Four managers Tottenham can appoint if Igor Tudor is sacked after Palace loss | Football | Sport

Tottenham are in a full-blown crisis after suffering a fifth straight Premier League defeat, extending their winless run to 11 league matches, against Crystal Palace. Not since 1975 have suffered such a long run without three points. Dominic Solanke put Spurs 1-0 up in the 34th minute but by the half-time whistle, the hosts were down to 10 men and trailing 3-1. Micky van de Ven was sent off for pulling the shirt of Ismaila Sarr, who scored the resulting penalty. Jorgen Strand Larsen and Sarr, with his second goal, punished Spurs before the break to kill the game.

The north Londoners produced a spirited effort in the second half after a half-time rollicking from Igor Tudor but still failed to score again. They now sit just one point above the relegation zone with nine games to go. And interim boss Tudor, who has only managed three matches in charge so far, is in real danger of being sacked, like his predecessor Thomas Frank, before the campaign is out. After heavy boos at half-time, the stadium was near empty at full-time against Palace, which felt like an early death knell for Tudor. Express Sport pick out four managers who could come in immediately if Spurs do wield the axe on another head coach…

Out of a job since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in October after only 40 days in charge, one available option for Spurs is to turn to a former manager of theirs – Ange Postecoglou. The Greek was controversially given the boot by Spurs last June, two weeks after winning the Europa League and promising an exciting third season in charge.

His style of play, though it was high-risk, could help Spurs get an all-important two or three victories between now and May 24. But Postecoglou has suggested he wouldn’t return to Celtic, where things ended far more positively than in north London, nevermind Spurs. So there is no telling he would answer the club’s call in their time of need. And even if he did arrive, his chaotic approach could be a hindrance rather than a help.

Perhaps the likeliest option, ex-Spurs midfielder Mason was dismissed from his first senior job by West Brom in January. He lasted a mere seven months in charge and departed with the Baggies hovering above the Championship relegation zone. But he has been Spurs’ caretaker head coach twice previously, and has the affiliation with the club. In his first spell, in 2021, he won four and lost three of seven games.

In his second stint in 2023, he won two, drew two and lost three. That gave him a 33 per cent win percentage, the exact same record he left West Brom with. If he won 33 per cent of Spurs’ final nine games, they add a minimum of nine points to their current total of 29. That could be enough to save them.

Postecoglou’s Forest successor Sean Dyche was also dismissed last month despite a 40 per cent win ratio and some decent results while at the City Ground. Dyche ultimately lost the support of the club’s fans due to his dogged style of play, but as a short-term fix, Spurs fans would put up with dull games of football, so long as they win a few to stay up.

Dyche would be a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ type appointment but the Englishman would feel he has something to prove given how it ended in Nottingham. Especially given Spurs face relegation rivals Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 22.

Another unemployed coach, Marco Rose would actually be a bit of a coup in Spurs’ current situation. He was sacked by RB Leipzig a year ago for underperformance but throughout his managerial career has had some real success, especially at Red Bull Salzburg while he took Borussia Monchengladbach to the Champions League and won the DFB Pokal at Leipzig.

Whether German Rose, who also managed Borussia Dortmund previously, could effectively employ his aggressive pressing style in such a short space of time is uncertain. But he was on Spurs’ shortlist before they appointed Tudor so is clearly a manager whom they appreciate.