Thomas Frank Heads Spurs Shortlist: 3 Excellent Unexplored Options

In the world of modern football, winning is not enough. Spurs ex-boss Ange Postecoglou found that out the hard way earlier this week. I imagine he was still sifting through the Europa League trophy parade pictures when his sacking was announced. He’s not the first to win and get the sack for his trouble. A fair few former Real Madrid managers know the feeling.

But the writing was on the wall for Postecoglou for some time. The overall feeling was that the Europa crown, even with the promise of Champions League football, would not be enough to save the Australian’s job. A few hours after the axe fell on Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, a shortlist of replacements was already doing the rounds. 

Topping this list is Brentford boss Thomas Frank who steered the Bees to a commendable 10th place finish with the meager resources at his disposal. Here are a few other managerial options Daniel Levy can juggle as he charts a new course for the Lily Whites. 

Andoni Iraola

The Spaniard has won many admirers for the way he has lifted Bournemouth from mid-table morass to dynamic, eye-catching football. His system of play has freed the likes of Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo to express themselves to devastating effect. Iraola’s side this season has made a habit of claiming points against top-four teams. They beat both Newcastle and Arsenal at their respective home stadia.  

One of the criticisms leveled at Postecoglou is that he played suicidally open football. Iraola’s more conservative approach will make it more difficult for opponents to create chances against the Spurs. His insistence on intense pressing will see to it that opponents don’t have the luxury of building play from the back.

Marco Silva

The Fulham manager is also said to be among the top candidates for the vacancy in north London. And rightly so. He has done an admirable job at Craven Cottage. Arsenal reject Alex Iwobi has become a Premier League midfield maestro in his own right. His virtuoso display and goal helped inflict the only defeat Liverpool suffered before sealing the EPL title. 

It is all thanks to the Portuguese gaffer’s tactics which allow Iwobi to maraud defenses from the left, linking up effectively with Fullback Antonee Robinson. Perhaps he can repeat the trick at Spurs with Mathys Tel and Destiny Udogie. 

Cesc Fàbregas

Lombardy side Como defied many odds last season, finishing 10th in their first Serie A season in over 20 years. The leadership of Coach Cesc Fàbregas was the key to a fairly young team punching well above their weight. Without his influence, Como may not have managed to lure a talent like Nico Paz from the Santiago Bernabeu. The young Argentine has flourished under Fàbregas, bagging the Serie A Young Player of the Year award.

A La Masia product, the Spaniard has developed a tiki-taka variant that has proved effective in the Serie A. Introducing this template to a side that has historically been at its sharpest in counter-attack will be an uphill task. Convincing Fàbregas to take the job will itself be nothing short of a miracle. If a historic club like Inter Milan tried and failed, will Spurs, which just won its first honors in over 40 years, succeed? And there’s the small issue of Cesc having played for Tottenham’s bitter crosstown rivals for eight years.  

Unenviable Task To Take Over Spurs

The money aside, whoever lands the Spurs gig will be embarking on the Premier League equivalent of Mission Impossible. He will be expected to turn around a squad that finished fourth from the bottom into top-four contenders. He will be expected to mount a strong Champions League challenge with a team that entered the tournament through the backdoor. 

He will be expected to succeed where José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pocchetino, Nuno Espírito Santo, etc failed. And even if he succeeds in some way, it may not be enough to avoid the guillotine. Just ask Ange.