Ange Postecoglou replacement ‘favourite’ latest after players ‘quit’ v Liverpool
Ange Postecoglou is back under immense pressure at Tottenham after his players “quit” during the 4-0 loss against Liverpool.
Spurs travelled to Anfield on Thursday (6 February) with a one-goal advantage from the victory in the first leg but failed to get out of second gear as the hosts put Postecoglou’s men to the sword to reach the final.
The Australian was mooted to be sacked by Daniel Levy in the hours following the defeat on Merseyside, but he remains at the helm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium despite a new favourite emerging to take his position.
Thomas Frank is the favourite to replace Ange Postecoglou
According to the latest bookmakers odds, Thomas Frank is the new favourite to become the next Tottenham manager should Postecoglou be sent packing in North London.
The Brentford boss saw his odds slashed ahead of the 2-0 loss against Spurs on 2 February and has always been a name high on the list when discussing potential replacements at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Paddy Power have Frank at 11/2 to take the reigns, moving level on odds with long-time favourite Andoni Iraola – his Bournemouth side are flying high in the Premier League and are outside favourites to claim a European spot this term.
However, Frank has been performing admirably at the Gtech Community Stadium for several years now, as he has found creative ways to keep his Bees side competitive despite a lack of investment and losing key players such as Ivan Toney.
Nevertheless, the Lilywhites are among the conversation for a relegation battle in the Premier League this season, and the longer they remain in the bottom echelons of the league table, the more likely this reality will become.
Tottenham players ‘quit’ on Ange Postecoglou v Liverpool
This season has been night and day from Postecoglou’s maiden year in North London and the patience is wearing thin.
Troy Deeney wrote a damning review of the performance at Anfield in The Sun (8 February), claiming the players have given up under the boss.
Writing: “Anyone who has played the game will tell you most of those Spurs players quit, gave up. Not on each other or themselves, but quit on the manager, the fan base, everything.”
The ex-Premier League striker did not hold back in his verdict of the players, claiming a metaphorical sledgehammer should be taken to the Tottenham dressing room.
Indeed, Spurs travelled to the North West in a favourable position following Lucas Bergvall’s sole goal in the first leg, but the game plan the visitors tried to implement backfired tremendously.
Although Postecoglou has been dubbed “arrogant” for his refusal to alter his tactics, the match at Anfield proved why – his players had no idea what they were doing in a dire attempt to clutch onto the one-goal lead.
With an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Aston Villa next (9 February), another cup elimination could be the final nail in the coffin.