Tottenham are already planning for Ange Postecoglou's replacement in a dismal campaign.
Spurs sit 16th and are on course for their worst-ever Premier League finish after Nottingham Forest handed them an 18th defeat in the competition.
Only Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have lost more games, despite Spurs having a +10 goal difference.
Despite their domestic disaster, Spurs have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League after a shock away win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
If they beat Bodo/Glimt over two legs, they will face either Athletic Bilbao or Manchester United in the final for a shot to enter next season's Champions League.
As Mail Sport has reported, Postecoglou is likely to leave even if he wins a trophy. Who Daniel Levy appoints as his successor will be pivotal.
Andoni Iraola – Bournemouth
The Spaniard has lit up the Premier League since his arrival at the start of the 2023-24 season, turning Bournemouth into giant-killing, energetic upstarts.
As a student of Marcelo Bielsa, his play style incorporates attacking football which requires intense pressing from his players.
His humble personality means he tends to let his football do the talking, with Bournemouth experiencing their best-ever season in the Premier League and already breaking their points record.
The Cherries have beaten the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham this campaign, highlighting Iraola’s incredible work.
The Spaniard’s 4-2-3-1 formation has allowed attacking players Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo to dominate the final third, as well as developing Milos Kerkez who is linked with a move to Liverpool.
Similarly to Spurs, Bournemouth have endured tough periods of the campaign with extensive injuries, yet Iraola has continued to get a tune out of his squad unlike Postecoglou
Iraola would be a like-for-like swap for Postecoglou to continue Spurs’ attacking approach whilst being a likeable character who can resonate with fans.
Bournemouth are expected to be raided for their players and, if Iraola is not assured of backing in the summer transfer window despite having them on the cusp of European football, he would surely consider a move to North London.
Marco Silva – Fulham
A manager with extensive experience, the Portuguese knows what it takes to compete in the Premier League.
Having earned his stripes with Estoril, Sporting Lisbon, and Olympiacos, Silva joined Hull in 2017 before moving to Watford.
He started the 2017-18 season well but, after interest from Everton, form dipped as fans blamed his lack of focus for their poor form.
Coincidentally, Silva was dismissed in January 2018 and eventually joined the Toffees before the start of the 2018-19 season but endured a miserable season. he therefore arrived at Craven Cottage in 2021 with something to prove.
However, during his tenure with Fulham, Silva has made the Cottagers a resolute Premier League side, already breaking their points record this campaign.
Operating predominantly in a 4-2-3-1, Silva utilises pressing, discipline and structural fluidity to dominate matches, relying on key wide players to deliver balls into the box. His style would certainly suit Spurs and their abundance of wingers including Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson.
An area for concern would be Silva’s personality. On the one hand, he is an ambitious manager who is not afraid to take risks to further his goals. But he is also an opinionated manager who is demanding of not just his players but also the club hierarchy to get him the players he needs.
Levy is famously tricky to work with and him and Silva may butt heads when it comes to transfer strategy and youth development.
Yet Silva would be a solid choice to steady the ship and return Spurs to being a more consistent side, as he has done with Fulham.
Scott Parker – Burnley
Perhaps what Spurs need is a man who has played for the club and knows what it means to the fans. Parker could be the man for the job.
The current Burnley boss played 50 times for Spurs between 2011-2013 and was a fan favourite known for his tough tackling.
Parker’s often calm and collected persona has brought him success by helping Fulham, Bournemouth and now Burnley to be promoted from the Championship.
Yet, it remains to be seen if the Englishman can push himself to the next level after he was sacked by Bournemouth less than a month into the Premier League 2022-23 campaign, while he suffered relegation with Fulham.
He voiced his concerns regarding the Cherries transfer strategy that they were 'unequipped' for the campaign.
Parker employs a pragmatic style with a defence-first approach as exhibited by Burnley’s resilient defensive Championship form this season with 29 clean sheets, including a run of 12 in a row.
This style has split opinions, and his appointment would be seen as returning them back to the pragmatic days of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
Additionally, Parker has failed to prove himself as a capable top-flight manager, giving Levy doubts about him as a long-term appointment.
Whilst fans would welcome Parker as a familiar face to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his play style could anger the home faithful who want to see expansive attacking football.
Thomas Frank – Brentford
One of the most impressive managers in recent years thanks to his establishment of Brentford as a top-flight side, Thomas Frank has many admirers.
Following their promotion to the Premier League in 2021, Frank has transitioned the Bees from a resilient, counter-attacking, set-piece-focused side to an expansive attacking unit.
The Dane has also performed exceptionally well under difficult circumstances including an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign and the glaring omission of suspended Ivan Toney for the bulk of last season.
Moreover, Frank has been key in the development of integral players of past and present including Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa.
He also has a very likeable persona. Often light-hearted and transparent in post-match interviews, there are few that don’t take a liking to the Dane.
Brentford fans have been excitied by their attacking development this season. They have frequently put three or more past opponents, hitting teams with fast transitions, and as a result they sit 11th and in with a shout of European football.
The play style is remarkably similar to Postecoglou’s and could see Frank embed his vision swiftly.Additionally, Frank is tactically flexible unlike the Australian, switching between 3-4-1-2 and 4-3-3 formations depending on the opponent compared to Postecoglou’s gung-ho approach.
Known for quickly building relationships, Frank could be an underdog to the Spurs job and could be the positive energy the club needs.
Mauricio Pochettino – USA
The nostalgic appointment would be the return of Pochettino, a prospect which would excite most Spurs fans.
The Argentinian managed Spurs between 2014 and 2019, consistently overperforming with a young squad as well as taking them to a Champions League final in 2018-19.
Another disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, Pochettino’s high-intensity, expansive football was popular amongst Spurs fans.
His tactics saw him push Spurs to new heights in the 2016-17 season, finishing second with their highest ranking since 1962-63 under Bill Nicholson.
Following the end of his Spurs tenure, Pochettino went on to manage both PSG and Chelsea with mixed success.
A common theme of Pochettino’s managerial positions are his fallouts with the directors and the ownership of the club, including his mutual departure from Chelsea following disagreements over strategy and squad management.
Yet, Levy and Pochettino seem to have a strong relationship since his departure with the Argentinian stating he would like to manage Spurs again one day.
In the immediate term, this seems unlikely given he has been with the USA squad for less than a year with a deal running until July 2026.
He could be a candidate Spurs target in the long-term if their next appointment fails to impress.
It is undeniable that Pochettino would be the dream signing for Spurs fans as a manager who knows the club well, but whether his appointment will come to fruition is another matter.