Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham is under immense pressure as his team suffers another setback. Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup after a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, compounding a disastrous week that also saw them eliminated from the Carabao Cup following a crushing 4-0 loss to Liverpool.
With Tottenham languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, their hopes of domestic success appear bleak.
The Europa League remains their last chance for silverware, but pressure is mounting ahead of their crucial clash with Manchester United. A defeat against the Red Devils could further intensify calls for Postecoglou’s dismissal.
Despite the uncertainty, bookmakers have identified several potential candidates to replace Postecoglou if he departs. Four current Premier League managers are joint favorites:
- Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)
- Thomas Frank (Brentford)
- Marco Silva (Fulham)
- Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town)
Each of these coaches has impressed, with Bournemouth, Brentford, and Fulham all sitting above Spurs in the league table. McKenna’s Ipswich, though struggling in 19th place, has seen remarkable progress under his leadership.
Other names linked to the job include ex-Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic (13/2) and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino (7/1), though Pochettino remains employed in the U.S. Longer-shot contenders include Erik ten Hag (10/1), Gareth Southgate (14/1), and Max Allegri (16/1).
Despite growing criticism, Postecoglou has passionately defended his players, pointing to the team’s injury crisis and grueling schedule.
“I don’t care about myself, but you can’t judge these players unfairly,” he stated after the Villa loss. “We had teenagers and a young goalkeeper facing one of the best teams in the country. Villa had a week’s rest—we didn’t. It’s easy to criticize, but I have nothing but respect for these players and what they’ve done over the last two and a half months.”
Acknowledging speculation about his future, Postecoglou added, “If people want to get rid of me, that’s fine. But this group of players deserves far more appreciation.”
As Tottenham prepares to face Manchester United, all eyes will be on Postecoglou. Will he turn things around, or is change inevitable at Spurs?