5 former coaches Tottenham could bring back to replace Thomas Frank

The Tottenham hierarchy were seemingly desperate to give Thomas Frank as much time as possible to turn, as the Dane put it, the "supertanker" around, but the bullet was bitten after our winless Premier League run continued on Tuesday night.

Unlike his predecessor, Frank departs with a sorry legacy after a miserable eight months, having failed to scale up an approach that allowed the wonderfully-run Brentford to punch above their weight in the big time.

He just wasn't up to the task, and perhaps if that was realised back in November, after cowardly derby defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal, we wouldn't be fretting over a potential relegation scrap.

Whoever comes in to replace Frank and interim manager Igor Tudor does have a huge task, given the number of injuries, and it's clear that those running the show have little idea what direction to turn next. Johnny Heitinga makes sense on an interim basis, but if they fancy taking the populist approach, Spurs should appoint someone familiar with the ongoings in N17, capable of uniting an increasingly tense fanbase and, most importantly, igniting a swift upsurge.

Here are five former Tottenham managers who could be brought in to replace the unpopular Frank.

1. Mauricio Pochettino

#PochBack was resisted by Daniel Levy on multiple occasions before his departure last September, but reuniting with the Argentine feels more likely than ever before.

Of course, Tottenham will not be able to welcome Mauricio Pochettino home until after the World Cup, where he'll lead the United States on home soil, so a caretaker manager would be required for the rest of the season.

While Poch tried to tarnish his lofty standing in north London by joining Chelsea for a year, he remains an immensely popular figure among Lilywhite supporters. Following eight months of turgid misery where Spurs often performed like plucky FA Cup underdogs, fans want to believe in something again.

Much has changed since his 2019 departure, including the sport itself, so we cannot expect things to ever be as they were. However, the manager's trust in youth and his ability to improve players render him a pretty good fit for this young and relatively inexperienced Tottenham squad that desperately needs a respectable figurehead.

This is no utopia, with Pochettino boasting drawbacks that plenty are willing to overlook. However, the honeymoon period could be special.

2. Robbie Keane

I thought Tottenham would consider Robbie Keane on an interim basis, but oddsmakers suggest the Irishman could get the permanent job right away. For me, this could play out similar to Michael Carrick at Manchester United, were it to happen.

Keane moved into a player-manager role at Indian outfit ATK in 2018 and has since served as an assistant coach at Middlesbrough, Leeds United, and the Republic of Ireland. After leaving Leeds, Keane fancied taking the hot seat himself and started his managerial career with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The much-loved former Spurs striker is currently doing a pretty grand job at Hungarian giants Ferencváros, helping them to their 36th league title last season. He's got them competing in Europe, too, with a 12th-place finish in the Europa League first-phase table seeing them into the play-offs, where they'll face Ludogorets for a place in the last 16.

Keane strikes you as a no-nonsense character who could certainly ignite a fire within this group of currently broken players. I'm not too aware of what he does tactically, but I don't think this is a wild option on a short-term basis.

3. Ryan Mason

Levy may well have turned to Ryan Mason already, having done so twice before, but the new-look board are likely to opt for a different approach. Moreover, there's no guarantee that Mason would take on the role of caretaker boss for a third time, given that he's already embarked on a managerial stint with West Brom.

That didn't go particularly well, mind.

Mason oversaw 13 Premier League games over his previous two spells, winning just six, as he inherited dressing rooms that had been left battered and bruised by José Mourinho and Antonio Conte's stints in charge. Levy infamously sacked Mourinho just days before the 2021 League Cup final, meaning Mason made his managerial bow at Wembley in the opposite dugout to none other than Pep Guardiola.

The former midfielder, who also served on Ange Postecoglou's backroom staff, would be a safe pair of hands who should be able to change tack and foster a more harmonious atmosphere in north London.

4. Harry Redknapp

Okay, now we're going left-field.

Harry Redknapp ranks among the most popular Tottenham managers in modern history, with the Englishman guiding us into the Champions League for the very first time, having taken over in October 2008 with Spurs rotting at the foot of the Premier League table.

His football was simple but brilliant, allowing superstars to flourish. The 2009/10 side may have thrust us to the promised land, but the 2011/12 outfit, when Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modrić and Gareth Bale worked in glorious harmony, is my second favourite Spurs team ever, sitting only below 2016/17.

However, a falling out with Levy over a new contract facilitated his surprise departure in June 2012, and Redknapp undoubtedly held some resentment towards the football club for a period after. Now, though, the 78-year-old is ready for a return to the big time... apparently. After Frank's sacking was confirmed on Wednesday, Redknapp said he'd be more than willing to take the Tottenham job on for a second time.

As intrigued as I am by the possibility, Spurs won't be taking up his offer.

5. Jürgen Klinsmann

Jürgen Klinsmann has never managed Tottenham, but he is a former Tottenham player who ventured into management. That's enough for me.

Supporters have thrown all kinds of names around in our search for a caretaker manager, with Klinsmann being noted a couple of times. For a particular generation, the great German striker ranks among their favourite ever Lilywhite stars, which is a testament to the impact Klinsmann made in north London, given that he spent just a couple of years at the club.

However, he's only been active sporadically on the touchline since retirement and doesn't exactly have the glossiest of CVs, especially in recent years. He lasted just ten games at Hertha Berlin and barely a year with the South Korean national team.

So, while plenty would be happy to see the German in north London again, I don't see Klinsmann being the guy to get Spurs out of the mire.