Alan Shearer has offered an interesting reason why Daniel Levy has been hesitant to sack Ange Postecoglou, but suggests that the Spurs chairman might be forced to act swiftly.
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs job is safe… for now
After Tottenham fell to a 2-1 loss to a Leicester City side who have lost all of their last seven Premier League games, major question marks have been raised about Postecoglou‘s future at the club.
However, reports indicate that Spurs are still not prepared to pull to plug on the current project and are expected to back the Australian with at least one more signing before the transfer deadline.
It was even revealed by The Sun that Tottenham have confirmed that Postecoglou will be at the press conference on Wednesday, which perhaps means that he will be in charge of the Europa League clash against IF Elfsborg at the very least.
Alan Shearer believes one factor is saving Postecoglou
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer had a conversation about Postecoglou‘s future in the latest episode of the Rest is Football podcast, and both pundits felt that the Tottenham boss is on thin ice.
Shearer suggested that the upcoming second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal against Liverpool next week could be the main reason that the Australian is still in his job, with the club not wanting to disrupt things before the big clash at Anfield.
Here is the transcript of the conversation between the pair:
Lineker: “He needs to turn it around quickly, I suspect. And that result today won’t help. But I think of paramount importance, if they stay patient, will be the second leg at Anfield.
Shearer: “Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with that. I think you look at that game and you think if they perhaps weren’t in that position, then maybe the worst would have already happened. But I think when you look to that game, that is a huge game for them.”
“I just wonder today though, if we’re listening to the crowd towards Levy in the stadium, I don’t know, I just think for him to pull the trigger now would be a huge decision. It was hugely loud in the stadium against the chairman today.”
Lineker: “Also, I mean, we’ve said this many times, but it’s always the manager’s fault, it’s always the coach’s fault. And you look at the teams that have, say, sacked their managers so far this season, some have had a little bounce at the very beginning, like Wolves, like Leicester did, and then they go back pretty much. Well, Everton have had a bounce, we’ll see now whether they can sustain that.”
Lack of suitable options might also be saving Postecoglou
Whether Postecoglou is very close to being sacked or not, one can be sure that Tottenham would have started their homework on identifying candidates to replace the Australian. However, finding suitable replacements mid-season might prove very difficult.
Someone like Andoni Iraola might not be keen to abandon Bournemouth, who are having a terrific season, and inherit the mess that Tottenham currently find themselves in.
There will be a lot more options for Spurs to choose from in the summer, which is why Levy will be hoping that Postecoglou is able to at least hold the fort until the end of the campaign.