Who is next in the cursed Tottenham Hotspur hot seat? Daniel Levy has spun the dreaded wheel once more, and now we must wait and see who the seemingly impossible ball drops to this time around.
With Jose Mourinho so unceremoniously dumped the week before the Carabao Cup final after 17 months in charge, the farcical shenanigans of the European Super League, and then the devastation of yet another cup defeat in the aforementioned final, Spurs need a win. And quickly.
Tottenham Hotspur Hot Seat: Who Will Replace Jose Mourinho?
Cursed Tottenham Hotspur Hot Seat
Juande Ramos was the last man to lead Spurs to any sort of silverware in the 2007/08 season, while their last title came way back in 1961. For a club so desperately wanting to be part of the ‘big six’ and with a beautiful new £1 billion stadium to fill, this simply will not do.
Mauricio Pochettino had Tottenham playing their best football in recent memory, even leading them to a Champions League final, but even this could not save him from an early exit after a poor start to the following season.
Jose Mourinho was seen as a means to an end. Pragmatic, effective, ruthless football. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it should produce results and the Portuguese has a long list of achievements wherever he has been. In the end, despite having taken the fourth most points out of all teams across the 58 games he was in charge of, the decision was made to part ways. Mourinho often lamented his players and possibly would have tried to alter things further this summer given the chance: “Same coach, different players”.
And so it was Ryan Mason who took the reins for the latest final disappointment, but despite being a promising coach, this is just a stop-gap. So, who is the next line?
The Tottenham Hotspur Shortlist
Tottenham Hotspur’s last four full-time managers were all taken from other domestic rivals, or they had just left a position within the league at least. Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas, Pochettino and Mourinho all had the experience of the Premier League but could not bring the success Levy demanded. Could any of the following be the exception?
Maurizio Sarri – Unattached
With Julian Nagelsmann out of the running after taking the Bayern Munich role, it is the former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri who is currently the favourite. In a short spell at Stamford Bridge, he won the Europa League and reached the League Cup final, losing on penalties.
Sarri is also very highly regarded in Italy. His Napoli side was fast-paced and ruthless, and he became the oldest coach to ever claim the Serie A title with Juventus before they dropped him after Champions League elimination.
Despite recent links to Roma, Sarri is keen on a return to England. As he is unemployed at the moment, Levy will not have forgotten the lack of compensation that will need to be paid as a result.
Erik Ten Hag – Ajax
According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, Erik ten Hag of Ajax has moved to the top of Levy’s list after Nagelsmann’s sudden unavailability. Ten Hag is on the verge of a second league title with the Amsterdam club and famously lead them to the Champions League semi-finals. They beat Real Madrid and Juventus en route to being knocked out by Spurs and Lucas Moura’s famous late, late goal.
Along with a couple of cup wins, ten Hag is credited with leading the latest batch of Ajax’s famous youngsters in an admirable and certainly profitable manner.
Spurs have gone Dutch before with Martin Jol, but this seems less of a gamble, yet would require more patience than has been evident in recent times.
Brendan Rodgers – Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers is the highest-ranked domestic target, and with good reason. He has done an exceptional job with Leicester City and as a result, this move seems unlikely. Rodgers has plaudits aplenty. With a high chance of Champions League qualification this season and the adoration of his players, it would take a huge offer for him to risk the change.
Rodgers chanced his arm at Liverpool but despite some excellent football, it never worked out. This is a potential move to another ‘big six’ team but without the financial backing.
Notable Others
Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has the experience but not with a ‘big club,’ despite his time at FC Porto. Eddie Howe seems favourite at Celtic for now and Gareth Southgate is busy focusing on the England national team. Scott Parker has a lot of potential but it would be a huge leap of faith, despite the previous links with Spurs, and he could soon be taking Fulham down for a second time.
Kane and Able?
With the season coming to a close, there is one more thing for any potential incoming manager to consider. If Spurs do not qualify for the Champions League, which is looking less and less likely, will Harry Kane still be there? A Spurs team without Kane is not an appetising prospect, food for thought for the new boss in town.
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