Next Tottenham Manager Odds: Six candidates to replace Antonio Conte should he leave Spurs

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Next Tottenham Manager Odds: Six candidates to replace Antonio Conte should he leave Spurs

A cacophony of boos greeted the final whistle following a meek Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan as Tottenham’s bleak hopes of silverware this season were extinguished for good.

Inconsistency has plagued this Spurs side for some time now. For every win over defending champions Man City, just round the corner there's an insipid FA Cup defeat to Championship-level Sheffield United. 

Conte’s arrival was supposed to inject a winning mentality, and while Spurs have sparkled at times, in their last three games they've been completely devoid of impetus, energy, and character during dismal defeats to Sheffield United, Wolves, and Wednesday's uninspiring goalless draw against Milan.

Conte’s contract expires at the end of the season. A top-four finish is still within reach but, in truth, a mutual parting of ways seems the most likely outcome in the summer.

If Spurs are left searching for yet another new manager, who could they turn to?

We’ve identified six possible contenders…

Could the stars soon align for the heavily speculated return of Mauricio Pochettino?

His fantastic first spell combined with his popularity and current availability means it's no surprise that Poch tops the betting market at 5/2 with Bet Victor. 

Pochettino wasn’t able to end Tottenham’s trophy drought but he did soar Spurs to a Champions League final, League Cup final, and four top-4 finishes, complete with a brave, high-intensity, fast-paced style of play - elements that are evidently missing from Spurs right now.

Thomas Tuchel

Spurs have developed quite a fondness for appointing an ex-Chelsea manager: Andre Villas-Boas, Jose Mourinho, and Conte to name a few in the last 10 years. 

With that said, could Thomas Tuchel (6/1, BetVictor) be next on their managerial wishlist?

Tuchel has lifted trophies in each of his last three jobs at Borussia Dortmund, PSG, and Chelsea; elevating the latter to European and World champions during a remarkable 18 months, which also featured Super Cup glory and two domestic finals.

A ridiculously harsh sacking followed, but 2021's FIFA Coach of the Year remains on the market and available for hire.

Should Spurs be interested, then they may want to put in a call soon, as the German's phone is sure to be scorching hot come the summer.

Another experienced manager musing over his next opportunity in the dugout is Luis Enrique.

After spells at Roma and Celta Vigo, Enrique famously led Barcelona to the treble before testing himself in the international arena with Spain.

Under his tutorship, Spain were a penalty shoot-out victory away from the Euro 2020 final and finished runners-up in the Nations League.

They exploded out of the blocks with a 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica at the recent World Cup, but failed to build on that result and sunk out in the last-16, which resulted in Enrique vacating his post.

Enrique has since confirmed his desire to return to the touchline and could well have the Premier League in his sights, with The Athletic reporting that he's a target for Spurs.

We're not saying Enrique will suddenly transform Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Dejan Kulusevski into prime Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar, but it's an exciting appointment that makes a lot of sense.

At 20/1 (BetVictor) he looked a cracking price in the aftermath of Tottenham's Champions League departure, odds that have since been cut to around the 12/1 mark.

Roberto De Zerbi (6/1) may not yet have the resume of the above trio of elite managers but his career path continues to motor on an upwards trajectory and is surely destined for the top of the ladder.

The Italian pieced together a swashbuckling side at Sassuolo, a club that continuously overachieved over the course of his three-year tenure during which he won plaudits for his coaching philosophy and bold style of play.

At Shakhtar Donetsk, he lifted the Ukrainian Super Cup and had his troops top of the table before parting ways after the season was cut short due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 43-year-old has since built on the fantastic work of Graham Potter, taking Brighton to new heights, and even has his free-scoring side knocking on the door of the European spots.

Thomas Frank

Similarly to De Zerbi at Brighton, Thomas Frank (8/1) continues to overachieve at Brentford.

The Bees are absolutely buzzing right now, enjoying the longest current unbeaten streak in the Premier League.

During those 12 matches they have stunned Man City at the Etihad, dispatched of Liverpool, and taken a point off Arsenal at the Emirates, which has fired them into the European-places conversation.

If Spurs come knocking Frank will surely be tempted, yet you get the feeling it would take A LOT to persuade him to leave Brentford, whom a few months ago he signed a long-term contract extension through to 2027.

We finish on a rank outsider in the betting: Michael Carrick at 33/1 with Paddy Power/Betfair.

The ex-Man Utd caretaker has taken to management like a duck to water, waving his magic wand at the Riverside where he's completely transformed the fortunes of Middlesbrough.

One point and one place above the relegation at the time of his appointment in October, Carrick has cannonballed Boro to 3rd and to within seven points of the top-two.

The former Tottenham midfield is, of course, a left-field shout to return to Spurs as manager - it would be an extremely bold decision given his lack of experience - but if he secures promotion and Daniel Levy/Fabio Paratici fail to land their top targets then, who knows, Carrick could build momentum and be in with a chance.

Meanwhile, other managers who could well be worth monitoring are Celtic's Ange Postecoglou and former river Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo.