The clock is ticking at Tottenham Hotspur. A 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, a side themselves scrapping at the wrong end of the table has left Spurs sitting just one point and one position above the Premier League’s relegation zone, and the pressure on the club’s hierarchy to act decisively has never been greater.
CEO Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange, and the Lewis family must now answer an uncomfortable question: is Igor Tudor the man to drag this club back from the brink, or has the gamble of his appointment already failed?
The Tudor Problem
There is a case for sympathy towards Tudor. He inherited a dressing room stripped of confidence, ravaged by injuries, and poisoned by the toxic atmosphere that accumulated under his sacked predecessor Thomas Frank. None of that was his doing.
But sympathy only stretches so far in football, and the results under the Croatian have been damning — just one win from seven matches, a string of tactical changes that suggest a manager without a clear plan, and precious little evidence of any emotional connection with either the supporters or the players.
The nadir came in the Champions League last 16 first leg against Atlético Madrid, when Tudor’s startling decision to start Antonin Kinsky over first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario ended in disaster. Kinsky was hauled off after just 17 minutes having gifted the hosts three goals, as live soccer scores kept adding goals to Atleti with Spurs eventually losing 5-2. It was a moment that crystallised the chaos defining this reign.
Those pulling the strings at the club must now ask themselves honestly: do they truly believe Tudor can turn this around, or are they delaying an admission they got it badly wrong?
The Firefighting Candidates
Should Tudor be relieved of his duties, Spurs face an equally thorny problem, finding someone willing and able to take on a job that could end in the most humiliating relegation in Premier League history according to some betting sites.
Harry Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to return, but at 79 years old, with no management experience since being dismissed by Birmingham City in 2017, the optics of such an appointment would be extraordinary — and not in a good way. It would say everything about how desperate Spurs had become.
Glenn Hoddle, 68, has similarly expressed interest, but his last managerial role ended nearly two decades ago at Wolves. Nostalgia is a comforting thing, but it rarely keeps sides in the top flight.
Ryan Mason is a more credible option. A popular figure at the club, the young coach twice served as caretaker at Spurs and earned genuine respect during both spells. However, his permanent role at West Brom ended in dismissal back in January, and there must be questions over whether he would relish walking into an atmosphere this fraught.
Tim Sherwood, never shy of putting himself forward, has declared publicly that common sense and Premier League experience would be enough to secure survival. Confidence is rarely in short supply with Sherwood, though results during his brief spell in north London did not quite match the rhetoric.
Robbie Keane, working with Ferencváros in Hungary, represents an intriguing wildcard — a club legend with growing managerial experience — but persuading him to abandon a stable position for what amounts to a seven-game survival mission would be a significant ask.
The Bigger Swings
Some voices at the club are reportedly pushing for a more ambitious solution — a permanent appointment capable of not just surviving this season but reshaping Spurs entirely.
Mauricio Pochettino remains the romantic choice and would almost certainly top any fan poll. The Argentine’s tenure at Spurs is remembered with enormous warmth — he transformed the club’s culture, built a side that reached the Champions League final, and did it all while playing some of the most attractive football the ground has ever witnessed. Many supporters still hold Daniel Levy responsible for the timing of his dismissal and would greet Pochettino’s return with open arms.
The problem is timing. Pochettino is currently committed to coaching the United States at the home World Cup and will not be available until that tournament concludes.
That leaves Roberto De Zerbi as the most credible immediate option. The Italian built an outstanding reputation at Brighton and has been available since parting ways with Marseille by mutual consent in February. He is understood to be open to a move to north London, and his brand of attractive, high-intensity football would excite a fan base badly in need of something to believe in.
The crucial question is whether De Zerbi would be willing to inherit a potential relegation battle. With rumoured interest from Manchester United among others, he holds significant leverage — and may calculate that waiting until summer, when Spurs’ Premier League status is either secured or lost, is the smarter play.
The Long Shots
Sean Dyche carries genuine pedigree in exactly this type of situation, having kept both Burnley and Everton in the Premier League against the odds. His no-nonsense approach and man-management abilities are well-documented. Whether Spurs see him as a cultural fit for the direction they want to take the club is another matter — particularly given his last role ended in a swift exit from Nottingham Forest, of all clubs.
Gareth Southgate has also been mentioned, the former England manager is yet to take on a managerial job since he vacated his position in 2024. His only other club managerial job was two decades ago, between 2006 – 2009, when he was in charge of Middlesbrough.
The Verdict
What is clear is that inaction is no longer a viable option. With seven Premier League matches remaining and the Championship looming as a genuine possibility, Spurs’ hierarchy need to make a decision — and make it quickly.
Tudor’s time may well already be up, the question now being not if he goes, but when. The harder problem is what — and who — comes next. Get this wrong again, and the consequences for one of English football’s biggest clubs could be truly historic, for all the wrong reasons.