As Tottenham assess their options and figure out a plan to replace Thomas Frank, there’s every chance his assistant, John Heitinga, could take over the helm.
It’s unclear at this stage whether Spurs will hire a permanent replacement for Frank or go for an interim option until the summer.
All we know at the moment is that Tottenham plan to have a new manager by Monday. That makes sense, given the North London Derby is a little over a week away.
With time running out, we could well see John Heitinga in the dugout for that game at least. But, what can we expect from him if he is put in charge?
- READ MORE: Tottenham’s top five biggest January surprises – Including transfer saga for Champions League winner
Tottenham would switch to a 4-3-3 under John Heitinga
While Thomas Frank employed a 4-2-3-1, we would probably see a slight tweak with Heitinga preferring a 4-3-3 formation.
All that would mean, really, is that the number 10 role currently occupied by Xavi Simons would become more of a deep-lying playmaker role.
Meanwhile, the wide players would probably be slightly more advanced, but only marginally. Of course, this could be a good thing; a small change rather than anything drastic might just be the ideal way to freshen things up for Spurs at this point.
It would really just be that midfield three where we would see some change. It would be very interesting to see who Heitinga would select to deliver the best balance in the middle of the park.
Heitinga’s record at Ajax wasn’t as bad as everyone thinks
Heitinga came under fire at Ajax, with fans left disappointed by sloppy defending, a perceived lack of direction, and the general style of play they saw under the 41-year-old.
Interestingly, Heitinga only lost one league game, but such is the pressure at Ajax, that simply wasn’t good enough. More importantly, the supporters expect to be entertained, and results do not matter half as much if those expectations are not met.
Still, on paper at least, Heitinga won five and drew five in the Eredivisie, losing just the once. He did lose all four games he oversaw in the Champions League, though, which tarnished his record somewhat.