Six Potential Replacements for Igor Tudor at Tottenham

Igor Tudor’s 44-day stint at Tottenham Hotspur was littered with disasters and implosions of epic proportions.

The manager tasked with saving Tottenham in an unthinkable relegation fight and salvaging some pride from an utterly atrocious campaign only drove the Lilywhites further into the mire, with a 3–0 defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest proving to be the final straw.

Few were shocked to see Tudor dismissed during the international break, having overseen no wins in five Premier League outings. As a result, Spurs have slipped down to 17th and are just a point clear of the drop zone.

To ensure the Europa League holders aren’t playing Championship football next season, another change of direction has been sought with just seven Premier League matches remaining.

Options are slim and largely uninspiring, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Here are five possible replacements for Tudor.

Ryan Mason

There has been significant clamor for somebody with ‘Spurs DNA’, whatever that is, to take control. Far-fetched shouts of Tim Sherwood, Harry Redknapp and Glenn Hoddle, all of whom have been out of the management game for many years, appear incredibly unlikely. But Ryan Mason’s candidacy cannot be ignored.

Mason spent the majority of his playing career at Tottenham and was also on the staff for seven years, even boasting two spells as caretaker coach during which he managed 13 games. While Mason won just six of those outings, he’s since gained managerial experience at West Bromwich Albion—admittedly being fired back in January after 27 matches with the Baggies.

Tactically, there is little to suggest Mason would be an accomplished appointment, but the 34-year-old could certainly galvanize a squad on its knees.

Robbie Keane

Another with Tottenham heritage is Robbie Keane, who has been honing his managerial skills far from the Premier League. Starting briefly as a player-manager in India, the Irishman proceeded to coach Maccabi Tel Aviv for a year, before being snapped up by Hungarian giants Ferencváros.

Keane, who made over 300 appearances for Tottenham, guided Ferencváros to the league title after taking over midway through last season and has them leading the top division once again this term, as well as competing in the Europa League last 16.

He was previously reluctant to accept an interim role, preferring something permanent, but he’s certainly somebody the club should be in contact with over a possible appointment.

Sean Dyche

Spurs need a firefighter with Premier League experience and direct relegation rivals Nottingham Forest made one available last month. Recently sacked by the East Midlands outfit, Sean Dyche is currently unattached and possibly awaiting a phone call from north London.

Speculation was fuelled when pictures and videos of Dyche enjoying himself in the capital surfaced during the international break, but the man himself has played down rumors linking him to the Tottenham job.

Dyche would prove a no-nonsense appointment, somebody capable of providing much-needed defensive solidity and making Tottenham difficult to beat. It’s the reputation he cultivated at Burnley and Everton, with Spurs no longer in a position where they can turn their nose up at the 54-year-old.

An inspiring appointment? Absolutely not. A wise appointment? Potentially.

Roberto De Zerbi

Premier League experience either as a player or manager seems essential should Tudor be removed from his post and an exciting appointment for Tottenham supporters would be Roberto De Zerbi.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager recently left Marseille having succumbed to the chaos at the Stade Vélodrome, and is once again on the market. A manager renowned for his risky attacking football and tactical acumen, the Italian wouldn’t necessarily be just a short-term fix, with Spurs likely to retain his services beyond the end of the season if he was able to guide them to safety.

However, De Zerbi is a demanding coach and his high-octane approach requires time to learn—something that eludes Spurs as they desperately scramble for survival.

The Italian doesn’t want to take his next job until after the end of the season, though.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino continues to be idolized by Tottenham supporters after his successful five-year spell with the club and there remains a sense of unfinished business between the current USMNT manager and the north Londoners.

Links between Spurs and Pochettino have intensified over the past few weeks, and a potential reunion after this summer’s World Cup has been touted, although Real Madrid have recently emerged on the scene.

Is there any world in which the Argentine returns any sooner? Probably not, given his commitments to the United States ahead of a home tournament. But he remains a long-term candidate for the club as nostalgia kicks in during a time of peril.

Adi Hütter

An unpopular Tottenham board went left-field by picking Tudor to succeed Thomas Frank’s mess, and their punt most certainly didn’t pay off.

They could at least rationalise their decision by pointing towards the Croat’s impressive firefighting in Serie A. Another reported managerial option, Adi Hütter, has no such experience.

The Austrian has no Premier League experience but was once touted to claim a big job on English shores. Few are currently less enticing than the role in N17, but Hütter is available after leaving Monaco last October.

Hütter isn’t too dissimilar to De Zerbi; a manager who preaches high-octane, vertical soccer, so the interest is somewhat understandable, but the Austrian is unlikely to take the job on a short-term basis. He’d want to be their next ’project’ manager.

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