Ranking the 7 best Tottenham managers in the Premier League era | OneFootball

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Ange Postecoglou became the 16th permanent manager to take charge of Tottenham in the Premier League era when he moved from Celtic in the summer, following a trophy-laden spell in Glasgow.

The Greek-born Australian has enjoyed a superb start at the North London club, with Spurs unbeaten in their first six league matches while playing an eye-catching brand of attacking football.

While it remains far too early to judge Postecoglou, there have been several managers who have excelled during their time at the club, achieving memorable results against some of Europe’s top clubs and leading Spurs to impressive finishes in the league. So, buckle up and join GIVEMESPORT as we take a closer look at seven of the best Tottenham managers in the Premier League era.

7 Antonio Conte

Taking the reins in November 2021, Antonio Conte arrived in North London with a stellar reputation, having won league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan in his previous roles.

The early signs were positive as Spurs played some brilliant football to pip Arsenal to UEFA Champions League qualification in the 2021/22 campaign.

Despite securing Tottenham’s best-ever start to a Premier League season the following term, the team’s form quickly dipped and Conte soon fell out of favour with the club’s hierarchy and some sections of the supporters.

After conceding a couple of late goals to draw 3-3 to bottom of the league Southampton, Conte provided a damning assessment of his side, calling them “selfish players” that “don’t want to put their heart into it”.

That tirade marked the beginning of the end, and following underwhelming exits in both the Champions League and FA Cup, it was announced in March 2023 that Conte had left the club by mutual consent, bringing an end to his turbulent spell in North London.

6 Tim Sherwood

When it comes to Premier League win ratios, few Tottenham managers possess a better percentage than Tim Sherwood’s 59% (via Transfermarkt), despite only taking charge of 28 games in all competitions.

Unfortunately for the former Lilywhites midfielder, boasting about his “second to none” win ratio, combined with a series of questionable tactical decisions, did him no favours with the Spurs faithful.

His ranking might seem a little harsh considering he took the team to a top-six finish in his half-season in charge while promoting Harry Kane into the first team, but Sherwood’s spell in charge of Tottenham remains a largely forgettable one.

5 Gerry Francis

Having finished a disappointing 15th under Ossie Ardilles in the 1993/94 season, Spurs were just as poor the following season when the Argentine was eventually replaced by Gerry Francis.

The former England international had an immediate impact at the club, winning the Premier League Manager of the Month award in December 1994 before leading Spurs to seventh place - their best finish for five years.

Francis also took Tottenham to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, with Jurgen Klinsmann scoring 30 goals in an exciting season for the club’s supporters.

Unfortunately, performance levels gradually declined following the departure of Klinsmann to Bayern Munich as Spurs finished eighth and then 10th before Francis resigned in the early stages of the 1997/98 campaign with the club in the relegation zone.

4 Andre Villas-Boas

Despite finishing fourth under Harry Redknapp in the 2011/12 season, Spurs were denied a Champions League spot courtesy of Chelsea winning the competition.

Taking over from Redknapp the following campaign, Andre Villas-Boas narrowly missed out on the top four, finishing a point behind Arsenal despite racking up a then-record Premier League points tally.

The Portuguese manager undoubtedly benefitted from the brilliance of Gareth Bale, but he provided Tottenham supporters with plenty of memorable moments during his entertaining 18-month tenure.

Furthermore, Villas-Boas also signed the likes of Hugo Lloris, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele, who all turned out to be excellent long-term players for the club.

3 Martin Jol

Initially appointed as First Assistant Coach to Santini in the summer of 2014, Jol was sitting in the managerial hot seat just 12 matches into the campaign.

Little was known of the Dutchman prior to his arrival in North London, but Jol immediately endeared himself to Tottenham supporters, as the team began to drastically improve on the pitch.

In his first full season in charge, Spurs came within one match of beating rivals Arsenal to fourth place and Champions League qualification. Despite falling at the final hurdle, Jol steered Tottenham to successive top-five finishes in 2005/06 and 2006/07 - the first manager to do so since Keith Burkinshaw in the early 1980s.

The Dutchman also convinced Bale to join the North London club from Southampton the following season, and given the Welshman's impact at Spurs, that signing remains one of the best in the club’s history.

2 Mauricio Pochettino

When Mauricio Pochettino took over the reins from Sherwood in May 2014, the thought of Tottenham reaching a Champions League final just five years later was beyond any of their supporters’ wildest dreams.

However, under the Argentine’s attractive and efficient brand of football, Pochettino achieved just that, while also coming close to leading Spurs to a first Premier League title in 2015/16.

Pochettino developed one of the most exciting attacking teams in Europe, with Kane, Son Heung-min, Eriksen and Dele Alli all at the top of their game.

The decision not to back the Argentine after losing to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final proved to be an incredibly damaging one, however, with Levy sacking Pochettino just six months later as Spurs dropped to 14th in the Premier League.

Despite a disappointing end to Pochettino’s tenure and his recent move to London rivals Chelsea, he remains one of Tottenham’s most popular and influential managers of the modern era.

1 Harry Redknapp

When Redknapp first arrived at the club, Spurs were bottom of the table with just two points from their opening eight league games - the club’s worst-ever start to a campaign.

Despite his close links to both Arsenal and West Ham United, Redknapp had an immediate impact at White Hart Lane, steering the club to an eighth-placed finish and the League Cup final in his first seven months.

He continued to improve Spurs’ fortunes in his first full season in charge, claiming fourth spot and Champions League qualification ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

The 2010/11 campaign saw Spurs embark on a memorable run to the Champions League quarter-finals, including a pair of thrilling victories over both Milan sides.

While Redknapp’s time at Tottenham came to an abrupt end in the summer of 2012, the Englishman deserves plenty of plaudits for building such a free-flowing team around some of the best players to ever play for the club: Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart and Bale.

These are some of the best points-per-game records from Tottenham managers in the Premier League era who have managed over 50 games for the club.

(TransferMarkt)