Andoni Iraola could be Tottenham's next Mauricio Pochettino but key questions raised | OneFootball

Bournemouth boss may be a good fit if Spurs decide to move on from Ange Postecoglou, but is likely to face familiar problems

In the frame: Tottenham could turn to Andoni Iraola if they part ways with Ange Postecoglou this summer

Zac Goodwin/PA Wire

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There is a certain symmetry that in the month Mauricio Pochettino reiterated for the umpteenth time his desire to return to Tottenham, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola emerged as the club's top target if they decide to change managers in the summer.

Pochettino was also interested in a return to north London in summer 2023 but Daniel Levy, the club's chairman, ignored the Argentine and opted instead for Ange Postecoglou, believing the club needed a manager like Pochettino in 2014 rather than the present-day iteration.

In many respects, Postecoglou fit the bill - he was committed to attacking football, culture-driven and still considered on the way up, in spite of his age - but Iraola's coaching journey bears remarkable similarities to Pochettino's when he was hired by Spurs, assuming that is still part of the remit for Levy.

Pochettino and Iraola both made their names as coaches in Spain, the former with Espanyol and the latter with Rayo Vallecano, before moving on to modest Premier League clubs on the south coast, where they controversially replaced popular English coaches and quickly revamped the playing style.

Pochettino succeeded Nigel Adkins at Southampton, while Iraola came in for Gary O'Neil at the Vitality Stadium; Iraola is even the same age, 42, as Pochettino was when he joined Spurs.

Obviously it should take more than simply parallels with Pochettino to recommend Iraola, but the Basque's work at Bournemouth speaks for itself.

He has led the Cherries into contention for European football this season (they are currently 10th in a congested table but just five points outside the top four) and the latter stages of the FA Cup, with a home quarter-final against Manchester City to come on Sunday.

Under pressure: Postecoglou could face a battle to save Spurs job during looming season run-in

Action Images via Reuters

And he has transformed their style by introducing an exciting brand of attacking football, which has already led to the scalps of Arsenal, City, Manchester United and Spurs this term, as well as a 5-0 drubbing of Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.

Iraola's approach, described by one of his former colleagues as "rock and roll" football, is dynamic, intense and aggressive, based on fierce pressing and counter-pressing to disrupt opponents, and rapid, often direct, attacks.

He demands "meaningful" possession from his players and his Bournemouth side aim to exploit spaces and create chances quickly.

There are similarities between Iraola's philosophy and 'Ange-ball' at its best, notably in the relentless work required from the players, leading to a sense that he could be a good fit for a young Spurs squad which is well versed in Postecoglou's physical demands and increasingly being led the likes of Micky van de Ven, 23, Lucas Bergvall, 19, and Dejan Kulusevski, 24.

As with any new manager, there would, however, be doubts around Iraola, not least over whether he would inevitably run into the same roadblocks as Postecoglou at Spurs.

There are similarities between Iraola's philosophy and 'Ange-ball' at its best leading to a sense that he may be a good fit... but he could run into the same roadblocks

With a clear schedule and no European football, the Australian led Tottenham to a respectable fifth-place finish last season - up from eighth the previous year - in spite of losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich on the eve of the campaign and having a squad which felt only half-baked for his preferred style of play.

Though Spurs could still enjoy a historic and even transformative season by winning the Europa League this term, the increased schedule has contributed to an unprecedented injury crisis which has totally derailed Postecoglou's project and led to suggestions that his football is unsustainable at this level.

Spurs have lost more than half of their top-flight matches, 15 of 29, and are on course for a historically poor domestic finish, leaving the 59-year-old under pressure during the run-in.

Like Spurs, though, Iraola's Bournemouth were struck down by injuries over the winter, with his list of absentees extending into double figures in January, again leading to familiar criticisms that his demands on the players were a contributing factor.

It remains to be seen how Iraola would cope with a three-games-a-week schedule, be it at Bournemouth next season or elsewhere in the Premier League.

And whether you like Postecoglou's high-risk football and uncompromising attitude or not, there is also a sense that any head coach is only one part of the problem at Spurs, whose ownership style and approach in the transfer market has tended to exacerbate the faults of all Levy's recent head coaches, be it Antonio Conte or Postecoglou.

Rival candidate: Marco Silva is another potential option for Tottenham if they sack Postecoglou

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Iraola is not the only coach being considered by Spurs as a possible successor to Postecoglou, with Brentford's Thomas Frank and Fulham boss Marco Silva also admired by Levy and the club's technical director Johan Lange.

They are both experienced and impressive top-flight bosses, who have punched above their weight in modest surroundings.

Postecoglou still has a chance to write his name into Spurs history and it is hard to imagine Spurs would want to make a change in the dugout if he leads them to European glory in Bilbao in May.

For now, though, he is under pressure, with Iraola appearing a bright candidate for the future, as well as a callback to a more successful past.