Spurs to appoint 4-2-3-1 manager in London in preparation for new manager Mourinho

Tottenham Hotspur are currently without a manager after manager Thomas Frank was sacked.

However, hopes of a return to the Spurs dugout for the remainder of the campaign have been dashed as Mauricio Pochettino prepares for the USMNT World Cup campaign in North America.

In retrospect, it seems ridiculous that the Danish tactician lasted this long. Tottenham have been painful to watch this season, and are now embroiled in a relegation battle in the Premier League.

A more realistic option would be to appoint John Heitinga on an interim basis, but Spurs fans may have had enough realism for a while.

After all, there are some interesting options out there.

How Spurs plan to upgrade Thomas Frank

Tottenham cannot afford to make any mistakes during the months of the campaign. After a disastrous result with only two wins in 17 Premier League games, there are growing concerns of relegation.

A number of candidates have been named, with Spurs chairman Vinay Venkatesham said to be leading the way.

Pochettino would be a great addition, but he is not the only one being watched.

According to talkSPORT, the board are discussing whether to pursue a move for Roberto de Zerbi, who was sacked from his post at French side Marseille this week.

De Zerbi was a target last summer before Frank was brought in, but the move was led by Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, neither of whom are yet at the club.

The inventive Italian tactician is said to be due to arrive in London this week and the possibility of face-to-face talks can hardly be ruled out, especially with Manchester City and Manchester United both considered potential suitors towards the end of the season.

What Roberto De Zerbi brings to Spurs

Many managers have tried to pull it off at Tottenham and failed. Ange Postecoglou won the silver medal, but was dismissed due to unstable governance.

The Londoners’ drought could have ended if Jose Mourinho had been allowed to manage the 2021 Carabao Cup final. He was one game away from glory, but was sacked by manager Mourinho for failing to incorporate his nickname “Dare to Do” into his tactics.

De Zerbi is an outspoken manager and a great personality, and in that regard he could emerge as Tottenham’s new Portuguese player, which could please the fan base.

Mourinho’s tenure at Tottenham has been one to remember, but when he took over, the club were not in the best of conditions and were getting a lot out of Tanguy Ndombele.

Frank was, but he wasn’t out of his depth. De Zerbi has a mountain of work ahead of him in north London, but he has the character and resilience to succeed where his predecessors did not, and has endured Marseille, one of the most vocal fan bases in Europe.

He also has experience in the Premier League where he was in charge of a ball-playing system that was described as a “genius” by Statman Dave.

Possession-based football is all well and good, but Tottenham fans will want to see their team beat their opponents with clever and creative attacking play. In this case, De Zerbi’s work would be cut short, but he boasts the skills to make it happen.

The 46-year-old typically uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a central playmaker at the heart of the system. Additionally, he tends to force minute changes on a regular basis, constantly creating new dimensions to the setup.

Perhaps that kind of flexibility is exactly what Tottenham need, as they acquire a Mourinho-like profile with a set of tactical ideas that puts them in a better position than the Benfica manager and the recently sacked Franck.

He is passionate and caring. De Zerbi can be a little impatient at times, but perhaps this Spurs side needs a manager with fire in his belly to right the many wrongs of recent years.

In this respect, De Zerbi could excel as the club’s new Mourinho with a more progressive tactical mindset. Perhaps that’s the combination needed to finally establish consistency on the right end of the scale.