Tottenham manager Thomas Frank’s poor form has divided the fan base, with the majority of supporters calling for the Dane’s sacking.
Spurs lost the FA Cup to Aston Villa last weekend, leaving their chances of winning domestic silver this term nil, although the north Londoner took revenge off the pitch by hijacking the signing of Conor Gallagher.
The 2-1 defeat against Unai Emery’s side was a crushing blow for Frank. I watched as my team, trailing 0-2 in the first period, tried to fight back in the second half.
Wilson Odbert’s goal just after half-time wasn’t enough for the Lilywhites to salvage a result from their third-round draw, and their full focus is now on qualifying for Europe and making a prestigious run in the Champions League.
Tottenham are in positive negotiations with a replacement for their ‘genius’ 3-4-2-1 flanker
Thomas Frank is under pressure.
Spurs were initially expected to win the Europa League under manager Ange Postecoglou last May, but are now far more likely to miss out on the trophy this season.
With Frank’s side also sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table in 14th place and having won just three of their last 14 games in all competitions, there is real pressure on the Spurs manager to stop this very worrying lapse.
Failing that, the Lewis family, Vinay Venkatesham and co-sporting director Johan Lange will at least have a contingency plan behind the scenes, which is normal for a team that is significantly underperforming.
Outgoing co-sporting director Fabio Paratici, believe it or not, never wanted Frank in the first place (The Athletic), and the Italian recently suggested hiring former Juventus manager Igor Tudor as interim manager for the remainder of 2025/2026 (Paul O’Keefe).
This temporary appointment would almost certainly not have been well received by Spurs fans, but fortunately for them, the latest report from TEAMtalk this week indicates that Tudor is far from Spurs’ thoughts.
According to TT, Spurs have three candidates in mind to replace Frank if he is sacked, one of which is former fan-favorite manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino is open to taking over Tottenham after the World Cup
The Argentine, who led the club to an unprecedented Champions League final with virtually no financial support in 2019 and achieved four top-four finishes, remains high in Spurs’ thoughts.
According to TEAMtalk, “high-profile” Pochettino is very open to replacing Frank at Tottenham and is thought to be “open to” a return, but only after a tense World Cup campaign on America’s home soil this summer.
A reunion with the 53-year-old would amend one of ex-president Daniel Levy’s most controversial decisions to sack the former PSG manager, making him a potentially popular choice despite his decision to briefly manage rivals Chelsea.
The tactician’s proven Premier League experience, not to mention his close ties with Spurs, will no doubt be a big draw for Pochettino in his bid to re-appoint him as manager.
He has also gained valuable experience since his sudden departure from N17, including winning Ligue 1 with PSG in 2022, and a decent showing at the World Cup with the United States later this year would only increase his appeal.
In a joint statement in 2023, Chelsea’s owners hailed Pochettino as a “world-class manager” with an “outstanding track record”, and it is very difficult to argue with that.
“We are delighted that Mauricio is joining Chelsea,” they said via ESPN.
“Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record and we all look forward to welcoming him.”
If they want to lure Pochettino back to London before the World Cup, they may have to wait this time as he will have to pay a record manager’s fee.
Fabrizio Romano: Player tells Tottenham he wants to leave after ‘agreement’ with club
He may be on the verge of leaving the Lilywhites.
