When Tottenham plan to have a new manager in place after Thomas Frank dismissal

In the wake of Thomas Frank’s sacking at Tottenham, many are speculating what the club will do next, and we now know a timeline for the next steps.

After yet another defeat this week, Thomas Frank was relieved of his duties on Wednesday morning. With 11 days until the next game, Spurs now have a chance to find a suitable replacement.

The North London Derby will be a baptism of fire for whoever steps into Frank’s shoes. With a depleted squad and Arsenal being in such good form, it could be a disaster waiting to happen. Or, that new manager bounce could be exactly what Tottenham need.

Either way, someone has to take the helm. Will the Lilywhites go for a permanent hire and plan for the long-term? Or will they bring in an interim coach to hold the fort until the summer?

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Tottenham’s plan to replace Thomas Frank

According to a report from The Telegraph, the Spurs hierarchy are keen to bring in a new manager by Monday. Whether that’s a permanent or temporary manager is another matter.

Essentially, that is the big decision they must make now. The names on the shortlist, according to that report, are Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, and Robbie Keane. All three of those managers are currently in jobs, though.

That would suggest a permanent appointment would be made, with none of them expected to step in on an interim basis.

However, conflicting information from Sky Sports suggests Spurs would prefer to hire an interim manager for now and reassess the situation in the summer.

• READ MORE: Tottenham owners received two recommendations to sack Thomas Frank from high-profile figures

Spurs should go for an interim manager

Going down the interim route would be the obvious choice for Spurs, especially if Mauricio Pochettino is the number one target for the club.

It is thought Pochettino would love to come back, but he obviously has the USA job to take care of ahead of the World Cup. There’s almost no chance he would walk away from that role early.

Granted, the options for an interim manager at Spurs are pretty worrying. John Heitinga feels like the most natural candidate given he is already at the club, but is he really good enough to carrry the Lilywhites through the rest of the season?

It all depends whether the board see this campaign as a write-off already, or whether they still want to try and make something of this season with a proper manager in charge.