Chelsea’s rivals Tottenham are looking for a new manager after the sacking of Thomas Frank following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United, and Enzo Maresca’s name is in the running.
While Chelsea fans will have been frustrated to watch Liam Rosenior’s side concede a two-goal lead on Tuesday night, at least they aren’t Tottenham fans. Spurs have slipped into 16th place in the league table.
A dismal home defeat to Newcastle, who themselves have been under immense pressure after a poor run of form, resulted in a chorus of boos at full-time and, indeed, left the Spurs board with no choice.
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The top-four race is hotting up…
Frank has been sacked, and the strong favourite is former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino. Reports say the USA boss is keen on becoming Spurs manager for a second time, despite the upcoming World Cup.
Enzo Maresca a shock contender for the Tottenham job
It’s been just over a month since the Chelsea board decided to oust Enzo Maresca from his post as Blues boss. Since then, Maresca has been linked with many jobs, including a return to his old job at Leicester.
But the Italian has outgrown the Championship now after guiding Chelsea to the Conference League title and the Club World Cup trophy. Things ended in tears, but Maresca’s stint as Chelsea boss was superb.
The Independent’s Miguel Delaney weighs up the Tottenham situation at the moment on his TikTok, confirming Spurs want Pochettino back and talks are underway. But Maresca is also a contender for Spurs.
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“Mauricio Pochettino. I’m told there are figures the club already trying to make this happen, but there’s also an awareness that Pochettino is highly unlikely to leave the USA job until after the World Cup.
“So that leaves Tottenham facing up to a new plan. And the plan or what next has been one of the issues in all this. It’s one reason why Thomas Frank ended up staying so long,” Delaney continued on Spurs.
“I mean, just on that Pochettino point, if they can’t get him right now, which is highly unlikely, they may look to an interim. Other potentially permanent names have been raised. De Zerbi is an obvious one.
“He would want a three and a half year contract, from what I’m told. Another is Maresca, but all of these are kind of ideas being floated right now as the club has to figure out its plan over the next 11 days.”
What is the biggest difference you’ve noticed between Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea?👀
Malo Gusto on Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior
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Maresca and Pochettino compared after Chelsea stints
As aforementioned, Maresca enjoyed a brilliant spell at Chelsea before it unravelled towards the end. Pochettino also enjoyed success at Chelsea, though he failed to deliver a trophy for the Londoners.
Pochettino won 26 of 51 games as Blues boss and got the best out of Cole Palmer, masterminding his 42 goals and assists during 2023-24. A win rate of around 51%, while Maresca almost won 60% of games.
An exact total of 59.8%, having secured 55 wins of 92 games. The chances are that in the near future, Chelsea and Rosenior will be sharing a touchline with a former Chelsea manager when they face Spurs.
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