some credentials.

His high-energy, pressing-based approach is considered exactly the kind of medicine Spurs' passive and leaky defence has been crying out for.

Any appointment of Hutter is expected to be short-term — a rescue mission through the final seven games — with a permanent decision earmarked for the summer.

The only major doubt surrounding Hutter is his lack of Premier League experience, which could prove costly as we've seen from Tudor's dismal tenure.

Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new manager following the defeat against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, and one of the Premier League's "best" coaches is among the targets.

Tudor under pressure after loss against Forest

Following the 3-0 defeat at home against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, Tottenham are dangerously close to the relegation zone, currently sitting just one point above 18th-place West Ham United.

Danny Murphy has suggested ENIC will have no choice but to part ways with the Croatian, saying: "I think it's impossible for him to stay. I really do. I think it's really difficult for the players to play in an environment that's so deflated and toxic.

"The only way you can change that is either winning games which they're not doing, or change a manager - what the fans want. If they keep him in charge - it's five league games without a win. A new guy comes in, gets one win, all of sudden, it can turn quickly. I think it's a risk worth taking and I think they'll take it."

The 47-year-old has made nothing short of a disastrous start to life in north London, averaging just 0.57 points per match, having won one, drawn one and lost five of his opening seven matches in charge, and the board are now scouring the market for potential replacements.

Last week, it was revealed former AS Monaco manager Adolf Hutter is one of the names on Tottenham's shortlist, but they are also identifying alternative options from within the Premier League, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Taking to X, the transfer expert stated the Lilywhites are now internally discussing a move for Fulham manager Marco Silva, who will be available without compensation when his contract at Craven Cottage expires this summer.

Ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is also among the potential options, with the Italian now "open" to replacing Tudor at the end of the campaign.

Silva has won four trophies throughout his managerial career, across spells with Fulham, Sporting CP, GD Estoril Praia and Sporting CP, and he has done a stellar job in his current role.

The Portuguese manager led the Cottagers to the Premier League courtesy of winning the 2021-22 Championship title, and he has since stabilised the west London side in the top flight.

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey believes the 48-year-old has what it takes to manage one of England's top sides, describing him as "one of the best managers in the Premier League" last July.

Silva, who is the Premier League's second-longest serving manager behind Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, has earned the opportunity to test himself at a top club, and Tottenham should make a move this summer if they avoid relegation.

Will Oliver Glasner leave Crystal Palace with a second major trophy in the bag?

It would be typical Glasner, a natural-born winner, to emerge from 2025/26 with the Conference League title in his pocket, having endured through a testing campaign with the Eagles.

The Austrian coach has become something of a polarising figure in recent months, having announced he will leave Selhurst Park when his contract expires in the summer.

Crystal Palace won the FA Cup this season, and they are currently playing European football. They are among the favourites to win the Conference League.

Chairman Steve Parish needs to pick the right successor, someone who can build from the foundations Glasner has laid.

The latest on Crystal Palace's manager search

In some surprising but exciting Tuesday news, The Telegraph's Matt Law has revealed that Crystal Palace have shortlisted Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

Iraola, 44, has emerged as one of the hottest young coaches in Europe, and he is out of contract at the end of the season.

The Spaniard may have his sights set on a trip home, though, with Athletic Bilbao thought to have a vested interest in the front-footed tactician.

If that is the case, the Eagles may turn to Thomas Frank, who has been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in February.

Last month, reports emerged that Parish and co had earmarked Frank as a leading contender to succeed Glasner in south London. His time with Spurs might have been fraught and unsuccessful, but their troubles run far deeper than Frank and his involvement.

At Brentford, the Dane took the club into the Premier League and established them over a number of years. The Bees are lauded for being expertly-run and thoughtful in their strategising, and in that, Frank could be the perfect man to take the reins at Palace.

Why Thomas Frank is perfect for Palace

Iraola plays attractive, energetic football at Bournemouth, and it's true that at Tottenham, Frank's squad employed the polar opposite.

But the 2025/26 season has maybe not served as an accurate gauge for Frank's expertise and suitability as Palace's new manager, with his 4-2-3-1 focused Brentford team hailed by pundit Danny Murphy for their "great intensity and physicality".

Crystal Palace are a close-knit and receptive group, and they would embrace Frank's methods.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, for example, could be the perfect number nine to front Frank's Eagles system, with his powerful frame and strong link-up ability reminiscent of Ivan Toney.

The Londoners have a team that is replete with attacking quality, though there have certainly been a few claims of late that things have gone stale under Glasner, and Frank, who also utilises a three-man backline with regularity, should shake things up without rocking the apple cart too hard.

Iraola is a top coach, but he's not without his flaws on the south coast, with defensive vulnerability and questionable in-game management two salient points of criticism.

Frank has proven himself as a project manager and could be the right pick to succeed Glasner. He's not the most expansive coach, but he showed through Toney and Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa at the Gtech that he knows how to get a tune from talented forwards.

It's a risk worth taking, and while Iraola is undoubtedly Parish's number one pick right now, the 52-year-old could prove to be a fallback who would be even more successful than the Cherries boss.

Tottenham are reportedly eyeing up a former Nottingham Forest boss to jump in and replace Igor Tudor as interim, and it's actually not the heavily-linked Sean Dyche.

Igor Tudor reportedly poised to leave Spurs imminently

The clock is ticking at Tottenham.

Three weeks until their next Premier League game, a trip to Sunderland on April 12, and the club is expected to head there under a different manager than the one who trudged off the touchline in Sunday's 3-0 home capitulation to Nottingham Forest.

Indeed, as per multiple reports, Tudor is apparently set to leave this week, so that much appears to be settled.

Internally, the defeat to Vitor Pereira's side had already been designated as the line in the sand — a result that would trigger a change.

The line was crossed emphatically, with goals from Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi sending the home supporters heading for the exits long before the end.

Attention has now shifted sharply to who takes over after Tudor most likely seals his N17 departure in the coming days.

Roberto De Zerbi has apparently made clear he will not step in mid-season, while some reports suggest that Spurs legend Robbie Keane would take the job regardless of what division Tottenham are in, but wants a permanent appointment.

Mauricio Pochettino and De Zerbi have been the names at the top of the list for the summer — but it will likely only be if Spurs avoid relegation, which from 17th place and one point above West Ham is far from certain.

That leaves the very immediate question of who steadies the ship for the final seven games of the season.

And it is here that TEAMtalk reveals a name that will resonate deeply with supporters and evoke a very different era in the club's history.

Tottenham seriously considering Chris Hughton as interim manager

Indeed, according to their information, Chris Hughton is now being strongly considered by the Tottenham hierarchy as a 'surprise' interim appointment.

The 67-year-old has one of the most extensive and genuine connections to the club of any living football figure.

He joined Spurs as a 13-year-old in 1971, signed professional terms in 1979 and spent 13 years as a left-back, making 398 appearances and winning two FA Cups, a UEFA Cup and a League Cup.

Then, having retired as a player in 1993, he stayed on the coaching staff for a further 14 years, right up to 2007, working under 11 different managers.

Along the way, he had three separate stints as Spurs caretaker manager — so walking back through those doors would not be walking into the unknown.

As a manager in his own right, Hughton has a solid, if unspectacular, CV.

He took Newcastle up to the Premier League as Championship winners in 2010, guided Brighton to the top flight in 2017 and kept them there for two seasons.

His methods are rooted in defensive organisation and collective effort — exactly the kind of pragmatic, stabilising approach a club one point above the relegation zone might desperately need right now.

He has been without a club since being dismissed as Ghana head coach in January 2024, following their group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.

His last English club post was Nottingham Forest, where he was let go in 2021 after a difficult start to the Championship season.

The two-year-plus gap from management will raise eyebrows, and TEAMtalk acknowledges Hughton himself represents a shock option.

But in a crisis built on chaotic decision-making and short-term firefighting, the idea of a man who knows Tottenham inside out — and who carries none of the noise that comes with bigger names — has genuine logic behind it.

There's a sense of whiplash to this current Tottenham Hotspur situation under Igor Tudor, with the Croatian's positive strides quickly undone at the weekend.

Fans and pundits alike were calling for his dismissal in the aftermath of the debacle in Madrid, only for the 47-year-old to respond with two creditable results against Liverpool and Atleti, ahead of Sunday's relegation six-pointer with Nottingham Forest.

With the pressure back on, however, the Lilywhites wilted in front of their own support, with questions again being asked of Tudor's suitability for the role, considering his prior lack of Premier League experience.

The former Juventus boss hasn't been removed from his post as things stand, but an exit appears inevitable, with potential replacements already being mooted.

Spurs could tempt perfect Tudor replacement into joining

The suggestion is that the ENIC regime are very much considering the prospect of changing manager again, with Tudor's departure expected as a matter of when and not if.

The concern, of course, is making sure that they settle on a suitable successor, with reported targets ranging from Chris Hughton and Ryan Mason, to Adi Hutter and Roberto De Zerbi.

In the case of De Zerbi, the Italian is a free agent following his exit from Marseille earlier this year, albeit despite being considered the top target by Spurs, he appears set to wait until the summer before making any move.

That appears the same situation with regard to Mauricio Pochettino, with both the Argentine and De Zerbi deemed to be the frontrunners heading into the summer, as per TEAMtalk.

That same report did also outline that ENIC had previously held talks with former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, prior to Tudor's appointment, with the Irishman viewed as a potential interim option.

Such an approach was rejected by Keane, amid his desire for a permanent role, although it would be worth Spurs knocking at his door again, particularly with Ferencvaros having now exited the Europa League.

A young, promising manager with affiliation to Spurs, the 45-year-old seems like the perfect fit.

Why Keane is like another De Zerbi & Pochettino

There must surely be doubts over De Zerbi's suitability, both in the short-term and long-term, with the explosive coach enduring a turbulent time of things in France, even if his exciting brand of football has drawn notable plaudits.

As for Pochettino, once an exciting young manager on the up in 2014, upon his arrival in north London, the United States coach has endured something of a decline of late, sacked after muted spells at both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in his post-Spurs career.

In the shape of Keane, however, Tottenham could find a perfect blend of both De Zerbi and Pochettino's strengths, with the Irishman's stock having soared after an intriguing start to his coaching career.

Like De Zerbi, who notably coached in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk prior to joining Brighton, Keane has navigated a left-field managerial route thus far, with his two stints having come in Hungary and Israel.

A league title winner with both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros, having led the latter side into the last-16 of the Europa League, Keane has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

It would very much be like appointing Pochettino in his younger days, with the South American genius having impressed at Espanyol and Southampton, before overseeing something of a golden period in north London.

After years of going down the experienced route, be it Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho or Ange Postecoglou, Spurs could aim to repeat what has worked in the past, hence why another young, up-and-coming manager like Keane would be a wise choice.

Outside of his Spurs connections too, Keane - with his 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2 set-up - also offers the benefit of his attack-minded, direct style of play, with his current side second in the table after netting 50 goals in 26 league games thus far.

He might not be quite as radical as the enigmatic De Zerbi, although his approach has yielded winning results in his two posts to date, having been hailed as a "complex coach" by Ferencvaros colleague, Leandro.

Like De Zerbi, Keane has shown he's not afraid to take a gamble in his managerial career, while like a young Pochettino, he would be joining Spurs on the up, without too much in the way of setbacks.

Whether ENIC can tempt him into joining mid-season is another matter, although the chance is there for any manager - Keane or otherwise - to make themselves a hero by leading Spurs to safety.