For the sake of Tottenham Hotspur and their fans, hopefully this current/next manager search goes better than the last one did.
Tottenham actually hired and fired another manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, before finally signing the guy who was the correct hire and right fit for the job in Antonio Conte. However, Conte’s tenure was even more disastrous than Santo’s, so really was the egregiously outspoken Italian the right choice anyway?
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It’s all water that is well under the bridge now, as not just Conte, but also his right-hand man and successor in the interim, Cristian Stellini, have both been sacked.
In the words of Jay-Z “on to the next one.” Here are the six leading candidates, click on their name where highlighted for more on said manager.
Julian Nagelsmann
At the end of the day, as long as Daniel Levy has dominion over this hire (or player roster management for that matter!), this likely won’t end up well. There is a reason for Spurs’ long trophy drought, and it goes all the way to the top.
The issues are with the board, and higher up, but we’re not here to get into all of that. In terms of filling the hole at manager, Nagelsmann would be the top choice. He’s the biggest name out there. The former Bayern Munich boss has the best pedigree of anyone available on the open market.
Arne Slot
According to an ESPN report today, Nagelsmann and Slot are the co-front-runners right now. The article states: “Slot is under contract at Feyenoord until 2025 and only has a clause in his deal allowing him to join a Premier League club in 2024.”
Slot is a fast-riser in the coaching community and he’s got Feyenoord top of the table in the Dutch Eredivisie right now.
Vincent Kompany
If you’re going up-and-comer, rising start in the coaching ranks as your criteria, then it’s either Slot or Kompany. He got the job done at Anderlecht, in a hurry, and it wasn’t long until this Manchester City club legend parlayed that success into a Premier League job.
That’s right, if Kompany stays at Burnley, having just taken the job in 2022, he’ll be guiding a Prem side in August. Kompany won Championship Manager of the Year as he led the clarets to the division title, and with it, a return to the top flight.
Brendan Rodgers
While this year was a disaster for the Northern Irishman at Leicester City, it wasn’t all his fault. The board did him wrong in the summer transfer window, as they bought next to no one and sold off key pieces.
The Foxes were destined to fail, given how awful their summer business went. Rodgers did have good times there before- winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Europe. He also has his stint leading Liverpool on his CV.
Ryan Mason
Obviously, this is the path of least resistance, but this is happening more and more in big time sports, all across the world. Staying/going in house is trendy right now and Mason, only 29, has worked under three (that’s right three) different managers at White Hart Lane.
In his second caretaker stint, we believe him when he says he’s ready.
Graham Potter
Our wild card, long shot pick. His name is on the boards when it comes to odds on who the next Tottenham manager will be, so this idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds. He’ll manage again soon, and he deserves another shot somewhere.
As Frank Lampard has shown us, Potter wasn’t the main problem.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.