Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is on borrowed time, with tonight’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt vital for his future.
The Aussie has the opportunity to end a dismal season on a high by claiming European glory, which would undoubtedly allow supporters to forget about their lowly league standing.
The Lilywhites currently occupy 15th place in the Premier League, with their only hope of securing another season in Europe coming down to any triumph in this season’s Europa League.
His side come into the clash level with the Bundesliga outfit after a 1-1 draw in North London seven days ago, with Pedro Porro scoring the goal to ensure they enter the second leg level.
Make or break is a phrase you could describe tonight’s meeting as, with rumours rapidly building over a deal to land a new manager should the 59-year-old fail to deliver later on this evening.
An update on Spurs’ hunt to replace Postecoglou
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has been high up on the hierarchy’s list to replace Postecoglou should he get sacked between now and the end of the season.
The Spaniard has led the Cherries to 8th place in England’s top-flight, potentially securing the side European football – an incredible feat for a side who are punching way above their weight.
However, it’s been reported this week that the 42-year-old has held positive talks with the Bournemouth hierarchy over extending his stint at the Vitality.
Such a decision would be a huge blow to the Lilywhites’ pursuit of landing the manager, potentially needing to target alternatives to replace Ange should he depart.
It appears they’ve wasted no time, with TEAMtalk claiming that the hierarchy will make contact with Brentford over a deal to land manager Thomas Frank during the summer.
The Dane has a £10m buyout clause in his deal at the Bees, with the club willing to trigger such a price tag during the off-season ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Why Frank would be an upgrade on Ange and become Poch 2.0
Mauricio Pochettino is arguably Spurs’ best manager in recent memory, with the decision to sack him back in 2019 undoubtedly a huge mistake by the hierarchy.
The Argentine was appointed as the club’s manager in the summer of 2014, arriving from Southampton and exceeding the expectations of all supporters during his five-year stint at the helm.
The 53-year-old achieved a 55% win rate during his tenure, notching a record of 1.8 points per game, helping the club reach the Champions League final back in the 2018/19 season.
In his five full seasons in charge, he did a superb job, with his lowest league finish being 5th place during his maiden year, with a Champions League finish a distant dream for supporters in the present day.
However, 10 years on from Poch’s appointment, the club could land the next version of the Argentine in the form of Frank, who could follow suit by taking his biggest step in his career by moving to Spurs from a less established top-flight outfit.
When comparing the Dane to current boss Postecoglou, Frank has massively outperformed him, showcasing why he would be an upgrade on the Aussie in North London.
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How Frank compares to Ange in the PL (2024/25) |
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|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Frank |
Ange |
|
Games played |
32 |
32 |
|
Wins |
12 |
11 |
|
Draws |
7 |
4 |
|
Losses |
13 |
17 |
|
Points per game |
1.34 |
1.15 |
|
Points total |
43 |
37 |
|
Net spend |
£24m |
£120m |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
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The Bees boss, who’s been labelled “one of the best in the world” by one analyst, has picked up more Premier League wins than Ange this season, subsequently achieving a higher points per game average.
He’s also led the side to a higher league standing, doing so whilst having nearly a £100m lower net spend throughout the 2024/25 season – highlighting the impressive job he’s done on a budget.
From the stats mentioned, it’s evident that Frank would be a huge upgrade on Postecoglou, potentially being the man to catapult the wide back towards the hunt for a Champions League spot.
If he were to be appointed over the summer and get anywhere near the levels achieved by Poch, he would go down in the club’s history forever, with his £10m buyout potential a bargain if he can take the club back to where they belong.
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