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5 Managers Who Could Replace Ange Postecoglou
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5 Managers Who Could Replace Ange Postecoglou

18/03/25 15:37

Five Managers Who Could Replace Ange Postecoglou

Following their 2-0 loss on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur sit 14th in the Premier League table with just 34 points. With only nine games left in this season, a real change in form is desperately needed for Spurs to even manage a top half finish, which is already way below the standards a English ‘big six’ club should demand. Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure to keep his job, with little to show for his years in charge at the club, and as the end of the season draws closer, it could soon be time that Postecoglou loses his job.

What Do Spurs Need?

Under Ange, Spurs have adopted a free flowing attacking style. All those years ago they took the chance on Postecoglou and the Aussie was able to have Spurs playing in a way they never have before. It started of brilliantly for Spurs under Ange, and were top of the league for quite some time in his first season. However, it hasn’t been like that all throughout his tenure, as their loss to Fulham this weekend was their fifteenth of the season, their highest since 2008. In his reign, Spurs have had much more emphasis on attacking, with 129 goals scored in the 67 games he has managed in the Premier League. Therefore, would it be more suitable for the next Spurs hire to be a complete shift away from such an attacking style that is so instilled in these players. The focus on attacking under Ange has been highly evident, so would it be good for Daniel Levy to look for a manager who holds similar principles so players can adapt quicker, or would it be better to shift away from the style that sees Spurs sat in 14th? Their aren’t many that come similar to Ange, so of course replacements may be highly dissimilar, but could still be what Spurs are looking for.

Andoni Iraola

This man being in the list will not come as a surprise to anyone. Still only in his second season as Bournemouth manager, the Spaniard has created a strong force on the South coast. The cherries could be on course for their highest ever finish in the Premier League and could see themselves qualify for Europe under Iraola. Iraola has been linked a lot with the Spurs job recently due to the ever increasing pressure on Ange, so could he be the right fit? Playing a high risk and high intensity style, Iraola structures his sides to win the ball high up the pitch through relentless pressing and transitioning quickly through the thirds. Shown through fbref, Bournemouth rank highest in the Premier League for tackles in the middle third, showing their desire to want to win the ball high up the pitch and transitioning into a lethal attack. As well as this, the side also rank fourth in the league for shot creating actions, behind only Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool. These stats can highlight the sort of football Iraola wants to play, playing their quick and direct style. Opposing to Ange however, Bournemouth rank second highest in the league for attempted long passes, and Iraola wants to go direct, hoping to latch onto second balls and get shots of quickly. Tottenham rank 3rd lowest in the league for attempted long passes, a complete polar opposite to Iraola. So, as much as Iraola has been a success for Bournemouth this season, would it work as well in a Spurs side who are so used to not playing long? The shift in style could take a lot for them to get use to, and Spurs are desperate for some sort of success, and will fans want to wait even longer or do they want success straight away to end their trophy drought?

Marco Silva

Another man who has been linked with the job recently is Marco Silva. He is no stranger to English football, having previous spells at Hull City, Everton and now managing Fulham. He guided Fulham back to the Premier League with an attacking-minded playstyle, but was able to adapt his tactics to keep Fulham afloat, and he did just that by finishing 10th in their first season back in the league. Silva has a far less identifiable style, tweaking his tactics game by game depending on the opponent, showing his adaptability, a skill every top manager needs. Fulham rank sixth in the league for their passes attempted, sixth for possession and sixth for shot creating actions. There are still hints of the possession style Silva used in the championship with Fulham, ranking high in possession and attacking stats, and this is what could make him stand out when it comes to finding possible Postecoglou replacements. Tottenham could look to stick with similar managers, making it easier for players to shift, and going from the manager with the fourth highest possession stat in the league down to sixth doesn’t represent a complete shift if that is what Levy wants. It could be argued too that Spurs could work on a larger transfer budget, and are able to attract far more talented players to their squad. The transfer pull of Spurs could make the switch so much easier for Silva, as he can play his attacking minded football he has had such great success with, whilst also being able to have much more talented players in the system. It may not be the most fashionable ‘big name’ appointment that Spurs fans could well be looking for, but big names don’t always work, as seen in the past, and Marco Silva could be the most exciting and sensible appointment the club could make.

Roberto De Zerbi

Now, this may seem unrealistic for Spurs considering its not been long since he left England, but Roberto De Zerbi could be the manager they’re looking for. Roberto De Zerbi is still a relatively young manager, who is only going to get better, and has already shown promise in his managerial career. During his Brighton days, De Zerbi earned credit for his style of play, earning praise from Pep Guardiola. De Zerbi took Brighton to European football, a feat they had never managed before. He has been rumoured to the manager role at Spurs before, as well as Manchester United. De Zerbi shows clear promise, and although he has some differences in his coaching, his style isn’t all to different from Postecoglou. De Zerbi currently manages in Marseille, where his team are currently sat second in the league behind PSG. It has been a good season for De Zerbi, boasting some good numbers across the board. Marseille are also second in the league behind PSG for possession, whilst also being second for goals scored, and third for shots taken. De Zerbi loves to keep the ball and doesn’t want to take risks, highlighted by the fact his Marseille are the lowest in the league for attempted long passes, whilst being second for attempted short passes. Of course the caveat is that in the French league, there is only one strong team in PSG, so the numbers Marseille show may not measure up well in stronger leagues. However, you can’t knock that in this league with PSG at the top, De Zerbi has made his side best of the rest in second place. De Zerbi has much less of a focus on the defensive side, as Marseille rank second bottom in the league for tackles. De Zerbi may be a tough option for Spurs, considering that he hasn’t been at Marseille for long, but he is still a strong option, boasting a highly attacking and entertaining style that can lift fans off their seats. Again, he is more similar to Ange and could not be the complete stylistic shift that Spurs may want to seek, but he certainly could offer the attacking football that could be more well suited to the current state of Spurs players.

Will Still

Will Still burst onto the scene when he famously took Reims on a huge 19 game unbeaten run in Ligue 1, and since has steadily solidified his tactics and could be an option for Spurs. Still is very young, and would be coaching players older than him at Spurs. Still took over at Lens in the summer, and did struggle at the start, failing for win a play-off game for the Conference league group stages. However, his Lens side are sat 8th in Ligue 1, a very good position for them. Still is very much an outside option, due to his age and it may be far too early for him to even be in the conversation for a manger role at a top club. Still plays a much more stronger defensive style, as his Lens side have the third best defence behind PSG. Still uses a three at the back system at Lens, although during his time at Reims he used a four at the back team, showing even at this early stage in his managerial career, he still has the ability to adapt his style based on his squad. Still places emphasis on his strong defence, wanting his side to go man to man, aiming to win the ball higher up the pitch. Lens, similar to Iraola at Bournemouth, press high up the pitch in aim of winning the ball close to the opponents goal. There has been some discrepancies with the style, as Lens are currently the highest foulers in the league, due to the high pressing system being caught out leaving players with no choice but to foul in order to stop counter attacks. Lens also have strong defenders and physical players within their squad, which Will Still uses to his advantage, as his sides high press forces opponents to go long, to which the defenders can win their areal duels, which Lens sit second in the league for. Still wants to use these aerial dominators to his advantage, and has done so brilliantly through his pressing system. Still has been responsible for the management of Kevin Danso, who is now at Tottenham, as well as Abdukodir Khusanov, now at Manchester City. Whilst Will Still is very much a wildcard, he could still represent a fairly good choice by Spurs. He is still a very young and promising manager and will only continue to improve. What sets him apart from other options is his focus on defensive solidity, something Spurs may want. If Spurs do decide to have a complete shift away from a manager similar to Postecoglou, then I don’t necessarily think the manager with the third best defence in Ligue 1 would be a bad option at all.

Thomas Frank

For the final option, we go back to the Premier League, and remain in London as we look to Thomas Frank. Whilst managing Brentford, Frank has achieved promotion to the Premier League, and has solidified Brentford’s position in the top flight, creating a side so difficult to play against. Through their relentless pressing, Brentford aim to win the ball high up the pitch and transitioning quickly. Frank’s style is very different to Postecoglou. Brentford are fourth for long balls attempted, showing the direct style Frank prefers. From goal kicks, Brentford like to go long to a striker, whilst the second attacker runs in behind in hopes of the flick on, whilst the line of midfielders await for the second ball. Frank sets his side up in a 3-2-5 in possession. He likes the use of 5 attackers as he wants to them to stretch the opposition defensive line, leaving gaps in midfield which his team can utilise and win the second ball. It also means they can press when they lose the ball very effectively, as the five players pushed higher up create numerical advantages in pressing. Although, Frank’s style is never certain, as he likes to change it and wants his side to be fluid so they can adapt to their opponents, and is all about creating numerical advantages over the pitch. Whilst there is such emphasis on defending and pressing, Brentford do rank sixth in the league for goals scored, despite only being fifteenth in the league for shots taken. However, this comes from the bees being second in the league for tackles in the attacking third, behind Arsenal. These stats start to paint a picture, as it shows how Frank prefers to go long in the buildup, and hope to pounce on second balls, and win the ball high up the pitch. Brentford are workhorses, who want to press high up the pitch, as it means they win the ball in dangerous areas, before having an easier attack on goal. They may not dominate games in possession, but they dominate by stretching opponents and pushing back their defensive line, before countering quickly to have shots from easier positions. This could suit Spurs, as they have quick attackers, and players with big engines who want to press high up the pitch, such as Sarr and Lucas Bergvall. Frank should be considered as a big option for Spurs, as like others in the list, he has proven he can work in the Premier League, and his style is proven to work up against much bigger opponents.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Jake Pearce

Writer at Football Park

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