Tottenham fans serenaded their manager Thomas Frank with an ominous chant late in a 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ the Spurs fans sang. The following day, they were proven right.
Tottenham dismissed Frank on Wednesday, Feb. 11, closing the book on an eight-month run that ended with an eight-game winless streak in domestic competitions.
Tottenham is currently mired in 16th place and could yet be dragged into a relegation battle, sitting just five points clear of the drop zone.
In addition to the Frank chants on Tuesday, Tottenham fans also sang for a revered figure in north London: former head coach and current U.S. men’s national team boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino was at the helm from 2014 to 2019, leading Spurs to a period of major success that saw the club finish runner-up in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The Argentine is an obvious candidate to return to north London, but he does have the small matter of the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.
Pochettino’s contract with U.S. Soccer runs through the end of the World Cup. Right now, two scenarios appear very unlikely: Pochettino leaving before the World Cup, and Pochettino staying after the World Cup.
What has Mauricio Pochettino said?
Despite his undivided attention on the upcoming World Cup, Pochettino has previously expressed his desire to return to the Premier League.
‘Yeah, I watch a lot,’ the Argentinian manager said in a December interview with the BBC. ‘The Premier League is the best in the world. Of course I miss it.
‘I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.’
In an interview on the High Performance Podcast this week, Pochettino said that even though Spurs should be happy with winning the Europa League last season, it isn’t enough.
‘To win the Europa League is good because when you celebrate a trophy, that is good, but it’s not enough,’ the 53-year-old said.
‘It’s not enough for a club like Tottenham. It’s not enough to challenge for the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup, the Europa League or the Conference (League).
‘The fans expect to be in the Champions League, fighting for the Champions League, trying to believe that you can win the Champions League.’
Will Mauricio Pochettino be the next Tottenham manager?
At present, Johnny Heitinga appears to be the favorite to take over Spurs on an interim basis.
The former Netherlands defender was sacked as Ajax head coach in November, and was appointed assistant manager just four weeks ago.
Should Tottenham decide that it needs to make a permanent hire immediately, Roberto De Zerbi has been mentioned as a possible candidate.
The Italian had major success with Brighton in the Premier League and is currently free after leaving Marseille this week.