Postecoglou's time is over: Spurs' next manager odds
This season, Tottenham are exploring the depths of the Premier League table. You’d need an OPTA supercomputer to count all their negative records. How soon will the club's board decide to pin it all on the manager and sack him? Bookmakers are already offering odds on potential replacements for Ange Postecoglou.
We'll break down the leading candidates and, of course, highlight the best betting options.
Tottenham’s Next Manager
Why Postecoglou is Hanging by a Thread
Spurs seem determined to prove Colin Farrell’s character from In Bruges wrong—they can be absolute rubbish. 15th place! The bottom is already knocking. The last time they sank this low mid-season was 15 years ago.
Relegation odds have dropped fivefold, and almost no one doubts they’ll finish in the bottom half.
However, it may be too soon to raise the white flag. It’s still mid-season. We’ve previously written that Spurs have a shot at silverware—possibly even the Europa League. Football is full of paradoxes—just ask Roberto Di Matteo, who won the Champions League with Chelsea when everyone had written them off.
But just look at these brutal Spurs stats: one win in 11 Premier League matches. 13 defeats in 23 games. Only eight points above the relegation zone. Previous managers have been sacked for much less.
The Last 5 Matches Before Spurs Managers Were Sacked
Manager |
Season |
Result |
Antonio Conte |
2022-23 |
Victories - 1, Draws - 2, Defeats - 2 |
Nuno Espírito Santo |
2021-22 |
Victories - 2, Draws - 0, Defeats - 3 |
Jose Mourinho |
2020-21 |
Victories - 1, Draws - 2, Defeats - 2 |
A deep League Cup run could be his lifeline—Spurs are within touching distance of the final. But where will the necessary improvements come from? Key players like Solanke and Werner are sidelined, and the injury crisis is so severe that Spurs couldn’t even field a full squad for their Europa League clash with Hoffenheim or the Premier League match against Leicester.
Yet, chairman Daniel Levy remains as frugal as ever. His generous response to a squad decimated by injuries? One (!!!) signing this transfer window.
Tottenham’s Next Manager Odds
Bookmakers can smell the upcoming sacking from miles away. Remember how they predicted Ten Hag’s exit? Every club around Spurs in the table—Man United, West Ham, Everton, Leicester, Wolves—have already pulled the trigger on a managerial change. So who are the most likely successors to Postecoglou?
Top 5 Contenders
Identical odds for four candidates reflect the bookmakers' slight uncertainty. There’s no clear standout, which is unusual for Tottenham—a club that, in recent years, got used to high-profile managers, from Pochettino to Mourinho and Conte.
Conflicting reports from inside the club only add to the confusion, with the board still claiming faith in the charismatic Australian. But we all remember how Mourinho was sacked just six days before the League Cup final—had he stayed that extra week, his contract termination would have cost the club significantly more.
Thomas Frank
Frank employs an aggressive, intense, and modern style of football that aligns with Tottenham fans' expectations. His philosophy includes:
High pressing and effective zone coverage.
Coordinated attacking play on quick transitions.
Tactical flexibility tailored to specific opponents.
Under his leadership, Brentford has consistently progressed. What's more, he has developed true talents like Ivan Toney, David Raya, and Ben Mee. Bryan Mbuemo, who is shining this season, is already being linked with a move to Spurs this summer, according to FourFourTwo experts.
The cherry on top for the notoriously tight Spurs board is that Frank achieves these results with one of the lowest budgets in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola
It's no surprise to see Bournemouth manager Iraola considered the favourite. The 42-year-old is in contention for Manager of the Season with the Cherries performing superbly, playing exciting football, and are now genuine contenders for European competition after significant victories over Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Last season, in his first year in England, he guided Bournemouth to their highest-ever points tally in the top flight (48 points). It looks like he's poised to break that record, with the club already having 40 points after 23 matches this season. However, it seems unlikely that Iraola would leave the club in such a strong position.
Kieran McKena
The current Ipswich Town manager, Kieran McKenna, achieved back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League and has only one point separating his side from safety in the league table at the time of writing.
This summer, McKenna was heavily linked with Manchester United, and promotion is still a real possibility, despite the potential relegation to the Championship. But now doesn’t seem the right time for him to leave. McKenna still has a chance to depart his modest club on a high—one point from safety.
Marco Silva
Marco Silva has done an almost perfect job at Fulham for the past four years and has earned a shot at a bigger job. This season, the Londoners may set a team record for Premier League points. The case for him: Fulham is unlikely to face relegation. It’s possible that Silva could be allowed to take on a new challenge.
Before his current role, the Portuguese coach changed clubs frequently. Fulham is his seventh club since starting at Estoril in 2011. It seemed like he settled in West London, but, as shown during his time at Watford, he could be tempted by an offer from another club—Everton was that temptation at the time.
Edin Terzić
Edin Terzić is currently unemployed after leaving Borussia Dortmund in the summer, which might appeal to Tottenham's chairman Daniel Levy, as the German wouldn’t need to be bought out of a contract.
Terzić’s stock remains high after his time as manager of Dortmund, guiding the Bundesliga side to a Champions League final and winning the DFB-Pokal. He's expected to continue the development of attacking football, which Postecoglou introduced at Spurs.
Other Candidates
Gareth Southgate will also be part of any list of potential candidates. The former England manager was previously linked with West Ham. However, the odds of him taking the Tottenham job are under 10%, with no serious sources mentioning such a scenario for the club.
The legendary Catalan Xavi is currently without a job, but back in October, reports suggested he was set on continuing his career outside Spain. A move for Xavi might make more sense in the summer rather than in the middle of the season. Right now, the team needs a positive boost rather than a complete tactical overhaul.
Finally, the return of the prodigal son—Mauricio Pochettino—can’t be ruled out. According to the odds, he's the first contender outside the top five. However, it seems almost unbelievable that he would leave the US national team so soon after taking over. Moreover, it’s unclear whether fans would welcome back the Argentine, especially after his time coaching their rivals at Chelsea.
Conclusion
Bookmakers are typically quite accurate in predicting the appointment of a new manager, especially in the Premier League, where this season their predictions are hitting nearly 50% accuracy.
Of course, as has happened in the past (such as with Amorim and Man United), an unexpected candidate can emerge at the last moment. However, under the current circumstances, Terzić looks the most likely choice. He nearly fits the “star” manager status, and, much to Levy's relief, his contract doesn’t need to be bought out. Terzić has experience winning national titles and silver medals in the Champions League. Lastly, he advocates attacking, organic football, which would suit Spurs perfectly.
It’s worth noting, though, that Terzić embodies Spurs' spirit. A year before losing that Champions League final, he effectively missed out on a Bundesliga title. But let’s leave the poor Spurs in peace—they’ve got enough to deal with.
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