Who will replace Thomas Frank? Five candidates to take over as Tottenham manager | OneFootball

Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham manager has come to an end just eight months after the Dane was hired to replace Europa League winning boss Ange Postecoglou.

During his reign, Frank’s Spurs have struggled to rediscover their form in the Premier League and sit 16th in the table with just seven wins to their name and 11 defeats.

Frank’s time in charge came to an end amid dissatisfaction from the fans who chanted “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at their boss during Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle.

The club are only five points above the relegation zone but with West Ham (18th) in a good run of form and Tottenham without a league win since December the club are now fully embroiled in a relegation battle.

The next job for the Tottenham board is to appoint a replacement for Frank who’s main focus will be to avoid the drop and take Spurs as far as they can in the Champions League with a two-legged last-16 tie on the horizon.

But who is in line to take over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

1. Mauricio Pochettino

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Is Mauricio Pochettino the man to replace Thomas Frank? (REUTERS)

Mauricio Pochettino oversaw the best period in Tottenham’s recent history whilst manager between 2014-19. Across his five season run Pochettino took Spurs to the League Cup final, consistent top four finishes including a title challenge in 2015/16 and the final of the Champions League in 2019. The Argentine built a competitive and successful squad that played progressive football on a smaller budget than the other ‘big six’ clubs. He left the club after a poor start to the 2019/20 season but remains a favourite amongst the fanbase. Currently in charge of the men’s United States national side, Spurs would need to wait until the summer, and the conclusion of the World Cup, to secure Pochettino’s services meaning an interim manager would be required to see out the season.

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Having left Marseille on the same day Spurs sacked Frank could Roberto de Zerbi be next in line? (AFP via Getty Images)

Hugely impressive whilst in charge of Brighton, Roberto de Zerbi is currently the second favourite with the bookmakers (behind Pochettino) to replace Thomas Frank. De Zerbi spent just under two years with the Seagulls but implemented an attacking mindset that would suit Spurs and excite the Tottenham faithful. However, his temperament is a little hot-headed which may cause clashes with the Tottenham board as has been the case at both Brighton and De Zerbi’s most recent club Marseille. Another plus is that De Zerbi is available having left Marseille by mutual consent just hours before Thomas Frank’s dismissal.

3. Oliver Glasner

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Oliver Glasner has impressed at Crystal Palace and will be available at the end of the current season (Getty Images)

The Crystal Palace manager has impressed with his tactical acumen and ability to mold the Eagles into a solid mid-table team in the Premier League. Glasner took charge in February 2024 and led Palace to winning the first major trophy in the club’s history when they defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final last season. Glasner’s Palace also won this year’s Community Shield by beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout. But, Glasner has criticised the club’s transfer policy after the sales of major players such as Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi and has announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. Much like Pochettino, if Spurs move for Glasner they will probably need to hire an interim in the meantime.

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The former Tottenham striker is still relatively inexperienced as a manager but will Spurs take a risk by hiring him? (REUTERS)

Robbie Keane made over 200 appearances for Tottenham as a player and will have the backing of the fans should he be given the role as manager. With the growing apathy during the reign of Frank appointing Keane could give an immediate boost to fans which may translate into a new manager boost for results on the pitch. His managerial career is relatively young with five years as an assistant at Middlesbrough, Leeds and the Irish national side and almost three seasons as a manager across Maccabo Tel Aviv and current side Ferencvaros. Keane’s side are currently first in the Hungarian top flight and there is no doubt the step up to Spurs would be a massive leap and hiring Keane would be something of a risk for the Tottenham board.

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Will Tottenham turn to the former Barcelona boss? (Getty Images)

Bookmakers give the former Barcelona boss a 10/1 shot at taking over from Frank with some markets seeing him level with Pochettino as the 4/1 favourite. Despite only managing two teams, Saudi Arabian side Al Sadd and Barcelona, Xavi would bring pedigree and Champions League experience to Tottenham. He is reportedly a disciplinarian who prefers to lead the dressing room through man-management which may help bring the most out of Spurs’ underperforming squad. A negative for him are that he is unproven in the Premier League despite winning the Supercopa de Espana and the La Liga title with Barcelona.

The first manager since Juande Ramos in 2007/08 to win a trophy with Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou ended 17 years of hurt when leading the club to the Europa League title in 2025 during his second year in charge. Postecoglou’s time in charge was cut short due to poor performances in the league - much like Frank - but is there a slight chance the club offer him a second chance?

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Is a shock return on the cards for Tottenham's former Europa League winning manager? (Action Images via Reuters)