This day has been expected for some time, and now it is finally here- Ange Postecoglu is out at Tottenham Hotspur. The magic number here is 17, as Postecoglu both ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought (a UEFA Europa League title) and guided Spurs to a 17th place finish in the Premier League table. That’s the very last position of safety in the league table, as Spurs finished the lowest among sides not relegated.
A club record 22 league defeats sealed the 59-year-old Australian’s fate.
We all knew Postecoglu was going to get the axe, hence we made a listicle of seven leading Postecoglu replacement candidates, back on May 25.
And today, we whittle that article down to a short list of just four.
Thomas Frank
The hands down overwhelming favorite is just across town. Frank who has elevated and stabilized Brentford FC, may be able to stay in his current home if/when he takes this job.
Frank would be moving up, both on the map, and in salary, but down in the table.
The Bees finished seven slots ahead of Spurs this season. Brentford FC have become the best example of smart spending in world football, as they have consistently gotten the best ROI out of most of their transfer window signings.
It has made Thomas Frank a hot coaching commodity.
Marco Silva
Considered very much a safe pick, but not a splashy hire. We’ve been waiting for Marco Silva to make the jump to a proverbial “big six” job for awhile now. And here we are, it might happen, and the concept of “big six” might not actually be a thing anymore.
Oliver Glasner
Glasner led Crystal Palace to the first major trophy in the entire history of their club this past season. And with that, Palace has continental competition for next season. Will Glasner stick around to lead the Eagles through the 2025-26 Europa League competition?
Reports are that he wants to stick around, so Spurs will need to make a tremendous offer, in order to sign him. Plenty of other clubs will be interested as well.
Xavi Hernandez
Sacked at FC Barcelona last season, despite winning a La Liga title the year before, he is a guy that seems worth rooting for. Just 45, he already has a La Liga title on his CV. Of course, winning the Spanish top flight in 2023-24 wasn’t enough to save his job at the Catalan Club, and this past season saw Xavi go on sabbatical. This past campaign also saw what the Blaugranes can do when someone else is in charge (Hansi Flick, who won a domestic treble), and the results didn’t reflect well on Xavi.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter
