Five managers who could replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur

The North London club are once again in the market for a manager after parting ways with the Portuguese

While the world is still reeling from the shock of the proposed European Super League, Tottenham Hotspur announced that they were parting ways with Jose Mourinho following Spurs' insipid performance in the league this season. They lie 7th in the league, five points behind fourth. They also suffered the ignominy of crashing out of the Europa League round of 16 vs Dinamo Zagreb squandering a 2-0 first-leg advantage in the process.

A partnership that was deemed to bring success to the North London club turned into sour grapes in just 17 months. Although he took Tottenham to the Carabao Cup final which is scheduled to take place next week, Daniel Levy and co. determined that the Portuguese's services were no longer needed. The squad also found no inspiration from him and from his gameplay which was reactive and defensive, to say the least. In his stead, Ryan Mason who previously played for the club will take interim charge of the club's training sessions.

We take a look at the prospective candidates who could potentially replace him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

5. Andre Villas-Boas

A potential candidate for Spurs could be their former manager and Jose's compatriot Andre Villas-Boas. The Portuguese managed the club during the 2012-13 season and led them to 5th place . He also managed Chelsea in the 2010-11 season but the club sacked him midway as they went on to finish sixth that season.

Although Tottenham sacked Villas-Boas then due to the club's inability to get Champions League football, the current dearth in the football managers' market combined with his previous experience of managing in the Premier League, could make him an ideal candidate for the North London club.

4. Eusebio Di Francesco

Eusebio Di Francesco is another candidate who can be handed the reins at Spurs. The Italian possesses rich experience in management and his attacking style will find a good home at the white part of North London.

He was in charge when Sassuolo were promoted to their first ever Serie A campaign. After that they finished 17th, 12th, 6th (club highest), and 10th in his four seasons in Serie A. He then moved to Roma where he guided the Giallorossi to a third-place finish. The following season, he masterminded their heroic quarterfinal comeback against FC Barcelona before a close defeat by Liverpool in the semifinals.

3. Erik Ten Hag

Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag is another great candidate to take over the job.Currently in charge of Ajax, he coached a young team led by Matthijs De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong to a memorable run to the 2019 Champions League semifinals. They beat giants like Juventus and Real Madrid along the way and just fell short of Tottenham in the semifinals.

In his time with the Amsterdam club, Hag has won the league title in 2018-19 and the KNVB Cup twice- once this season and the other in 2018-19.

Hag has also managed the Bayern Munich 'B' Team . With more than 400 games under his belt, he could be an ideal candidate as he emphasizes on blooding youngsters and bringing the best out of them which can fit with Tottenham's long term plans for success.

2. Neil Lennon

Neil Lennon enjoyed a very successful period with Celtic. Lennon won five Scottish Premier League titles as a player. He followed it up by winning five more as a manager marking a decade of domination by the Glasgow club.

Lennon has tasted success and knows what it takes to win. He also has experience playing in the Premier League and could be an ideal appointment for Tottenham given that he also offers youngsters a chance. He was the one who unearthed players like Virgil Van Dijk and Kieran Tierney to name a few.

1. Massimiliano Allegri

It's been almost two years since Allegri left his job at Juventus. The Italian has since been without a job but could be favored by Tottenham. Allegri is a highly recognized coach who could be a statement signing for the Lilly Whites.

The Italian has won six league titles - one with AC Milan and five consecutive ones with Juventus. He has also led the latter to two Champions League finals. He possesses the experience of taking up a high-pressure job like Tottenham. Among the current names present in the market, Allegri's name ranks as the most eminent and capable at the moment.

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