It remains remarkable to think that after ten games of the 2023/24 season, Tottenham Hotspur were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, following an unbeaten start to life under Ange Postecoglou.
The subsequent loss to Chelsea at N17 feels like a real defining moment then for what has occurred since, with Postecoglou’s men hit for four in that memorable Monday night game, losing both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie to red cards, while having also seen James Maddison and Micky van de Ven forced off with injury.
As it would prove, the Lilywhites would end that season in fifth with 12 league defeats in total, having lost a further 37 top-flight games since the start of 2024/25. Rivals Arsenal, for comparison, have lost just seven games over the past 18 months.
|
Win % in PL – post 2008 |
|
|---|---|
|
Manager |
Win % |
|
Redknapp |
49% |
|
Villas-Boas |
54% |
|
Sherwood |
59% |
|
Pochettino |
56% |
|
Mourinho |
47% |
|
Nuno |
50% |
|
Conte |
57% |
|
Ange |
41% |
|
Frank |
27% |
It’s all come to a head with Spurs now very much in the relegation picture, with the question remaining as to who will be the next short-term or long-term appointment in north London.
Premier League boss could be ready to take the Tottenham job
Interim head coach, Igor Tudor, is still in place for now, although after Sunday’s debacle at Nottingham Forest, there is a sense that the Croatian is heading for an inevitable exit.
With that in mind, reports this week indicated that Roberto De Zerbi is ready to get his hands dirty and take over the post immediately, despite parallel claims that we would rather wait until the end of the season.
The Italian maverick is currently available after his dismissal from Marseille last month, with his prior work in the Premier League at Brighton and Hove Albion also a major plus point.
The same is also true of Sean Dyche, with the 54-year-old another free agent who is also believed to be under consideration.
That said, there are those already in the top-flight who could also be in the equation, with GIVEMESPORT reporting that talks have already been held internally by the ENIC regime regarding a potential approach for Fulham’s Marco Silva.
As the report notes, it is not yet clear whether that is with an eye on the 48-year-old replacing Tudor immediately, or joining this summer, with the Portuguese coach set to be out of contract at the end of the season.
Silva, for what’s worth, is said to be ready to take the leap after racking up a wealth of experience at the likes of Everton, Watford and Hull City.
Why Silva would be a better appointment than De Zerbi
There’s no denying that De Zerbi appears to be the frontrunner right now, with the 46-year-old’s eye-catching brand of football likely to make him an appealing option for a fanbase who rightly demand exciting and progressive football.
Spurs could hire De Zerbi upgrade who’s a “better manager” than Arteta
Whether it is to be now or this summer, Roberto De Zerbi could be the next Spurs manager. He’s not the only option, however…
That being said, the one-time Sassuolo coach has hardly showcased that he can be a long-term fit at any club, lasting less than two seasons at Brighton before moving on, while having also been in charge for roughly 18 months at Marseille.
Silva, therefore, would appear a wiser pick for ENIC in that sense, with the relatively youthful coach having been at Craven Cottage since the 2021/22 season, overseeing steady progress in west London over recent years.
There might also be the bonus, should the worst-case scenario occur, of Silva’s work in the Championship during that debut campaign at Fulham, having lifted the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, while comfortably stabilising them in the top-flight since then.
In the current campaign too, the 4-2-3-1 boss has led the Cottagers firmly toward European contention, doing so without the need for lavish spending or major squad upheaval.
His “genius” – as he’s been hailed by journalist Dean Jones – is forming a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, while transforming the fortunes of a player like Harry Wilson, now enjoying a career-best season with 16 goals and assists in the league already.
A figure who has managed in English football over an extended period now, having joined Hull City almost a decade ago during the 2016/17 campaign, Silva has done it all in truth, tasting relegation with the Tigers, yet also leading his current side to promotion.
That next step is to then allow him the opportunity to flourish at an elite club like Spurs, with Silva the type of figure who can bring a sense of calm to proceedings, unlike the chaos that De Zerbi so often provides, or in the at times dour manner that Dyche offers.
Whether it is as Tudor’s immediate successor, or as the long-term replacement for Thomas Frank, the Fulham boss has more than done enough to put his hat in the ring.
Brand new candidate: Spurs looking at hiring 4-2-3-1 manager who’s Ange 2.0
Tottenham Hotspur could spring a surprise with another Ange Postecoglou-style appointment.
