Spurs' major doubt: wait until May or hire a coach now

They had hoped for a run of four or five successful seasons, but it ended with the pilot episode. After a series of worrying results that called his Premier League status into question, Tottenham decided to sack Thomas Frank. Seven months — that’s how long the Dane lasted on the bench of the London club. The football philosophy he had planted at the Community Stadium failed to take root about twenty kilometers to the northwest. Unprecedented squad problems prevented him from implementing it; we can also debate whether he had enough time to put the pieces together, although we would have to understand Tottenham as well.

Spurs are without a win in eight consecutive league matches and have won only two of their last 17. On Tuesday they suffered a defeat to Newcastle and were pulled into the relegation battle. In 2026 they have collected only four points — more only than Burnley (three), one of the two teams already considered doomed. Even the other one, Wolverhampton, has started the calendar year more successfully, which set off alarm bells at England’s third-largest stadium. With just five points more than the first team below the line — West Ham — Tottenham found themselves in real danger of relegation and made a radical move.

Managerial merry-go-round is at full swing - Spurs sack Frank

Therefore, in the coming period they will search for a new manager, although it is not yet clear whether it will be a short-term or long-term solution. Given that 12 rounds remain in the English championship and that Tottenham no longer has realistic chances of qualifying for European competitions, relevant British media write that — despite reaching the Champions League knockout stage — it would make more sense for the London club to seek a temporary solution, someone who will see out the season and guide the team to safe waters.

There are several candidates, with those closest to the club standing out as the most serious options — Ryan Mason, Tim Sherwood, and John Heitinga. Mason, who was recently dismissed by West Bromwich Albion, may be the most logical choice, as not only is he a former Tottenham player, but he has also sat on their bench twice before, both times as a caretaker manager — first when he succeeded Jose Mourinho in 2021, and then two years later when Antonio Conte left the club. Back then he led the team for seven and six matches respectively; now a significantly longer — and tougher — task would await him. Heitinga arrived at the club in mid-January as one of the assistants on Frank’s coaching staff, and since Tottenham did not mention the Danish coach’s assistants in their statement, the scenario in which the Dutchman takes charge until the end of the season cannot be ruled out. Sherwood is the oldest and somewhat more experienced of the trio, but he has not been involved in coaching for a full decade. He last managed Aston Villa in October 2015 and then briefly worked as director of football at Swindon.

If Tottenham were to go straight for a long-term solution, Roberto De Zerbi emerges as the favorite. Still highly regarded after two years at Brighton, the Italian strategist has been unemployed since yesterday after parting ways with Marseille. Should Spurs decide to wait until June, they will have significantly more options. Among them is Oliver Glasner, who announced a few weeks ago that he will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season. He is unlikely to be the only one, as the contracts of Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola — who was linked with Tottenham around this time last year — and Fulham’s Marco Silva are also expiring, another manager who interested the board of last year’s Europa League winners. Each of the aforementioned names seems like a very interesting option; the problem is that Thomas Frank also seemed that way, and the experiment ended in failure.

Therefore, if they do not want to take another risk, Tottenham could, writes The Telegraph, turn to a very familiar face — Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine, who led Tottenham to the Champions League final during his five-year tenure, is currently managing the United States and will take part in this summer’s World Cup, but could reportedly return to England once the tournament ends. Pochettino has previously said he would like to return to Tottenham one day, fans have been chanting his name in recent times, but the question is what the club’s leadership thinks. It is up to them to make a decision — and for a change, let it be the right one. Because if there were any successes, very few of the five managers they hired after Pochettino could truly be called a hit.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 26

Tuesday

Chelsea - Leeds 2-2 (1-0)

/Pedro 24, Palmer 58 (p) - Nmecha 67(p), Okafor 73/

Everton - Bournemouth 1-2 (1-0)

/Ndiaye 42(p) - Rayan 61, Adli 64/

Tottenham - Newcastle 1-2 (0-1)

/Gray 64 - Thiaw 45+5, Ramsey 68/

West Ham - Manchester United 1-1 (0-0)

/Soucek 50 - Sesko 90+6/

Wednesday

22.30: (1.95) Aston Villa (3.50) Brighton (3.90)

22.30: (1.60) Crystal Palace (4.00) Burnley (6.50)

22.30: (1.37) Manchester City (5.15) Fulham (8.00)

22.30: (1.75) Nottingham Forest (3.70) Wolverhampton (5.40)

23.15: (5.40) Sunderland (3.70) Liverpool (1.75)

Thursday

21.00: (4.90) Brentford (3.60) Arsenal (1.75)

***odds are subject to change***