Postecoglou’s Disastrous Season: Who Could Replace the Tottenham Coach?
Tottenham’s coach, Ange Postecoglou, has been given an ultimatum for his future at the club: either the team wins against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, or he’s sacked. After speculations of his sacking going on for months, Postecoglou’s career with the Spurs is at a standstill. When Postecoglou signed to coach the North London team in 2023, expectations were high for him, but as the seasons went on, the Greek coach has been unable to keep up. Tottenham Hotspurs are in 13th place with 34 points, 36 points behind first place. Although the team could easily win against AZ Alkmaar, who is currently up 1-0, it’ll likely still not be enough for Postecoglou to keep his spot after this season. With Tottenham in dire need of change, it begs the question: Who could replace Postecoglou as head coach?
Andoni Iraola
As the current coach for Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola has been most connected to Tottenham for next season. With Bournemouth currently in eighth in the Premier League, the team is having a decent season under Iraola. With the Spanish coach’s heavy pressure and attack-focused coaching style, Tottenham forwards like Wilson Odobert and Dominic Solanke could shine under his management. A move to coach the Spurs would be a wise decision for Iraola’s career since Tottenham is a bigger club than Bournemouth, giving him more opportunities to show his skills as a coach.
Marco Silva
Since February, Tottenham has been internally considering replacing Postecoglou with the Fulham coach. Fulham is currently in 10th place in the Premier League, three spots ahead of the Hotspurs. Silva’s ability to utilize all players and maximize their potential is a key skill Tottenham’s current coach lacks, making him a potential target for the Northern London team. Silva’s credentials go beyond Fulham, such as leading Estoril to a promotion and leading Sporting CP to win the Taça de Portugal, proving his skills in numerous settings. As an all-around strong coach, Silva could bring new confidence to Tottenham’s players, allowing the team an opportunity for a stronger season.
Thomas Frank
Another Premier League coach Tottenham is eyeing is Brentford coach Thomas Frank. With the team in 12th right now, Frank managed to pull them into a more comfortable position since Brentford barely beat relegation last season. That being said, Frank is Tottenham’s top target, alongside Iraola. With his sensibility and practical communication skills, Frank can bring calmness to the team, which Tottenham coaches seem to lack. Not only that, but the Danish coach’s tactics are flexible and adaptable all game long, which has proven successful for Brentford and would help Tottenham against stronger opponents, like Arsenal or Liverpool. His flexibility would highlight adaptable players like Rodrigo Bentancur, creating consistency in Tottenham’s plays.
Mauricio Pochettino
Although somewhat unlikely that Tottenham would bring back a coach like Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentinian coach was one of Tottenham’s best. With his record at Tottenham, including taking the team to the runner-up spot in the Premier League during the 2016-17 season and leading them to their only Champions League Final, no coach has matched him since. Although Pochettino currently coaches the United States men’s national team, he has claimed he would love to return to coach Tottenham one last time before he retires. With his focus on attacking, Tottenham could see more goals under Pochettino. Not only that, but Pochettino would have an advantage over other coaches on this list since he has firsthand experience of how the team operates and how players like Son Heung-min perform.
Tottenham’s issues aren’t only coaching. Injury plagues the team, and insufficient funding for new players makes the team unable to perform as it did in previous years. Ange Postecoglou may be part of the issue, but he’s not the only thing keeping the team behind. As contracts start to end, Tottenham management should not only focus on signing a new coach but also on signing strong defenders. All eyes will be on the AZ Alkmaar and Tottenham game this week to see whether or not Ange Postecoglou will survive another day and which coach will steal his spot in London.
