What Spurs Fans Want: Why Pochettino Needs To Return
Tottenham’s season has drifted into the kind of grim “damage-limitation” territory Spurs fans simply don’t tolerate for long, and the numbers alone explain why the pressure continues to rise on Thomas Frank.
Spurs have won just two of their last 13 Premier League games, and that slide has left them 14th, with the atmosphere around the club and in the stadium turning increasingly toxic.
Reports suggest the hierarchy are looking at alternatives after the weekend defeat to West Ham, and you can now find odds on the next Tottenham manager with some betting sites.
If Frank goes, Spurs should avoid a panicked big-name appointment at this stage of the season. They need someone to steady the ship until May, then make the real decision in the summer.
That’s why an interim (ideally an ex-player or trusted club stalwart) makes sense, similar to how Manchester United have handed the reins to Michael Carrick as caretaker until the summer before appointing a manager to lead them into the future.
When this torrid season ends and it is time to appoint a new boss, the best answer may well be the one man that Spurs fans have been shouting for years: Mauricio Pochettino.
Priced at 4/1 with betting apps, he is also realistically not going to leave the USA job before this summer's World Cup on home soil, so the timing lines up perfectly with a summer return rather than a mid-season rescue mission.
Poch Popular With Spurs Faithful
Pochettino’s first spell at Spurs wasn’t perfect, but he managed to turn Spurs into consistent top-four contenders, finished Premier League runners-up in 2016/17, and took the club to its first-ever Champions League final.
There may not have been trophies, but he gave Tottenham an identity - high-energy, aggressive, brave - and most importantly, a determination to win games in more ways than one.
Since leaving in 2019, he’s added big-club experience at PSG (including domestic trophies) and then returned to the Premier League with Chelsea before taking over the USA, so he’d be coming back with even more varied experience.
If Spurs want a manager who would instantly boost the atmosphere and feeling among the crowd and players, Pochettino is the man who could instil the belief that has been missing far too often this season.
Next Tottenham Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Probability |
Xavi Hernandez | 3/1 | 25% |
Xabi Alonso | 3/1 | 25% |
Mauricio Pochettino | 4/1 | 20% |
Oliver Glasner | 4/1 | 20% |
Ruben Amorim | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Enzo Maresca | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Marco Silva | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Roberto De Zerbi | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Jurgen Klopp | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Robbie Keane | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Former Barca Boss Backed
Xavi Hernandez is currently out of work after leaving Barcelona in 2024, and his availability is a big part of why he’s the joint favourite in the market at 3/1.
At Barca, he delivered a LaLiga title and the Spanish Super Cup, showing he can handle elite-level pressure while embedding a possession-based style and blooding young players.
For Tottenham, that Barca style would appeal, especially with a squad that has often looked best when on the front foot.
The obvious question is whether the former midfield maestro could adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, having coached only in his native land so far.
Alonso Available
Xabi Alonso is available after recently leaving Real Madrid, having previously built his reputation with a historic unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season at Bayer Leverkusen.
His Leverkusen and Madrid sides were tactically flexible, which is exactly the kind of modern, adaptable coaching profile Spurs have been crying out for.
The former Liverpool player, 3/1 joint favourite in the betting, has shown the ability to raise both performance levels and player value, and he would likely be welcomed by beleaguered Spurs fans.
He is reported to be in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt about returning to the Bundesliga, so the Tottenham hierarchy will need to move quickly if they think Alonso is the right man for the job.
Glasner A Good Fit
Oliver Glasner is still in the job at Crystal Palace right now, but has confirmed he will leave at the end of the current season, which immediately makes him one of the most realistic options on the list.
He already has a proven 'cup-winner' profile after leading Frankfurt to the Europa League in 2022 and Palace to their first major trophy, the FA Cup, last season.
From a Tottenham perspective, his teams are typically intense and direct when needed, a blend that can play well in England when the fixtures pile up.
Spurs fans tend to respect managers who can improve the group quickly, and if the club decide they want the least chaotic route back to being hard to play against, Glasner feels like one of the most realistic answers.
Other Names In The Running
Ruben Amorim (6/1) is another manager who is newly available after leaving Manchester United this month, but Spurs fans may worry about his failure to adapt to Premier League football at Old Trafford.
Enzo Maresca (8/1) is also free after Chelsea replaced him with Liam Rosenior, and his possession-heavy approach would be a stylistic choice Spurs would need to fully commit to.
Elsewhere, Marco Silva (12/1) is a dependable Premier League option and has been linked to Spurs on a few occasions in the past.
Ex-Brighton and current Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi (12/1) would be an exciting appointment, with his style of play being easy on the eyes, as well as being successful.
Jurgen Klopp is a surprise name on the list of candidates and can also be backed at 12/1.
The German is now Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, but is also being linked to Real Madrid after the Spanish side sacked Alonso.
If the Tottenham hierarchy wish to hire someone who has the club in his DNA, then they could turn to club legend Robbie Keane (14/1).
The Irishman is an emotional long-shot option and is proving his managerial mettle at Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
Andoni Iraola continues to impress at Bournemouth and is likely to move to a bigger club sooner rather than later, but at a price of 25/1, it is unlikely that the Tottenham Hotspur stadium will be his destination.
When you strip it back to what Spurs need - instant connection, clear identity and a proven history at the club - none of those names match Pochettino.
If he’s realistically a summer option after the World Cup, the plan should be simple: survive this season with an interim boss, then bring Poch home.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Do you think Tottenham should bring back Pochettino, or who would you like to see in charge? Let us know in the comments below!
