Spurs look set to find themselves once again searching for a new head coach to lead the team forward. Despite the club still sitting inside the Top 4, Antonio Conte’s contract is set to run out at the end of the season and there seems to be little appetite from either side to sign a new deal, with rumours circulating that his time is up after an extraordinary rant in the post match conference after Spurs blew a 3-1 lead against bottom of the table Southampton. The search for the right candidate is crucial, with Spurs fans expecting a manager who can bring success and stability to the club.
In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 best options to replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham. Each manager brings a unique set of skills and tactical approach to the table, and we will explore their strengths and weaknesses. From young and inexperienced coaches to established and experienced managers, the candidates on this list offer a range of possibilities for Tottenham's future. To note, I have not included managers that I believe would not come to the club; Thomas Tuchel and Zinedine Zidane are both managers I rate incredibly highly but can not see either coming to Spurs, the same applies with Diego Simeone who could be set to leave Atletico.
10) Ryan Mason
Ryan Mason has reportedly impressed many at the club, with many in Conte’s coaching staff predicting exciting things for the young coach. In January he received his UEFA Pro Licence so a move into management, whether at Spurs or elsewhere could be on the cards for the near future. His brief stint as interim manager was reasonably impressive, he guided Spurs to European qualification defeating a Nuno Esprito Santo led Wolves side (Daniel Levy will be hoping not to repeat that sort of mistake again) in the process. He's a young and enthusiastic coach who knows the club inside out. Mason's tactical style is still evolving, however, during his time as Tottenham's interim head coach, he favoured a possession-based style of play, with an emphasis on attacking football. He also showed a willingness to experiment with different formations, including a back three and a false nine. Mason will likely show a willingness to give youth a chance, which would fit in well with Daniel Levy’s ethos. Spurs can look at their neighbours and see the success they have had with a manager who had previously had no managerial experience, with admirers aplenty Ryan Mason could be a risk worth taking.
9) Vincent Kompany
When Vincent Kompany took over relegated Burnley last Summer after a less than stellar reign at Anderlecht, there were concerns, but they quickly evaporated with the Clarets putting in a campaign that will likely go down as one of the greatest in the history of the Championship. What makes this more impressive is that Kompany inherited a squad that had lost a lot of their key players that had kept them in the league for the previous seasons such as Nick Pope, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee. There had been a stigma attached to Burnley during that time of them playing negative football, Vincent Kompany wanted to win but win in style, which meant he tried to change the approach the club had become so closely attached to. With Burnley sitting comfortably near the top of the table, it is clear that Kompany has managed to change the approach whilst keeping the performances at a high standard. This quick change of approach could be attractive to Spurs fans who themselves have got used to some defensive approaches until Mourinho and in this last year under Conte. The Anderlecht tenure could cause a few concerns but it is worth noting that this was his first ever job in management and it enabled him to learn his craft. You can draw obvious comparisons to Mikel Arteta with his close connection with one of the finest managerial minds in Pep Guardiola, it is clear like Arteta, Kompany has learned a lot under Pep’s tutledge by his style of football. It was widely expected throughout his career, that Kompany would make a successful manager due to his supreme Football IQ, his future is looking very bright, it is just whether this is too early for Spurs to make what would be a punt to bring him in.
8) Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick is another ex-Tottenham player that could be a good fit for the club. We saw a flash of some managerial talent in the three games Carrick took interim charge at Manchester United last season but this season his stock has risen stratospherically. Carrick took over a Middlesbrough side that were sitting 21st in the Championship, they're now sitting third, and optimistically looking even higher than that as they cast their eyes on trying to catch Sheffield United to achieve automatic promotion back to the Premier League, now just sitting three points behind despite the Blades looking destined for automatic promotion.Carrick has taken to management like a duck to water, and his principles of how he wants football to be played are immediately recognisable when watching Borough, he favours possession-based fluid football. You will often see Middlesbrough’s right-back Tommy Smith slip alongside the two centre-backs , allowing the left-back (Ryan Giles) to advance forward. Meanwhile, the left winger ( Riley McGree or Aaron Ramsey) inverts centrally between the lines with the right winger (either McGree or Forss) holding the width on the right. As a result, the shape forms a fluid 3-2-5/3-3-4. This tactical approach is bound to be popular with Spurs fans who have become frustrated with the style of football under Conte in the last year. Carrick is a calm and level-headed coach who understands the game. Carrick's familiarity with the club, his passion for the game and his tactical approach could make him a suitable candidate for Spurs.
7) Thomas Frank
Thomas Frank has been coaching since he was just 21 years old after a very short playing career, in which time he has risen through the youth ranks of management, managing Denmark’s U16s, U17s and U19s. In which times he completed three seperate degrees in Sport psychology, coaching-based leadership and physical education. He became Brentford’s assistant manager in 2016, becoming the manager two years later after Dean Smith left to join Aston Villa. Thomas Frank has done a remarkable job at Brentford, leading them to promotion to the top flight and turning them into a comfortable Premier League team whilst playing attractive football. He's a tactically astute coach who's not afraid to make bold decisions. Thomas Frank has his wing-backs push high to create wide overloads, and although they often set up to pass the ball out from the back in a 2-4-1-3-esque shape, any two of the midfields will typically provide options between the defensive lines. Unlike Carrick, Frank does not favour possession football but sets out his Brentford side to be dangerous in the transitions, with them becoming one of the quickest teams on the counter in the league. Frank has shown that he can work on a tight budget and his experience working with young players will would make him an attractive proposition to the Board.
6) Arne Slot
44 year old Dutch Manager, Arne Slot is becoming one of the most exciting coaches in Europe. His Feyenoord side look set to end Ajax’s streak of three Eredivise titles in a row, a streak that Slot was incredibly unfortunate to have not ended previously as AZ Alkmaar manager. In his first season in charge at AZ Alkmaar his side beat Feyenoord, PSV, and Ajax (twice), scoring 54 goals in 25 league matches before the season was stopped and never continued due to COVID with AZ level on points with Ajax. Slot left AZ in 2020, having amassed the highest points per game total in club history Taking over a Feyenoord side that finished 5th the season before, he oversaw them finished 3rd in his first season, beating off Erik Ten Haag to win the Manager of The Year award. Now in his second season Feyenoord sit 6 points ahead of Ajax at the top and have booked their place in the quarter finals of the Europa League after winning in emphatic style against Shakhtar Donetsk 7-1. Slot favours a 4-2-31 with a high pressing, attacking style of play. The fullbacks often push high while the two centre-backs split and allow the goalkeeper to practically become a third ball-player in a temporary back three. One way in which Slot has insisted that his players reach the final third is through creating wide overloads on one side of the pitch in order to free up a winger or a fullback on the far side in a 1v1 situation. Slot like Kompany has transformed his side from a defensive minded team to a team that favours an attacking mindset, his successful seamingless transition and success will make Slot an attractive proposition. What might count against him is that it is just his third full season in charge and he is yet to manage in England or outside Netherlands but if Daniel Levy fancies a punt, he could reap the rewards. An exciting prospect that Spurs should consider.
5) Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi is a young, dynamic coach who has impressed with his style of play at Sassuolo, Shakhtar Donetsk and now at Brighton. Under his tenure, Sassuolo were praised for their footballing style coupled with overachieving results, leading the club to two consecutive eighth place spots in the Italian top flight, only just missing out on European football on goal difference. His tenure was cut short at Shakhtar, he left due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with Shakhtar sitting top of the league. There was real concern when Graham Potter left Brighton, but he has only built on the Graham Potter era at the Amex Stadium and the Seagulls are very much in the race to qualify for Champions League. They currently sit seven points off fourth-placed Tottenham but boast three games in hand on Spurs and they have booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final. When he was appointed in September, Pep Guardiola predicted “His impact in England will be massive in the future.” He favours an attacking brand of football, which could be welcomed by the Tottenham faithful. De Zerbi is a coach who likes his teams to play possession-based football, with an emphasis on short passes and fluid movement. Provoking the press is the hallmark of De Zerbi's approach. It demands players be comfortable on the ball in their own half because he is happy to draw the opposition there. Back off and Brighton dominate. Become sucked in and Brighton play through. His tactical approach would be very popular with the fan base and De Zerbi is a manager who would likely fit into the ‘project’ manager role that the board are reportedly looking at. He would be higher on this list if it wasn’t for his reported £11.75m buy out clause.
4) Mauricio Pochettino
This would be the most popular option for many fans, with memories of the 2016/17 season and the 2018/19 Champions League run vivid for many. Nostalgia can often cloud your vision, there is no disputing that Pochettino is a top manager but in terms of being the best fit for this job at this moment, I’d argue there are better options. Firstly, not a huge amount has changed since Pochettino left over three years ago, there are still quite a few players left over from his reign, he made it clear he wanted to rebuild the side in the 2018/19 season, the rebuild never came and he was left with some players that would have known that the manager saw them as surplus to requirements. Kieran Trippier has mentioned on multiple occasions since leaving the club that during the January Transfer Window of 2019, there were things going on behind the scenes, that disrupted his game. There is a clear correlation to suggest that this was true after a last minute winner in January against Fulham, Pochettino’s Spurs side would not win another Premier League away game until a win over West Ham, in Jose Mourinho’s first game in charge. Daniel Levy’s hard negotiation stance likely lead to many players sticking around longer than Pochettino wanted them and in turn meant there was less money to be reinvested into the club. Pochettino does have to take his share of the blame for the poor league form in 2019, despite all the external factors mentioned above. With some of the players and the chairman remaining in place, there is a strong argument that it is too soon for him to come back just yet. However the close connection he had with the club and the fans, and his reported desire to at some point come back and finish what he started could be enough for egos to be put aside and things to start afresh.
3) Marcelo Gallardo
Depending on what reports you believe Marcelo Gallardo may be an unrealistic option for Spurs, as 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. Gallardo is already the most successful manager in River Plate’s history, the club have won 14 trophies during his tenure, which includes seven continental 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 Pedro Porro as the formation favours attack-minded fullbacks, whilst the pivot role would suit both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp. 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) Ruben Amorim
Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is starting to catch the attention of many teams across Europe. 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 at the time. 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, his defences are also organised and disciplined. Despite losing a huge player in Bruno Fernandes, Amormim lead Sporting to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years. Amorim would provide the aggressive attacking football the fans desire, whilst fitting into the mould of a manager that would be happy to take on a project at the club, this seems like a great fit for Spurs.
1) Luis Enrique
It is often overlooked how impressive Luis Enrique’s spell at Barcelona was, he won 42 of his first 50 games in charge, better than any previous manager at the club. In his first season at the club, he won the treble, winning La Liga, Copa Del Rey and the Champions League. Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey in each of the three seasons he was manager and only didn’t win the League in his final season. During his more recent spell as Spain manager he reached the semi finals of Euro 2020, unfortunately getting knocked out on penalties to eventual winners Italy. Penalties again cost them at the World Cup in Dcemember as they were knocked out by Morocco in the Last 16. His spell at Spain splits opinions but I would argue he did a decent job with the squad he had available to him, this wasn’t a squad that could compare to the Spain sides of 2008-2012, they were also the better side than Italy in that semi final. Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara said, Luis Enrique “has the analytical positioning of Pep [and] the aggressiveness of Klopp." Enrique's attacking style of play would be a perfect fit for Tottenham, and his experience could help them challenge for major honors. Enrique's Barcelona and Spain sides played a possession-based style of football, with an emphasis on short passes and fluid movement. He often used a 4-3-3 formation, with the central midfielder dropping deep to create a back three when in possession. In his final season at Barcelona and at some spells during his time in charge of Spain, his tactical approach would be very similiar to Conte’s 3-4-3. Something that could may cause some concern for the Board is the fact that Enrique resigned from Roma, Celta Vigo and Barcelona, with his longest spell being three seasons at Barcelona, if Spurs are looking for a project manager, Enrique may not be the type of manager to stick around for it, which could mean they find themselves in a similar situation as they have with Conte. They shouldn’t allow this to put them off though, he left Celta Vigo to join Barcelona - the club he had such a strong connection with and at Barcelona he won everything in those three years and wanted a new challenge, and when it comes to a challenge what better challenge than ending Tottenham Hotspur’s 15 year trophy duck.
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