Ranking 5 available managers who’d keep Tottenham up if Tudor gets sacked | OneFootball

The threat of relegation has grown larger for Tottenham after their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, leaving Igor Tudor’s side 17th in the Premier League table.

Thanks only to West Ham losing to Aston Villa at the same time, Tottenham remain outside the bottom three, but only by a point. There were already doubts about whether Tudor was the right man to lead Spurs away from the relegation mire when he was appointed as their caretaker manager for the rest of the season, but his failure to win any of his five league games in charge so far have only served to amplify those concerns.

If they are to stay up, Spurs might genuinely have to change their manager again. But they are going to struggle to convince the calibre of manager they would want.

With that in mind, axing Tudor for a different caretaker manager, rather than a permanent replacement, may have to be the way to go. Finding one with experience of English football may give them a better chance.

But who would give Spurs the best chance possible of avoiding disaster and staying up? We rank some of the potential candidates to replace Tudor by who’d be most likely to keep them in the Premier League.

5. Ryan Mason

Mason became Spurs’ go-to man in rocky waters when they sacked Jose Mourinho in 2021 and Cristian Stellini – another ill-fated caretaker manager who didn’t last long after Antonio Conte’s exit – in 2023.

Mason’s underwhelming spell at West Brom earlier this season has cast doubt on his managerial potential, but he knows the Spurs environment well.

However, he would be inheriting a different kind of challenge if he returned to Tottenham now. They were seventh when he replaced Mourinho and fifth when he succeeded Stellini.

Those appointments were made with the sense of Spurs having little left to lose. Now they do have something serious to lose: top-flight status for the first time since the 1970s.

4. Chris Hughton

A Spurs player of more than 300 appearances between 1979 and 1990, Hughton had some spells as their caretaker manager in the late 90s, winning four of the 11 matches he oversaw.

He later became a Premier League manager with Newcastle, Norwich and Brighton. His experience with the latter, whom he led from the Championship to the top flight, would be the most appropriate background for what he would be taking on if he returned to Spurs.

Hughton kept Brighton in the Premier League for two seasons before being sacked as they sought a more adventurous style of play. It provided the platform for them to progress into the established top-flight club they now are.

After some time working with the Ghana national team, Hughton hasn’t managed at club level since his spell in the Championship with Nottingham Forest ended in 2021.

The Premier League – and what it takes to stay in it – has changed since Hughton was last at the helm of one of its clubs, but his connection with Spurs could become something to lean on.

3. Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann enjoyed two spells as a Spurs striker in the 90s, scoring 38 goals from 68 games for the club.

Most of his subsequent experience as a manager has been with national teams – Germany, the USA and South Korea – but he has spent time in charge of Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin before.

He recently threw his hat into the ring if Spurs need to replace Tudor, stating: “Who wouldn’t want the job? It is Tottenham.

“Whoever you choose, you need a person who can connect to everyone emotionally, that knows the club, that feels the club, that feels the people.

“Because, to get out of this mess, they need to develop a fighting spirit, a really nasty, ugly, fighting spirit and that goes only over the emotions.”

If that’s what Klinsmann could instil for Spurs, then it sounds like what they need. But actions speak louder than words, and the actions of their players haven’t fit the bill this year.

2. Ange Postecoglou

Postecoglou wouldn’t be drawn on the prospect of returning to Spurs when asked recently. It would certainly be an embarrassing U-turn for the club he led to the Europa League trophy last season.

Finishing 17th in the Premier League was what cost him his job, but it would be enough for what Tottenham need now.

The added benefit of reverting to Postecoglou would be his prior understanding of most of their players. In theory, he wouldn’t need much time – which is firmly not on Spurs’ side – to get his ideas back into their heads.

1. Sean Dyche

Increasingly becoming one of the favourites to take over from Tudor, Dyche getting a chance with Tottenham would be fascinating.

The potential to get revenge on Forest, who sacked him earlier in the season, in the relegation battle would be an enticing subplot.

During his spell in charge of Burnley, Dyche earned plenty of praise for keeping his side resilient against the threat of relegation, even if he didn’t always succeed in keeping them up.

At his best – which may be behind him after his spells with Everton and Forest – Dyche was a master of getting the basics right for struggling sides.

Some pundits wondered what he’d be capable of achieving at a bigger club. They probably didn’t mean in these circumstances, but now could be the time.