Pochettino admission after Spurs sack Frank as surprise man linked | Football | Sport
Maurico Pochettino has been touted as Spurs’ next head coach (Image: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF, Getty Images)
Michael Dawson has insisted that Robbie Keane should be considered should Tottenham Hotspur opt to appoint a permanent head coach straight away following Thomas Frank’s dismissal. The 52-year-old was relieved of his duties by the Lilywhites on Wednesday morning after a woeful spell which saw Spurs unable to secure a solitary victory in eight Premier League fixtures.
Frank’s fate appeared sealed following a damaging 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night, as supporters voiced their displeasure around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While Frank remained hopeful he would retain his position ahead of next Sunday’s North London Derby, the club had reached a different conclusion regarding the head coach of merely eight months. An official statement confirming his exit read: “The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men’s head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.
“Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.
“Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment – giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Consequently, several candidates have emerged as potential successors for the now-vacant Tottenham hotseat, with Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and Oliver Glasner amongst those mentioned in the rumour mill. Nevertheless, Spurs could alternatively adopt a similar approach to Manchester United by appointing an interim head coach until the campaign concludes before evaluating their possibilities this summer.
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Thomas Frank has been sacked by Spurs (Image: Getty Images)
Should that scenario unfold, club legend Dawson has shared his views on who will likely be the only candidate to be handed the reins at the Lilywhites. Speaking on Sky Sports News, the former centre-half said: “They’ve got a huge decision to make.
“I hear everyone talking about an interim – we don’t know. We don’t know if it’s going to be an interim. If that happens, I think there’s only one manager they’re waiting for and it has to be Pochettino in the summer.”
However, the former Spurs centre-back says that if the club opt to go in a different direction and appoint a permanent manager now, then Robbie Keane has to be considered.
He added: “Or do they go and get someone now, and people are saying; ‘Well, who will that be?’ For me, there’s someone there in the making, someone who knows the football club, someone who’s got the passion, played for the club, loves it, will galvanise everyone and bring them in the right direction moving forward and that’s Robbie Keane for me.”
Dawson did, however, acknowledge that enticing Keane back to north London on an interim basis would prove challenging, considering his current achievements in Hungary. He added: “I can’t imagine that, leaving Ferencvaros.
Michael Dawson believes Robbie Keane is the man for the Spurs job (Image: Getty Images)
“Joint-top of the league, in the knockout stages for the Europa League, so you think – I don’t know too many managers who would leave when they’ve got a contract there to go for an interim. But why not give it him on a permanent basis? They’ve tried Jose, they’ve tried [Antonio] Conte, they’ve tried Thomas Frank.”
A Tottenham legend who understands the club through and through, Keane netted 122 goals in 306 appearances across two separate spells with Spurs before transitioning into management in 2018. In his developing coaching career to date, the Irishman has held a player-manager position with ATK, assistant roles with the Republic of Ireland, Middlesbrough and Leeds United, and head coaching appointments with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros.
Considering that Ferencvaros are presently sitting top of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I table, it’s unclear whether he would contemplate abandoning his current club to assist in rescuing Spurs from a relegation scrap. Meanwhile, the club already have John Heitinga available, who could step into the breach for the rest of the campaign having served as an assistant to Frank since January.
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