Spurs could hire 4-2-3-1 upgrade on De Zerbi & Pochettino

After the debacle in Madrid a week ago, it meant that for the first time in the entire club’s history, Tottenham Hotspur had lost six games on the spin.

The problems at Spurs are far greater than Igor Tudor could have ever imagined, and at the moment, it does look as though he is walking towards Premier League relegation.

That said, there was some degree of positivity after heading to Anfield on Sunday and picking up a 1-1 draw. Spurs were not great, but they weren’t awful either. Richarlison, the man for a moment like this, popped up just when Tudor needed him.

However, it still may not be enough to save his job. Another huge defeat against Atletico on Wednesday night could be the final nail in the coffin for the Croatian.

Spurs looking for Tudor replacements

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed last week that in the event they decide to pull the trigger on Tudor early, they are looking for suitable replacements.

ENIC and the Lewis family will already be on the hunt for a permanent manager in the summer but may well have to bring their plans forward. After all, Tudor has not won a single game since he became the interim boss in north London.

Mooted options include the likes of Robbie Keane and Ryan Mason who could be suitable short-term options. That said, Keane is said to want the job on a permanent, long-term contract.

Talks have reportedly also been held with former Brighton and Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi while rumours surrounding Mauricio Pochettino continue to swirl. The trouble is that he will not leave his post with the USA until after their home World Cup this summer.

The likely scenario and the one Spurs want to play out if that they find a strong Tudor successor in the summer when someone like De Zerbi or Pochettino becomes available.

The same could be said of Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard was relieved of his duties at Real Madrid earlier this season and has been out of work ever since.

While a move to Tottenham seems far-fetched, claims were made back in January that talks had been held with the former midfielder’s camp.

Spurs would, of course, need to remain in the division to entice one of Europe’s brightest young coaches to the club but he would surely represent an upgrade on anyone else if they could get a deal done.

How Alonso compares to Pochettino and De Zerbi

The dream move for any Spurs fan this summer would be Pochettino.

No manager has come close to achieving what he achieved in the Tottenham dugout since he departed. Ange Postecoglou may well have won the Europa League with the Lilywhites but Poch took the club to a Champions League final.

That said, however good his reputation may well be. He is not Alonso, nor is De Zerbi.

Hailed as “one of the best managers in the world” by Carlo Ancelotti no less, things may not have gone according to plan for the Spaniard in Madrid but his work with Bayer Leverkusen was one of the most remarkable managerial accomplishments of the modern era.

Toppling the Bayern Munich monopoly on the Bundesliga title is no easy feat but Leverkusen pipped them to the post back in 2023/24. They didn’t just pip Germany’s biggest team to the league crown but they won the whole thing unbeaten.

It was the first time any German side other than Bayern had won the league since Borussia Dortmund in 2011/12. That’s how miraculous this title win was.

Alonso achieved his success by predominantly using a 3-4-2-1 formation or a 4-2-3-1 system – the same one he preferred at the Bernabeu.

On that evidence, he is tactically flexible, but what should appeal to Spurs most is the way in which he develops players, almost similar to Pochettino at Spurs in a sense.

You could say Florian Wirtz was Alonso’s own Dele Alli, that Jeremie Frimpong was his own Kyle Walker. Two of the brightest young talents to emerge from the Bundesliga in recent years, Alonso worked his magic and then some at Leverkusen.

Preferring a short and quick passing style of play, Spurs fans would receive not only an entertaining brand of football, but importantly, someone capable of developing players and winning major trophies.

De Zerbi is yet to do that at the top table while Pochettino has been away from the club game for a while now. Alonso would be a perfect fit but perhaps we’re living in a fantasy land here?

Would he really fancy a stint with a team on the verge of relegation? Well, if they stay up, there’s a really nice project there, one akin to Leverkusen.

We’re not suggesting for one moment that he could make Tottenham challenge for a title any time soon but he’s clearly shown the ability to overpower the bigger boys before, swatting Bayern aside with relative ease.

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