John Terry makes Tottenham manager prediction amid Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino links | Football

Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry says he expects Mauricio Pochettino to return for a second bite on the cherry as Tottenham manager in the summertime.

Tottenham announced that Thomas Frank had been relieved of his duties after only eight months on Wednesday after the side had suffered a 2-1 defeat by the hands of Newcastle within the Premier League.

It was just the most recent in a desperately poor run of domestic results, with the club languishing down in sixteenth place within the table, just five points above the relegation zone.

Spurs’ strong group-stage performance within the Champions League was not enough to maintain Frank within the job, with early exits in each the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup only increasing the pressure on the Dane before his dismissal.

Discontent amongst the fanbase had grown to such an extent that cries of ‘You’re getting sacked within the morning’ were directed at Frank for much of Tuesday’s contest on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank and his players were also booed off the pitch on the full-time whistle as they were consigned to their 11 lack of the top-flight campaign.

It’s understood the north London outfit will first look to rent an interim head coach – ahead of their upcoming match against arch-rivals Arsenal – before appointing a long-term solution in the summertime.

The likes of Robbie Keane, Oliver Glasner and Xavi have all been linked with the vacant position within the intervening hours, while ex-Brighton and Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi has been installed because the early bookmakers’ favourite.

Nonetheless, Terry could be surprised if USA boss Pochettino wasn’t managing the club again come the beginning of next season given the recognition he still has with fans from his first spell.

‘I actually like Thomas Frank and I don’t wish to see any manager lose their job, but I feel it’s the appropriate call from Tottenham,’ Terry told his followers on his TikTok page.

‘With a troublesome game and a troublesome fixture at home against Arsenal next, it’s going to be very tough for any manager coming in, but they actually need a brand new manager bounce.

‘It’s looking like Roberto De Zerbi is the favourite until the top of the season. Robbie Keane has been linked until the top of the season as well, Tim Sherwood, Harry Redknapp’s thrown his hat within the ring until the top of the season.

‘But I feel the primary one which the Spurs fans want and that everyone seems to be talking about is Pochettino to come back back.’

Terry believes Pochettino is a ‘great manager’ having worked with the Argentine in his part-time coaching and mentoring role in Chelsea’s academy.

‘Obviously I worked with him and have seen him work at Chelsea. Great manager, done great for Spurs previously as well,’ he added.

‘I feel he’s going to be the one to take Spurs next season, with a brief manager coming on this season.’

The likes of Harry Redknapp and John Heitinga – Spurs’ current assistant manager – have been mooted as potential candidates to take over the reins from Frank on an interim basis.

Tim Sherwood, who managed Tottenham from 2013 to 2014, has also been linked and the 57-year-old has made no secret of his interest in returning to his former stomping ground to assist regular the ship.

‘It was an honour for me to administer that football club and it might be an honour for me to administer them again,’ Sherwood told Sky Sports on Wednesday.

‘I can do the job. I actually have proved that I can do the job. What they’ll’t do is make a mistake with this appointment.’

Sherwood added: ‘I’m 50/1, so there’s no probability really…but possibly it’s not sexy enough, I might need an excessive amount of of a personality for that hierarchy.

‘In the event you take a look at what I did once I went in there, I did the job. I did the job I used to be asked to do and won more games than losses. My home record was excellent as well.

‘I played on the front foot. Forget the way you’re going to play in this case, they should win, regardless of the way you play, it’s good to win.

‘They should take the shackles off this group of players, get some confidence and make certain they’re prepared for a relegation battle.

‘Once I glance through that squad, I’d probably hand my hat on five of them to have a fight down there, they’re not ready for a fight in the mean time once you look from the surface.’

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