Ranking five misfits who’d still take the Tottenham job as Tudor sack grows inevitable | OneFootball

After four defeats in a row, Igor Tudor is a dead man walking in the Tottenham job. But who else would want it if he gets the boot?

High-calibre managers aren’t going to go anywhere near the Spurs job right now. Even someone like Robbie Keane, currently at Ferencvaros, may find little reason to derail his progress by returning to the club.

So who would throw their name into the mix? We’ve taken a look at five misfits who’d take the Spurs job and ranked them from the worst to the best choice.

5. Jamie O’Hara

Spurs’ most outspoken critic, former midfielder O’Hara went on one of his trademark rants during the loss to Atletico.

“This manager has got to go and the only saving grace out of anything is that we get pumped tonight,” he said on talkSPORT.

“The Tottenham board might do something for once and actually sack this guy because he is absolutely shocking. I could do a better job at managing this football club.”

But could he really? O’Hara continued his coaching badges after retiring, enrolling in UEFA’s A course in 2021 following a spell as player-manager for Billericay Town in non-league football.

Enough to manage Spurs? No chance.

4. Tim Sherwood

After playing for them more than 100 times, Sherwood previously served as Spurs’ manager during the 2013-14 season after Andre Villas-Boas’ departure and had a 50% win rate from his 28 games in charge.

He made way for Mauricio Pochettino and then earned a chance at the Aston Villa job midway through the following season, guiding them to an FA Cup final, but was sacked in October 2015.

Sherwood hasn’t managed a club since, having a brief experience as Swindon Town’s director of football before moving into punditry.

And while on duty with Sky Sports, Sherwood refused to rule out accepting the Spurs job if he was offered it.

He said: “Well, the answer is I think it is impossible to turn down, because it is an opportunity to go back to a fantastic football club, but it is broken at the moment, and it needs fixing for the short term.”

Any embers of promise Sherwood once showed as a manager have died out with the length of time he has taken away from the touchline.

But he could be worth considering on a short-term basis with no commitment beyond this season.

And considering how Pochettino is a top choice for the permanent Spurs job in the summer, there could be some fitting parallels to Sherwood paving the way for him.

3. Glenn Hoddle

Hoddle came through the Tottenham academy before making almost 500 appearances for them and scoring more than 100 goals between 1975 and 1987.

He then managed the club between March 2001 and September 2003, winning 41 of his 104 matches in charge.

Hoddle held talks with Tottenham over a return to the touchline after the sacking of Villas-Boas, before they went with Sherwood instead.

Thus, he hasn’t managed a club since he left Wolves in 2006, but his close ties with Tottenham could tempt him back.

He was asked on the Could It Be Magic podcast last week if a return to management would appeal and replied: “I think it would actually. Particularly with Tottenham, as that’s my club.

“I’ve supported them since I was eight years of age. So they were a massive part of my life.”

Although he has been away from management for two decades, Hoddle is one of the biggest Tottenham legends and should command respect if he were to return.

2. Ryan Mason

Tottenham have hit the Mason button twice before, choosing him as their caretaker manager after the sackings of Jose Mourinho in 2021 and Cristian Stellini – himself only an interim – in 2023.

Mason was only 29 when he first managed Tottenham, losing the EFL Cup final to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in an unfair managerial mismatch in his second game in charge.

Ultimately, he steered Spurs to qualification for the Europa Conference League. They called upon him again two years later after realising Stellini was the wrong successor to Antonio Conte, although this time they missed out on European qualification.

Mason became part of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching staff before taking on his first permanent managerial role with West Brom in June, but he was sacked by the Championship side after half a season.

That will have done his stock some harm, but Mason is still only 34 and could have a promising managerial career ahead of him.

At the very least, he knows what it takes to handle the Tottenham environment and has always been willing to take responsibility when the club have needed him before.

1. Harry Redknapp

Redknapp enjoyed four years in charge of Tottenham from 2008 to 2012, taking them out of the relegation zone early in his reign and becoming a League Cup runner-up in his debut season.

Then named the Premier League Manager of the Year for 2009-10 after getting Spurs into the Champions League places, Redknapp remained in charge until failing to agree terms on a new contract in the summer of 2012.

He declared his retirement from management five years later after spells in charge of Queens Park Rangers, the Jordan national team and Birmingham City.

However, Redknapp hinted after Frank was sacked that he would still say yes to Spurs if they came calling.

He told Sky Sports: “Would I fancy it? Of course I would do it, without any shadow of a doubt.

“But I am a realist – I don’t live in (cloud) cuckoo land. It is very doubtful if I would get the job. But could I do the job? Yeah, of course I could do the job.”

The 79-year-old should have the authority to get Tottenham doing the basics right again.

Some of his tactical ideas may be outdated by now, but Spurs just need someone to simplify things between now and the end of the season.

Redknapp has other commitments with his interests in horse racing, but has said he’d ‘have to’ take the Spurs job if needed, suggesting the sense of duty that needs to be instilled into their players.