You have to wonder whether Manchester United’s decision to keep hold of Erik ten Hag after winning the 2023/24 FA Cup played into Daniel Levy’s decision to sack Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
Added to the long list of managers at the Tottenham helm since Levy assumed ownership of the club in 2001, Postecoglou would be forgiven for feeling aggrieved after winning the Europa League last month, ending 17 years of searching for silverware.
But he has paid the price for the year-long suffering in the Premier League, the injury-hit Londoners slumping to a 17th-place finish, one above relegated Leicester City.
Ange Postecoglou
Jul 23 – Jun 25
101
1.53
Antonio Conte
Nov 21 – Mar 23
76
1.78
Nuno Espirito Santo
Jul 21 – Nov 21
17
1.65
Jose Mourinho
Nov 19 – Apr 21
86
1.77
Mauricio Pochettino
Jul 14 – Nov 19
293
1.84
Tim Sherwood
Dec 13 – May 14
26
1.65
Andre Villas-Boas
Jul 12 – Dec 13
80
1.91
Harry Redknapp
Oct 08 – Jun 12
198
1.73
Juande Ramos
Oct 07 – Oct 08
54
1.35
Martin Jol
Nov 04 – Oct 07
147
1.62
Jacques Santini
Aug 04 – Nov 04
13
1.46
Glenn Hoddle
Apr 01 – Sep 03
102
1.35
There’s no question Tottenham’s trophy-winning European campaign has been at variance with their wretched top-flight term, but given the schism that has been created through Levy’s latest dismissal, it’s crucial that they get the next appointment right.
And you’d have to say, Thomas Frank would be a brilliant signing.
Why Spurs want Thomas Frank
Emerging as the clear frontrunner in the bid to replace Postecoglou at Tottenham, Brentford boss Frank is being pursued, although official contacts with the Bees have yet to take place.
Taking Brentford into the Premier League and establishing them as a solid unit with an attractive brand of football, the Danish tactician has proved his durability, adaptability and flexibility during his time in London, hailed for creating an “extraordinary team” by Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
Frank’s nuanced tactical approach is perhaps the definitive factor behind Levy’s desire to get the deal done, with Postecoglou, for all his exciting attacking play, perhaps a little one-dimensional at times.
However, there’s no certainty that Tottenham will make the appointment. Indeed, an alternative approach for Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi underscores that point.
And Lilywhites chairman Levy may even be ready to sign an alternative.
Spurs line up Frank alternative
According to BBC Sport, Frank might be the favourite for the vacant manager position at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is also in the frame.
Iraola has been a revelation since joining the South Coast club in July 2023, and he’s since led the Cherries to their two biggest points hauls in Premier League history (48 in 2023/24 and a whopping 56 last season).
With Frank holding a sizeable release clause in his Brentford contract, Iraola might be a fantastic alternative to turn to, not least because his Bournemouth side finished a place above Frank’s in the top flight.
What Andoni Iraola would bring to Spurs
Iraola has shaped Bournemouth into one of the easiest-on-the-eye teams in English football, with former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha commenting on the “incredibly impressive” start to life at the Vitality Stadium, instilling a clear identity.
The 42-year-old’s typical 4-2-3-1 formation is also something that would suit Spurs’ current crop well, retaining the attacking style Postecoglou will leave embedded but taking it and shaping it into something more fluent and organised.
Iraola’s success could even see him prove a better fit for Tottenham than Frank, who has been described as “one of the best in the league” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
His ability to transform Bournemouth from a pragmatic outfit expected to fight to stave off relegation into a slick team capable of knocking on the European door showcases how he could improve Tottenham, who will need some transformative coaching after their wretched domestic campaign.
Raising the ceiling is something both Frank and Iraola have proved themselves capable of doing since taking their respective posts in England, but Iraola may also help a more seamless transition away from Ange’s high-line, big-risk, high-intensity possession-based game.
Indeed, as per FBref, Bournemouth only averaged 48.5% of possession in the Premier League last year (putting them 11th), but Brentford were even less active on the ball, 15th with a 47.9% average.
This may feel like something of a regression in tactical expansion, but it would actually be a move rooted in progressive pragmatism, scaling back from the high-stakes gambling played by Postecoglou.
Moreover, Iraola’s teams have earned praise for their organisation and togetherness when out of possession, further highlighting the issues Tottenham have been beset by and how they could fix this.
Still, the two managers aren’t diametrically opposed, and Iraola’s intense physical demands would allow him to dovetail into the Tottenham milieu.
While Frank is a proven manager in the Premier League, Iraola is also showing himself to be a nuanced and dynamic tactician, and could be the right man for the job.
Fans will understandably be concerned that Tottenham are stuck in something of a circular motion, winning some silverware, yes, but continuing to churn through managers.
Manager Focus
Such back-and-forth threatens to isolate the success, leaving it as a flash in the pan. However, Iraola is a fantastic and intelligent manager, and if given several years to inculcate his teachings onto the north London squad, this could be a real corner for Tottenham.
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