After losing more than half of their league matches this season, Tottenham Hotspur have identified their top managerial candidates to replace Ange Postecoglou. The latest reports suggest time is seriously running out for Postecoglou, with Spurs already putting together their shortlist for the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur Make Andoni Iraola Their Number One Postecoglou Replacement
Spurs Could Pursue Bournemouth Boss Andoni Iraola in Summer
According to a new report from The Athletic, Spurs have put Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola at the top of their managerial shortlist.
What’s more, the pressure is mounting on Postecoglou. While the board have remained quiet, the Athletic report that Postecoglou’s future is in “serious doubt beyond this season”.
Although Postecoglou still has over a year left on his contract, the club are being proactive in identifying who the next Spurs boss will be.
It is understood that Spurs would have to pay a £10 million release clause for Andoni who still has a year left on his Bournemouth contract, but this isn’t expected to be a problem as per The Athletic.
The bigger issue could revolve around where Iraola chooses to go next, with the Spaniard impressing in his current role.
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Other Manager Options for Spurs
The Athletic have revealed two other candidates Spurs could go for, including Marco Silva and Thomas Frank. Silva is the second most likely option and also has one year left on his contract.
It is no surprise to see the board aiming to replace Postecoglou with a manager with Premier League experience.
During Daniel Levy’s tenure as chairman, Tottenham have had a range of managers from ex-players like Ryan Mason to world-class serial winners like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. The club also haven’t been afraid to bring in top talent from beyond the Premier League; Mauricio Pochettino is the name currently on a lot of Spurs fans’ lips, especially after he reaffirmed his desire to return to the club.
Postecoglou came as another gamble, as despite winning a myriad of trophies from Australia, to Japan and back-to-back SPL titles at Celtic, he was untried in the Premier League.
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Like Pochettino, Postecoglou has tried to build a project at Spurs and has received some backing from Levy in terms of new players. But despite the manager suggesting he always wins things in his second season, the only hope of silverware left is the Europa League.
Tottenham’s Manager Cycle Continues – How Spurs Can Break This
Winning the Europa League would still be a huge achievement for Spurs as it would be their first trophy since 2008. Whether this would save Postecoglou’s job is another matter. As of writing, the club sit 14th in the Premier League having lost 15 of their 29 matches.
It is looking likely, as reports suggest, that Postecoglou will be sacked at the end of the season. If that does happen, Spurs will have come full circle on yet another manager. Postecoglou is the 12th permanent manager to take the helm since Levy took over the day-to-day running of the club 24 years ago.
Whoever Levy appoints, there will be a fine balance between a manager who has proven experience at winning titles and one who can develop a longer-term project. There are some great players in this Spurs squad, but this isn’t a team that is ready to mount a title challenge, yet.
The new manager needs to nurture the younger stars, like those who have stepped up this season in Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall while bringing in the right experienced stars to fit whatever tactics they choose to pursue. Tottenham have always had an attacking style of play imprinted in their DNA, their fans expect this. The conservative playing style of Mourinho didn’t suit the club at all and didn’t win any silverware either.
Pochettino came the closest to winning something with style, even though Spurs were suffering in the Premier League towards the end of his time there. But throughout, he managed to get the Lilywhites challenging for trophies, unbeaten at White Hart Lane for their last season there and competing in the final for the biggest trophy in Europe. The club simply haven’t got back to that level yet.
Out of the trio of potential managerial candidates, Marco Silva has won the most trophies and has more experience, whereas Andoni Iraola seems to be the rising star who could give Spurs the edge. No matter the manager that comes in, Tottenham really need to break the cycle. That happens by Levy choosing the right candidate who they can back with transfer spending, getting them the right targets. There has to be patience while the project develops from all involved at the club. And with time, Spurs can progress towards competing for titles and getting over their ‘Spursy’ mentality in the process. There’s a long road ahead.