Roberto De Zerbi, Oliver Glasner or back to Mauricio Pochettino? Where will Spurs turn after Thomas Frank’s sacking? | Football News

Tottenham are looking for a sixth permanent manager in seven years after sacking Thomas Frank – who will they turn to next?

As it stands, the early indications are that an interim appointment until the end of the season is the most likely route Spurs will go down.

There is expected to be a lot of change among head coaches at various clubs this summer, so it makes sense to wait until then to see who is available.

‘Glasner, Silva and Iraola were all on Spurs’ radar’

Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, Marco Silva at Fulham and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are all out of contract at the end of June. All three were on Spurs’ radar last summer even though Frank was first choice at the time, and Glasner has already said he is leaving Selhurst Park.

Manchester United will also decide on their next permanent manager this summer, when Michael Carrick’s short-term deal comes to an end.

There has also been speculation over the futures of Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot this season, although both remain committed to Man City and Liverpool and their current contracts, which run until the summer of 2027.

There is a World Cup on the horizon in the USA too, where the home nation is managed by former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who only this week spoke again glowingly about his time in N17.

Roberto De Zerbi has just left Marseille overnight, and people in the game expect the former Brighton boss to come back to the Premier League at some stage.

‘Not an obvious choice for interim appointment’

But if there’s no permanent appointment until the summer, who could be in charge when Premier League leaders Arsenal cross north London to face Spurs – live on Sky Sports – on Sunday February 22?

In terms of an interim appointment, there does not appear to be an obvious choice.

John Heitinga was recently brought in as an assistant to Thomas and he was popular at Anfield while working with Slot, before he took the Ajax job in the summer – where he was sacked after just five months in charge.

Tottenham’s statement today only mentions that Frank is leaving. There is no mention of his assistants – yet.

The last interim that Spurs last turned to was Ryan Mason when they sacked Antonio Conte and then Cristian Stellini in 2023. Mason was recently sacked by West Brom.

Former Spurs player and manager Tim Sherwood is another who has been linked with a potential interim return and speaking to Sky Sports News, he insists whoever goes in has a tough job on their hands.

“There’s a shortage of people they can turn to,” he said. “I think they will turn to Heitinga, who is there already and has experience as a manager.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone who is not in a job. It’s a club I love and I know a lot about it having spent many years there in different capacities. It needs someone to give the club a lift, whether that is me or whoever they decide to bring in.

“Whoever it is has a tough job on their hands because let’s face it, in the summer it is going to be Pochettino. It will be impossible for Spurs to look beyond Pochettino with the clamour from the Tottenham support to bring him back to the club.”

Redknapp: Of course I’d love interim job

One name that has routinely come up in conversation regarding an interim stint is the return of Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp led Spurs to the Champions League during his first tenure in charge between 2008-2012, and although the 78-year-old hasn’t managed a club since 2017, he admitted that he would love the chance to take charge on a short-term basis if the call came.

“Would I fancy it? Of course I would! I’d do it without any shadow of a doubt,” he told Sky Sports.

“But, I’m a realist. I don’t live in cuckoo land. It’s very doubtful I would get the job.

“Could I do the job? Yes, I could do the job. What they need now is someone to come in and get back to basics. Hard work when you lose the ball. Don’t be embarassed when you lose the ball to run hard to get it back. Work together, bit of confidence. Make them believe in themselves. If someone can do that they will get the results they need.

“They’ve got my number. If anyone wants to ring me they know where I am. I wouldn’t be holding my breath sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring, that’s for sure.

“I’ve got loads of energy! There’s not a spare hour in my diary! Yeah, that’s not a problem.”

‘Poch return a no-brainer’

There’s one standout candidate among the fans, who want Pochettino back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium either now or in the summer after the World Cup…

George94: I would get Pochettino back100 per cent. The fans like him, all the players like him and I like the style of football he plays. It is a no-brainer.

Liam: Get an interim for the rest of the season, then go all out for Poch in the summer after the World Cup. Fans want him back, he wants to come back.

DaveSpurs: I suggest we get Tim Sherwood or somebody who knows Spurs as interim manager until the end of the season, and get Poch back in the summer.

Andrew21: Right decision to let Frank go. Let’s go and get an interim who knows the club inside out, then welcome Poch’s return in the summer.

JSawyer22: Harry Redknapp and Ryan Mason to take over until the end of season. Get some actual football being played and the fans enjoying going again. Then bring back Poch after the World Cup.

‘There’s no guarantee the great times return under Poch’

However, Jay Bothroyd, speaking on Sky Sports FC, provided a word of caution over a potential Pochettino return.

“When a manager goes back to a club he’s already been at, it’s not guaranteed that there will be great times again,” he told Sky Sports News.

A lot of calls for Poch to return. The same Poch that was sacked after five years having won nothing and with his team 14th in the league? We need a manager to win something!

David A

“The Tottenham team he managed was a great side. He helped develop some of those players but they were still top players with so much ability.

“I’m not sure any of the players today would get into that side.

“But there is no doubt Pochettino loves the club and knows it extremely well.”

Keane? Carrick? Alonso? Do the fans want anyone else?

Pochettino is the name that is mentioned the most but there are a few other candidates who are interesting the Spurs supporters…

Big Tel: I think De Zerbi would be sensible until the end of season. That way he can get a better look at the squad and if they give him full control, he can make additions when and where is needed.

Gazza 1990:I think we should go all out and get Michael Carrick as our manager!

Peripheral Vision: Get on the phone, get on your knees, admit you were wrong, and give Ange Postecoglou the season three he and the squad deserved. He got us into the Champions League, he should be the one to manage us in it.

Lucky: It was a questionable appointment from the beginning. A lot of the decision-making at the club is poor. I would like to see Xabi Alonso come in next, but with us so close to the relegation zone, I’m not we can take a risk on him now.

Conor: Get Robbie Keane!

‘Keane has passion needed to get Spurs moving forward’

Michael Dawson agrees, Conor!

Former Spurs defender Dawson has called for former team-mate Robbie Keane to be an option for the job at Spurs.

“Spurs have a big decision now over who comes in,” Dawson told Sky Sports News. I hear people talking about an interim appointment and if that happens, they can only be thinking about Pochettino in the summer.

“But if they wanted to make an appointment now, there’s someone out there. Someone who knows the football club, who played for the football club who has the passion needed. He’s someone who loves the club and will galvanise everyone, and bring them in the right direction.

“It’s Robbie Keane.

“I can’t see him leaving Ferencvaros in the middle of the season but why not give it to him on a permanent basis.

“They’ve tried Jose Mourinho, they’ve tried Antonio Conte and Thomas Frank. There’s a disconnect between the players and the fans and that can’t be the case. The situation Spurs are in, they have to be together from top to bottom.

“Whoever comes in has to give the players confidence. Keane can do that.”