Jose Mourinho has today lost his job after 17 months in charge at Spurs. For the first time in his illustrious managerial career, he has suffered ten defeats in a single campaign. Despite sitting top of the table in December, Spurs now find themselves in seventh, five points off 4th place. It’s worth mentioning before delving into his potential replacements, that there is a debate to be had on how much onus should be put on the outgoing manager's shoulders. Mauricio Pochettino spoke publicly of the need for a rebuild prior to the Summer 2019 window, that rebuild is still yet to materialise and is arguably a substantial factor that led to both the sacking of both Pochettino and Mourinho today. Every player which started in Spurs’ ignominious defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, arrived prior to Jose’s arrival, 8 of the starting lineup played in the Old White Hart Lane with the remaining 3 (Sanchez, Moura and Aurier) all signing for the club in the first season the club played at Wembley in 2017/18. It will be interesting to see if this will be the summer that Daniel Levy decides that is time the club look to sell some of their ageing assets. The big question remains, who is the best option to take over from Jose, in this article I analyse who I believe are the ten best options to take over.
10) Scott Parker
The first on the list of managers to replace Jose is both a former player of his and the club, Scott Parker has begun to show his managerial prowess after the club was written off by many pundits after just one game. With limited resources, Fulham have put in a brave battle against relegation, especially in recent months and they may meet the drop come the end of the season, it wouldn't be down to Scott Parker's managerial abilities. There were many who foresaw Scott Parker becoming the long term successor for Mauricio Pochettino when Parker joined the coaching ranks at Spurs, having that experience already within the Spurs system makes Parker a more intriguing prospect. This would be a managerial appointment similar to Mikel Arteta's at Arsenal, which has seen varying amounts of success so far. His possession-based and aggressive defensive style could be a good fit for the current Spurs side. I believe Scott Parker has a potentially bigger ceiling than others on this list but I think this may be a step too early for him to take on this role just yet. The biggest risk on this list but could turn out to be a rewarding one.
9) Diego Martinez
As Spurs went crashing out of the Europa League, Granada qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League through a goal from Roberto Soldado, remember him? This comes just two seasons after the Nasrids gained promotion from the second tier of Spanish football. Martinez took over the club in the summer of 2018 and gained promotion in his first season, they were expected to struggle in their first season back but shocked many by finishing 7th, the club’s highest finish in their history, qualifying for the Europa League in the process. Granada made it all the way to the Europa League quarter-finals after knocking out a strong Napoli and Molde side in the knockout rounds. Martinez does not receive enough recognition for the job he has done, the club has exceeded everyone’s expectations and his name should be linked with many upcoming available jobs across Europe's top leagues. Martínez has often gone with his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1 this season, but he’s also experimented with a 5-3-2 and 4-4-2 depending on what the opposition calls for He recently turned 40, so like Parker he is another young up and coming manager, which works well for the type of project Spurs would need. Daniel Levy is extremely unlikely to even consider Martinez as an option but he's a manager worth keeping an eye in the years to come.
8) Gerardo Seoane
The type of project needed at Spurs suits young and up and coming managers, just like Martinez and Parker, Young Boys' Gerardo Seoane fits in with that trend. The 42-year-old has done an exceptional job in Switzerland, which has caught the eye of many, particularly in Germany with him recently being linked to both the Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen roles. Under Seoane’s leadership, the club have qualified for the UEFA Champions League Group Stages for the first time in their history and ended a 33-year cup drought. Seoane’s side knocked out Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League and sit 24 points clear of Basel at the top of the Swiss Super League. Young Boys are a high pressing side, they look to force their opponent into giving away possession in their own half, before taking advantage with passes through or behind the opposition lines. Seoane’s style would suit players like Heung Min Son and Lucas Moura, whilst also being popular with a Spurs fan base who has become increasingly frustrated by Jose’s more cautious tactical approach. There is an obvious risk attached with Seoane never managing outside Switzerland. Spurs fans will remember the appointment of Christian Gross (a manager who also had never managed outside Switzerland) with many of the fans probably still being scarred from that appointment to this day, so comparisons to him will likely be drawn. Levy will likely not consider Seoane due to his lack of experience at the top level but it's only a matter of time until someone makes the splash for the young promising manager.
7) Ruben Amorim
Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is starting to catch the curiosity of many teams across Europe. The least experienced manager on this list, Amorim took charge of the Braga B team in Portugal’s third tier in September 2019, just three months later he was promoted to manager of the first team, what followed was an incredible run that saw his side beat all of Portugal’s big three (Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon) and led to his side winning the League Cup. Despite having just 6 months of top-flight managerial experience, Sporting paid €10 million for Amorim’s services, the third-highest fee paid ever for a manager. His success during Braga was obviously a big factor behind the decision but as was the style of play his side played with. Amorim favours a 3-4-3 system with a lot of fluid movement in the attacking phase. In the defensive phase, Amorim likes to counter-press and then move aggressively to win the ball back as close to the opposition goal as he can. Despite losing a huge player in Bruno Fernandes, the club are now performing better in the league without him, which is a huge testament to the manager. The club currently sit top of the Primeira Liga with a 6 points lead and could be set to end a 19-year wait for a league title this season. His attractive style of attacking play would be very popular with fans but this could be too early in the 36-year-old’s managerial career for Daniel Levy to take a risk on him. Leeds United have reportedly profiled Amorim as a replacement for Marcelo Bielsa if the Argentine decides to leave at the end of the season.
6) Steven Gerrard
Throughout much of his career, Steven Gerrard was often contrasted to Frank Lampard, which has evidently followed the pair into their managerial careers with both taking their first roles outside England’s top flight. Lampard’s sacking has now left many pundits and journalists questioning whether it was too early for Lampard as a result the same comparisons are being made to Gerrard, with many deeming it too early for him to make the step to a top Premier League side. This is a harsh comparison as Steven Gerrard’s spell at Rangers has been a more successful one than Lampard’s at Derby prior to him getting the Chelsea job. Many have downplayed the success that Gerrard has had in his time at Rangers, due to the quality of competition outside Celtic in Scotland. However, Gerrard inherited a squad that had finished 3rd the season prior and had not won an away game in Europe for 10 years. Just three years later, he broke the record for the most European wins for a Rangers manager with 23. Rangers’ European Record under Gerrard simply can’t be ignored, two consecutive last 16 appearances and the loss to Slavia Prague, whilst being down to 9 men is the club’s first loss in Europe this season. Rangers have lost just 6 of their 45 European games under Gerrard, an astonishing turn of fortunes since arrival. They still remain unbeaten in the league and have broken all sorts of records this season, March 7th is the earliest a Scottish Premiership title has been won in the current 38 game format. A true cornerstone of Rangers’ success under Gerrard is their defence, the club broke a 114 year record earlier in the season by keeping 6 clean sheets in their opening 6 games, since then they conceded just 11 goals all season in the league by contrast Rangers had conceded 50 goals the season prior to Gerrard joining. Dele Alli has spoken in the past on many occasions about how he idolised Steven Gerrard when growing up, you would think there wouldn’t be a better manager to come in and try to help him recapture the form that has evaded him in recent times. Gerrard has proven himself on the European stage and therefore should soon be considered for top jobs across Europe, regardless of the quality of competition in Scotland, the old saying goes you can only beat what is put in front of you.
5) Simone Inzaghi
Simone Inzaghi, quite unfairly, was known throughout his playing career simply as Fillipo’s brother but since becoming a manager he has well and truly stepped out of Superpippo’s shadow. Inzaghi was thrown straight into the deep end at Lazio after the previous manager Marcelo Bielsa shockingly resigned after just one week in the job. Since Inzaghi has been learning on the job and has established himself as one of the brightest tacticians in the game today. Inzaghi injected new life into a club that was very much on the decline with a limited budget in comparison to the other big clubs in Italy. He has shown his ability to get the most out of players, Lucas Leiva left Liverpool with his best days supposedly behind him, he has produced arguably the best football at his career under Inzaghi, another departure from Liverpool, Luis Alberto has become one of the most talented creative midfielders in Europe in the last few seasons, after also not being deemed good enough by the Merseyside team. As for Ciro Immobile, torrid spells at both Sevilla and Dortmund, Immobile has scored 117 goals in just 166 games, since he joined the club in Inzaghi's first season as manager. Inzaghi’s side were a real victim of the covid outbreak, they were extraordinary before the delay to the end of last season and looked serious contenders to the title. Nevertheless, the fact they were able to compete with Italy’s power horses for the title on a tight string budget is an achievement in itself, which makes Inzaghi naturally a good fit for Spurs. There were reports that Daniel Levy was interested in hiring Inzaghi when Pochettino was sacked, so don’t be shocked if Inzaghi makes his way to London this time around.
4) Brendan Rodgers
You could make a strong argument for this not being a sensible career move for Rodgers, however, his name continues to be linked with the job so it’s only fair he'd be included in this list. Rodgers’ stock seemed to twindle somewhat as the Foxes collapsed from what seemed to be a certain Top 4 Place to a Europa League spot after a shocking run of form toward the end of last season. They have bounced back this season in style and despite signs pointing to a potential late-season collapse once again, Rodgers seems to have steadied the ship and the club now look destined for Champions League football, for the first time since they won the league as well as a spot in the FA Cup Final. When Brendan Rodgers took charge of Leicester they were outside the Top 10, now they look like they are the team to have finally broken up the ‘Big Six’. The recruitment at Leicester has been superb and he is working with a talented squad but he is arguably getting the best out of his players as many of the players were at the club when the previous manager Claude Puel was in charge. Rodgers’ tactical approach is very flexible and adaptable, he has shown that he is one of the best managers in the game today at tailoring an approach for an opposition. 6 years has passed since Rodgers was at Liverpool, he has gone away and learned from the experience, he is more ready to take on the job at one of England’s perceived ‘top teams’ once again.
3) Marcelo Gallardo
Depending on what reports you believe Marcelo Gallardo may be an unrealistic option for Spurs, there are reports suggesting that he’s turned down Chelsea on two occasions as well as Barcelona but nothing has ever been confirmed. It wouldn’t be overly surprising if those rumours were true because it seems inconceivable that Gallardo wouldn’t have been offered a top job in Europe. Despite being just 45 years old, Gallardo is already the most successful manager in River Plate’s history, the club have won 10 trophies in his tenure, which includes seven international trophies, more than the club had won in their entire history. What makes this feat even more impressive is that it’s been achieved in an era which is more difficult for South American teams to build a dynasty due to players regularly leaving to go to European clubs. Gallardo’s side are possession orientated and move the ball rapidly through fast interchanges but also look to shift the ball directly into wide channels for the forwards to break onto if that option presents itself with midfielders pushing up to provide options for crosses. Gallardo's system should look to bring the most out of Sergio Reguillon as the formation favours attack-minded fullbacks, whilst the pivot role would suit Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Spurs still have an Argentine core left from Pochettino’s time at the club, Giovani Lo Celso is a player who could thrive in particular under Gallardo in a creative role, as he looks to recapture his form from his time in Spain. His lack of European experience should not put Daniel Levy off but the question marks remain whether Gallardo could be tempted with a move out of his beloved Argentina, if he can the Argentine should be one of the top names on the list of potential successors.
2) Massimiliano Allegri
It is a surprise that nearly two years after departing from Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri is still without a job. Allegri has often been coined as of the best tactical minds in football today and his departure from Juventus was a strange one. His stint was littered with success, he became the first-ever manager in Europe’s top five leagues to win four consecutive doubles. The Italian also has the highest win ratio of any Juventus manager in the club’s history. It seemed as if Allegri’s style of play had started to test the patience of La Vecchia Signora and as a result, they decided to go for Maurizio Sarri who favoured a more attacking approach. Tactically, Massimiliano Allegri would be a superb fit for Spurs, the club’s centre backs have been a real weakness in the side this season and Allegri’s 4-4-2 Diamond that he mastered at Juventus in the season they reached the Champions League Final in 2017, would help mask over weaknesses at that position. His tactical approach could help bring the best out of Tanguy Ndombele who could take on the Mezzala role that was given to Paul Pogba at Juventus and Clarence Seedorf at Milan. Allegri has also showcased his superb ability to be tactical fluidity, this was showcased in particular in Juventus' Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Monaco, in that game they switched between a 3–2–4–1, 3–4–3 or 4–2–3–1 formation when in possession to an organised 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation when out of possession. Current Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo who played at Allegri at both AC Milan and Juventus, praised his seemingly more relaxed attitude to coaching stating that he "brought a sense of calm" to the team and that he aided in endowing the players with a sense of confidence, an area in which Paul Pogba recently criticised Jose Mourinho of lacking, a change of approach could give the club a fresh start. Many Spurs fans became wary of Jose Mourinho’s more defensive outlook and Daniel Levy may look to favour a more attack-minded manager as a result but Massimiliano Allegri is someone who, if interested in the role, has to be strongly considered for the job.
1) Julian Nagelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann, the current bookies' favourite to take over from Jose Mourinho is who I believe is the best fit for Spurs. Nagelsmann’s incredibly rapid career progression and his success as the youngest permanent manager in the history of the Bundesliga has been one of modern-day football’s great managerial stories. The 33-year-old’s playing career was harshly cut short due to a career-ending knee injury whilst playing for FC Augsburg II in 2008, their manager at the time Thomas Tuchel offered the 21-year-old a job as a scout at the club. In 2010, he joined Hoffenheim as a youth team coach, he was an assistant manager at 23 years old and was named manager of the club at just 28. When Nagelsmann took over the club in February 2016, Hoffenheim were 17th in the table, 7 points off safety and facing relegation. Under Nagelsmann they avoided relegation by winning 7 of their remaining 14 matches. The footballing world really started to really pay attention when the very next season, Nagelsmann’s side finished 4th and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. The German's first season in charge of RB Leipzig last season coincided with the club reaching the Champions League Semi-Finals, the first time the German side had reached that stage of the competition. Nagelsmann would be extremely popular with the Spurs fan base as he favours a very progressive attacking style of football. Like Allegri, he has proven that he is tactically flexible whilst throughout his principles of high pressing and vertical progressive attacking football remain the same. Nagelsmann has also showcased his ability to get the most out of his strikers, the number 9 in his sides will often be used as a link man, with the wide forwards becoming the real goalscorers. In December 2019, Nagelsmann said “Now there’s a new positional profile with the nine-and-a-half, a bit more like the old number 10, where you go between the lines and don’t just play as the buffer upfront like in the old times. It’s changed a bit.” Timo Werner had his best year of productivity last season in his solo campaign with Nagelsmann, whilst Serge Gnabry seemingly revitalised his career during his loan spell at Hoffenheim, directly being involved with a goal every 100 minutes at the club. Throughout his managerial career, Nagelsmann’s side have averaged an impressive 2.22 goals per game. Nagelsmann could be the perfect manager to bring the best out of Heung Min Son, whose productivity has dropped off in recent months and young emerging talents like Dane Scarlett. Nagelsmann and Spurs are the perfect fit, he has proven he can get the best out of limited resources. Sources have linked him with Bayern Munich, now that Flick has confirmed that he will become Germany Manager after the Euros, but if the interest is there, this is an absolute no brainer. A rebuild and a project are needed at Spurs, there is no better fit than the most exciting young manager in football today.
Written by Brandon Hammé
Twitter - @brandon_hamme
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