Gary Lineker urges Tottenham to ‘take a look at’ two ex-Chelsea managers to exchange Thomas Frank | Football

Ex-Tottenham striker Gary Lineker has encouraged the club to pursue a possible move for Enzo Maresca following Thomas Frank’s dismissal as manager.

Tottenham announced that Frank had been relieved of his duties this morning within the wake of the side’s 2-1 loss at home to 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 were also eliminated from each the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup under Frank and their impressive group-stage showing within the Champions League was ultimately not enough to maintain the Dane within the job.

There had been a growing feeling of discontent amongst Spurs’ fanbase because the season wore on – and Frank’s role was deemed to be untenable after chants of ‘You’re getting sacked within the morning’ reverberated across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night.

The 52-year-old leaves his post after just eight months on the helm having previously managed Brentford for seven years.

It’s understood the north London outfit will first hire 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, Xavi and Mauricio Pochettino have all been linked with the vacant position within the intervening hours, with ex-Brighton and Marseille boss.

Lineker can understand why Tottenham might consider bringing Pochettino back to the club given the affinity the Argentine shares with the fanbase after his previous managerial spell between 2014 and 2019.

But the previous Match of the Day host believes Maresca – who succeeded Pochettino at Chelsea – must also be into consideration, a month-and-a-half on from his sacking at Stamford Bridge.

‘People discuss him [De Zerbi] being the sort of manager that perhaps the Spurs fans would accept and luxuriate in,’ Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.

‘Just a little little bit of the criticism of Thomas Frank was that he was just a little more of a defence-minded coach than perhaps someone like Ange Postecoglou previously.

‘My point could be that a very powerful thing is winning and that’s what you would like.

‘De Zerbi is favourite together with John Heitinga who obviously the coach, so he’d jump in in the event that they don’t get a manager immediately. Those two are the favourites.

‘Interestingly, for me, someone like Maresca, 20/1 with the bookies, and if I were Tottenham then I’d very much take a look at him despite the fact that he’s former Chelsea they usually don’t like that form of stuff, the Tottenham fans, possibly.

‘But having said that, I feel the Tottenham fans would really, really like a former Chelsea coach as well, but mainly a former Tottenham coach, and that can be Pochettino.’

Pochettino stays committed to his role as head coach of the US’ national team until the conclusion of the side’s World Cup campaign this summer.

Lineker can subsequently envisage a scenario where Spurs turn to Pochettino after calling upon a short lived option in the meanwhile.

‘He’s got a job to do in the summertime so he’s not going to be free until after that if he decided to go away the USA national team,’ he added.

‘I believe they won’t do this well within the World Cup because they haven’t really god the players, but home advantage can drive you thru. If he got them to the last 16 then that wouldn’t be a foul effort.

‘He could develop into available so do they offer it to an interim until the top of the season?’

Given the best way Tottenham’s results have spiralled, Lineker’s colleague on The Rest Is Football, Alan Shearer, just isn’t in the least surprised to see Frank lose his job.

‘They’re in a relegation battle after last night’s performance and I don’t think the performances could go on,’ Shearer – the Premier League’s all-time top scorer – explained.

‘The Tottenham fans made their feelings known last night each with their booing and likewise empty seats which, for an owner or a boss, that’s not a great look.

‘So I’m not surprised in any respect that it happened this morning.’

Asked whether social media has made life tougher for managers in the trendy game, Shearer replied: ‘The highest and bottom of it’s that it hasn’t modified by way of the foundations of a manager or a coach: you get results or the noise around you goes to get loud.

‘It’s louder now than it’s ever been due to social media, due to podcasts, due to fan channels, due to every little thing else, but, ultimately, that noise stays away should you win matches.

‘That’s what it boils right down to and Tottenham haven’t been winning matches.

‘They’re in a relegation fight and that’s why, ultimately, he’s lost his job. Not due to social media, not due to fan unrest, it’s because results have been nowhere near ok for Tottenham.

‘Someone has to pay the worth and the overwhelming majority of the time that’s the top coach or the manager.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Arsenal star could miss remainder of the season as injury expert explains World Cup dilemma

MORE: Keith Andrews fires warning to Arsenal ahead of clash with in-form Brentford

MORE: Mikel Arteta responds to Tottenham sacking Thomas Frank before Arsenal clash