It’s still worth noting that after 10 games in the 2023/24 season, Tottenham Hotspur, who started the season unbeaten under manager Ange Postecoglou, are still fairly well placed at the top of the Premier League.
The subsequent defeat against Chelsea in N17 feels like a defining moment for what happened next. In Monday night’s memorable game, Postecoglou’s side had four hits and lost both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogi to red cards, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven were also sent off with injuries.
As evidenced by this, the Lilywhites have lost a further 37 games in the top flight since the start of the 2024/25 season, and will end the season in fifth place with a total of 12 league defeats. By comparison, rivals Arsenal have lost just seven games in the past 18 months.
Win percentage in PL (since 2008) | |
|---|---|
manager | Win % |
redknapp | 49% |
villas boas | 54% |
sherwood | 59% |
pochettino | 56% |
Mourinho | 47% |
Nuno | 50% |
Conte | 57% |
Ange | 41% |
frank | 27% |
With everything coming to a head with Spurs now on the brink of relegation, the question remains as to who will be the next short-term or long-term appointment in north London.
Premier League manager could be ready to take Tottenham job
Caretaker head coach Igor Tudor remains in place for now, but after Sunday’s debacle at Nottingham Forest, there is a sense that the Croatian is headed for an inevitable exit.
With that in mind, reports this week indicated that manager Roberto De Zerbi is ready to make a move and take over the post immediately, despite parallel claims that he would be better off waiting until the end of the season.
The Italian maverick is now available after being released by Marseille last month, and his previous work in the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion is also a big plus.
The same goes for Sean Dyche, another 54-year-old free agent who is also believed to be under consideration.
However, players already in the top flight could also be included in the equation, with GIVEMESPORT reporting that talks are already taking place within the ENIC regime about a possible approach for Fulham’s Marco Silva.
It is not yet clear whether this is with the 48-year-old taking over as Tudor’s immediate successor, as reports have suggested, or with the Portuguese manager’s contract set to expire at the end of the season and his arrival this summer.
Silva is said to be ready to make the leap after gaining extensive experience at the likes of Everton, Watford and Hull City.
Why Silva is a better appointment than De Zerbi
There’s no denying that De Zerbi is currently the front-runner, and the 46-year-old’s eye-catching brand of football is likely to make him an attractive option for a fan base legitimately looking for exciting, progressive football.
Spurs could upgrade and hire De Zerbi, who is a ‘better manager’ than Arteta
Whether it’s now or this summer, Roberto De Zerbi could become Spurs’ next manager. But he’s not the only option…
That said, the former Sassuolo manager has shown little evidence of long-term suitability at any club, having left after less than two seasons at Brighton and spending around 18 months at Marseille.
Therefore, the relatively young coach has been at Craven Cottage since the 2021/22 season and has overseen steady progress in west London in recent years, and in that sense Silva would appear to be a smart choice for ENIC.
Should the worst-case scenario happen, there may also be the bonus of Silva impressing in the Championship during his debut campaign with Fulham, leading the club back to the Premier League at his first choice and comfortably stabilizing it in the top flight ever since.
In the current campaign, the 4-2-3-1 manager has steered the Cottages firmly towards European contention without the need for extravagant spending or major shake-ups of the squad.
His ‘genius’, hailed by journalist Dean Jones, has created a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, while also changing the fortunes of players such as Harry Wilson, who is already enjoying the best season of his career with 16 goals and assists in the league.
Silva, who joined Hull City almost 10 years ago during the 2016-17 season and is now a long-term player in English football, has truly achieved it all, having guided his current team to promotion after being relegated with the Tigers.
The next step is for Silva to be the type of person who brings calm to the proceedings, unlike the chaos that De Zerbi often brings and the sometimes dour demeanor that Dyche brings, giving him the opportunity to flourish at an elite club like Spurs.
Whether as Tudor’s direct successor or Thomas Frank’s long-term replacement, the Fulham manager has done more than enough to earn his place in the ring.
Brand new candidate: Spurs considering hiring 4-2-3-1 manager like Ange 2.0
Tottenham Hotspur could spring a surprise with a new appointment in the style of Ange Postecoglou.
