Tottenham Hotspur’s up-and-down season has left Ange Postecoglou’s job hanging by a thread, but victory in the Europa League final may change all that.
While the Australian has had injury issues to deal with throughout the season, the Spurs boss has presided over an awful league campaign and has faced criticism for his unwillingness to compromise on his attacking principles.
In fact, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher went as far as to say Postecoglou will not remain in his job next season if he doesn’t change his style of play.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five potential replacements for the Spurs boss:
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ByDominic LundDec 31, 2024 5 Mauricio Pochettino Ex-Tottenham manager
Invariably, whenever there is discussion over the future of a Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino ends up being linked with the job, and that is no surprise given he guided the club to the final of the Champions League in 2019.
Since being sacked by Spurs, Pochettino has continued to impress in his following managerial roles, winning Ligue 1 and the French Cup with Paris Saint-Germain before guiding Chelsea to a sixth-placed finish last season.
However, the 52-year-old may well have burned his bridges with the fans that used to adore him by taking the job at Stamford Bridge, which makes him an unlikely candidate for the job.
The former Tottenham boss is also currently the manager of the United States and he will be focused on the 2026 World Cup, so a return to north London doesn’t make sense for any party.
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ByTom CunninghamNov 21, 2024 4 Massimiliano Allegri 6-time Serie A winner
Massimiliano Allegri is known to have rejected a move to Tottenham in the past, but there have recently been calls for the Italian to replace Postecoglou – and there is some evidence he could be a smart appointment.
The 57-year-old has a proven track record of success in his home country, having won six Serie A titles, three Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups across spells with Milan and Juventus.
Spurs desperately need to win a trophy of any description, having not lifted silverware since their League Cup triumph in 2008, and Allegri’s history indicates he could bring success to the club.
However, Daniel Levy has been down this road before, appointing supposed born winners in Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, with neither able to reach the heights expected of them.
Allegri is also well-known to play a more defensive style of football, which would be a major change in tactics from Postecoglou’s attacking focus, meaning the players may struggle to adapt in the second half of the season.
3 Kieran McKenna Guided Ipswich to unlikely promotion
Kieran McKenna’s stock has risen dramatically over the past few years, having led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, and he has been tipped to replace Postecoglou at Tottenham.
Back in December, Spanish sources reported that McKenna was the leading candidate to replace the Australian, and there are plenty of signs that he could do a stellar job in north London.
Ipswich were always expected to be in a relegation battle this season, but if they are to go down, it won’t be without a fight, having picked up impressive victories over the likes of Spurs and Chelsea.
A relegation by a tight margin would not be a blemish on McKenna’s record, given how monumental the task of keeping the Tractor Boys in the Premier League is, but he may be keen to move to a top club while his stock is still high.
Having made a name for himself as an attack-minded coach, the 38-year-old may not need much time to implement his philosophy at N17, and his age means he could be a long-term success in north London.
2 Edin Terzic Managed last season's Champions League finalists
Serdal Adali, one of the candidates to be the next president of Besiktas, recently made an interesting claim in the media, asserting that Edin Terzic is “expecting an agreement” to become the new Tottenham manager.
It remains to be seen whether there is any truth behind Adali’s comments, but Terzic could be an exciting appointment for Spurs, given what he achieved at previous club Borussia Dortmund.
The 42-year-old led the German side to the Champions League final last season before coming up just short against Real Madrid, and he is another young coach who likes to implement an attractive brand of football.
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The former Dortmund boss said: “There are many lessons I have learned… I found out that sometimes it’s not enough to score one more goal. It’s not only about winning; it’s also about winning in style. Now I’m thinking about winning with two goals more than the opposition.
“Like every coach, I want my team to be dominant, active, and play attractive football – to entertain and be successful.”
Terzic seems to share Postecoglou’s view that entertaining the fans is fundamental, alongside getting results, and he could be an exciting and low-cost appointment for Spurs given that he is currently without a club.
1 Thomas Frank Continuing to impress at Brentford
If the rumours are to be believed, Tottenham are looking at up-and-coming managers with an exciting brand of football as potential Postecoglou replacements, and Thomas Frank ticks both of those boxes.
Former Tottenham CEO Claude Littner recently called for the Brentford manager to be brought in, describing him as an “ambitious” coach, and his record at Brentford speaks for itself.
Not only did Frank take the Bees up from the Championship, but he has also made them a solid Premier League side, and their home record is one of the best in the league.
That is despite losing Ivan Toney, highlighting exactly why the Dane is the second-longest-serving manager in the league behind Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
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Guardiola has heaped praise upon his fellow manager in the past, admitting it won’t be long before he’s snapped up by a top European club: “It is just a question of time.
“I’m good in a few things, one of which is reading when the manager is good. It is going to happen.”
With Brentford performing well again this season, Tottenham may have to move quickly to ensure Frank doesn’t end up elsewhere, but they are likely to give their current manager a little while longer in the dugout.
David Ornstein has insisted that Postecoglou remains safe for the time being, but things can change quickly in football, and he could find himself in danger if he fails to turn around Spurs’ poor run of form soon.