Pochettino to Tudor: Ranking Tottenham’s modern managers by legacy and impact
There has been no shortage of managers in Tottenham’s modern era. Some delivered unforgettable moments. Few got their hands on silverware. Others came with a promise that briefly flickered before ultimately fading away.
There has been the Carling Cup triumph, Champions League runs, top-four pushes and even European silverware under Ange Postecoglou. But, there have also been those who exited and left behind nothing but frustration.
Here, we rank Tottenham’s managers since 2008 based not just on results, but their true impact on the club.
1. Mauricio Pochettino revolutionised the modern Tottenham era
When Pochettino arrived at Spurs, the club was lacking in identity. Sitting firmly at the bottom of the so-called ‘Big 6’, Tottenham had the talent and foundation but lacked the belief and guidance needed to be among England’s elite.
Within his first season, Pochettino had built a side with intensity, belief and a clear footballing identity. His trust in youth saw the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier, and later Dele Alli emerge as key players. Tottenham transitioned from top-four hopefuls to title challengers.
The 2016/17 campaign remains one of the strongest in the club’s history, achieving the highest points tally in the Premier League and going unbeaten at White Hart Lane in its final season. The Champions League final run in 2018/19 saw Spurs compete against European greats and put the club on the global stage.
While Pochettino never managed to lift a trophy at Spurs, he changed how the club was viewed, both internally and externally. His impact on the modern era remains unmatched, which is why it is no surprise so many Spurs fans want him back this Summer.
2. Ange Postecoglou ended Tottenham’s 17-year wait for silverware
Postecoglou inherited a Spurs team that was in transition. The Antonio Conte period ended explosively, and the subsequent interim spells from Christian Stellini and Ryan Mason were turbulent. The club felt a far cry from the one Pochettino had built during his reign.
Postecoglou changed the feeling around the club almost immediately. His honest and direct communication style made him a popular figure among fans before a ball had been kicked. The subsequent fast start to the Premier League season, consisting of front-foot, high-intensity football, re-energised both players and supporters.
While league form wavered, especially in his second season, Postecoglou delivered what was most important to the club. Silverware in the Europa League ended Spurs’ long wait for a major trophy and also meant the club qualified for the Champions League.
His tenure ultimately ended as a result of Spurs’ 17th-place finish in the league at the end of the 2024/2025 season, but his delivery of a trophy ensured that his tenure will never be forgotten by Tottenham fans.
3. Harry Redknapp took Tottenham to the Champions League
When Redknapp arrived in October 2008, Spurs sat bottom of the Premier League with 2 points from 8 games. Under Redknapp, results improved immediately. Within his first two weeks at the club, he brought Tottenham out of the relegation zone and achieved 10 points from a possible 12.
In the 2009/10 season, Redknapp secured Champions League qualification for the first time in the club’s history. The subsequent Champions League campaign saw Spurs reach the Quarter-final of the competition, beating the holders, Inter Milan, as well as AC Milan at San Siro along the way. Flair players such as Gareth Bale, Van der Vaart and Luka Modric flourished under Redknapp’s management.
Redknapp’s tenure ended in 2012, following links to the England job and a reportedly strained relationship with the club’s hierarchy. Despite finishing 4th in his final season, Spurs missed out on the Champions League due to Chelsea winning the competition and securing the League’s fourth spot in the competition. However, Redknapp had taken Spurs from the threat of relegation to regular competitors for the Champions League.
4. Juande Ramos secured the modern-era’s first triumph
Ramos took charge of Tottenham in October 2007, inheriting a squad that was full of potential but struggling to fulfil it. Similar to Redknapp, when Ramos joined, Spurs were in the relegation zone, with Ramos able to bring them up the table within his first few league games.
However, it was not in the league that Ramos made his name, but in the Carling Cup, where he guided Spurs to victory over Chelsea in the final. The trophy ended Spurs’ nine-year wait for silverware and showed that Tottenham had the ability to compete among the best to win finals.
Overall, league form was largely inconsistent and in the 2008/09 season, he led Tottenham to their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, which resulted in his departure almost exactly a year on from his arrival.
However, the cup triumph created the belief that Spurs could win trophies and achieve future success. Under Ramos’ management, the fans were able to enjoy one of the greatest nights in the club’s modern history, ensuring that he will always be remembered in North London.
5. Martin Jol laid the foundation for Spurs’ modern era
In 2004, Tottenham needed stability after a period of managerial changes. The squad lacked consistency, and the club needed an attractive, competitive style of play to challenge near the top of the Premier League.
Upon arrival, Jol implemented an attacking, possession-based philosophy, which saw Spurs become a more exciting team. With a foundation of key players such as Jermaine Defoe, Ledley King and Robbie Keane, Tottenham consistently pushed for European qualification under Jol.
On the final day of the 2005/06 season, Spurs were sat in fourth place and looked set to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. However, in what became known as ‘lasagne-gate,’ the squad was struck down by illness and defeated by West Ham, meaning they missed out on Champions League football.
Nonetheless, Jol guided Spurs to 5th-place finishes in both the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, securing UEFA Cup campaigns. While silverware remained elusive, Jol laid the groundwork for successors like Ramos and Redknapp and provided the belief that meant Spurs could progress.
6. Andre Villas-Boas aimed high but fell short at Tottenham
Andre Villas-Boas'(AVB) era was defined by ambition. Tasked with taking Spurs to the next level after Redknapp, while improving the style of football, AVB introduced a high-intensity system, which looked to modernise the club.
Under AVB’s management, Tottenham played attacking, possession-based football, which saw Gareth Bale play his best football at Spurs in the 2012/13 campaign. In the same season, AVB oversaw the club’s first win at Old Trafford in 23 years and took the team to the Quarter-final of the Europa League.
However, defensive frailties, strained relations with the club hierarchy over transfer targets and a public fallout with Emmanuel Adebayor created unrest. Add in the loss of Gareth Bale in the Summer of 2013 and the failure to replace him effectively, results faltered, resulting in AVB departing the club in December of the following season.
While he divided opinion and was unable to win silverware, AVB’s first season saw Spurs play free-flowing, attacking football at times and gave a glimpse into what modern, high-intensity football at Tottenham could look like.
7. Antonio Conte demanded ambition and results
Under Conte, Tottenham were defined by intensity and a results-based mentality. Spurs became a well-organised side, prioritising defensive solidity and structured attacking play, with key players Kane and Son thriving under the Italian. Conte went unbeaten in his first eight league games and secured Champions League qualification for Spurs for the first time since 2019/20.
However, his rigidity eventually cost him. Creativity was often limited, and players struggled with his demands. In March 2023, following a 3-3 draw at bottom-placed Southampton, Conte delivered a bombshell press conference, criticising “selfish players” and questioning whether the club’s trophy drought was the fault of the club board and culture.
Subsequent exits in the Champions League and FA Cup saw Conte leave by mutual consent. Despite being fourth in the league, off-field tension had overshadowed progress. His spell was impactful, instilling discipline and high standards, but his rigidity and public criticism left a lasting mark on Spurs’ culture.
8. Jose Mourinho brought experience but fell short of silverware
Mourinho replaced Pochettino, who had spent five years as Head Coach. He was brought in to steady a side that had gone stale since losing the Champions League final just five months earlier.
Known for his pragmatic and results-driven approach, Mourinho improved organisation and defensive solidity, giving Spurs structure on the pitch. He finished his first season with Tottenham at sixth in the League, earning the club a spot in the Europa League.
Mourinho briefly took Spurs to the top of the Premier League table in the 2020/21 season, with Kane and Son striking up a devastating partnership on the counter-attack, which perfectly suited the Portuguese midfield.
However, league form dipped sharply in the second half of the campaign, and the defensive style of football frustrated fans. Mourinho was dismissed in April 2021, arguably at the wrong time, just days before a Carabao Cup final. His sacking ended a tenure that promised short-term success but ultimately delivered no silverware.
9. Tim Sherwood steadied the Tottenham ship but lacked long-term vision
Appointed originally as an interim, following the departure of Andre Villas-Boas, Sherwood quickly sparked an upturn in form, guiding Spurs to a sixth-place finish, with the side performing with attacking intent.
He also handed opportunities to younger players, most notably giving Harry Kane his Premier League debut. However, defensive fragility and tactical naivety became recurring issues, especially in games against the Premier League’s top sides.
By the end of the 2013/14 season, it was clear Spurs wanted a longer-term appointment, and he was sacked on the 13th May. His spell was brief and transitional, remembered more as a stopgap than a defining chapter in the modern era.
10. Thomas Frank promised a new rebuild
The most recent departure on this list, Frank arrived at Spurs with a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most intelligent coaches. He had established Brentford as a competitive top-flight side and was seen as a manager who could build the club sustainably.
Frank built his career on maximising squad potential and developing undervalued players. His expectation at Spurs was to restore consistency in the league and maintain the club’s attacking identity.
However, a run of eight league games without a win saw Frank sacked in February. He departed with the club 16th in the Premier League and just five points above the relegation zone. His tenure was one that promised improvement, but ultimately fell significantly short of expectations.
11. Nuno Espirito Sano’s reign was doomed from the start
Nuno arrived following a chaotic managerial search, which meant that from the outset, he faced an uphill battle. Despite early promise, including a victory against reigning champions Manchester City on his debut and three wins from three games in the Premier League, momentum quickly faded.
Spurs briefly say top of the Premier League table, and Nuno even picked up Manager of the Month in August 2021. However, a lack of attacking identity and heavy defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United exposed issues.
With the atmosphere turning sour, Nuno was sacked in November 2021, after just four months in charge. His tenure is remembered as a short-lived chapter that Spurs fans were eager to quickly forget.
12. Igor Tudor is taking on a relegation scrap
Tudor sits bottom of this ranking not as a reflection of his ability, but due to circumstance. Having taken charge of only two games at the time of writing, Tudor has barely had the chance to leave a meaningful imprint on the squad.
His tenure demands urgency and the need to pick up points, rather than identity and his style of football. He has inherited a relegation battle, a fragile dressing room and no margin for error.
For now, Tudor has not yet had the opportunity to build a legacy. Whether that changes will depend entirely on how the rescue mission unfolds.
A modern era defined by ambition, potential and instability
Tottenham’s modern era has seen as much upheaval as progress. From relegation scraps to European finals, each manager has shaped the club in some way.
This ranking shows how difficult it has been to combine success and sustainability in N17. Pochettino heightened the club’s expectations. Postecoglou delivered the long-awaited trophy that the club and fans desire. Others restored stability, reignited belief, or simply arrived at the wrong moment in time. Some barely left any impact at all.
Ultimately, at the heart of it all remains the club’s motto – “To dare is to do.” The phrase demands bravery and belief, but also delivery. Some managers have dared and reshaped the club’s identity. However, more often than not, daring has not been the issue. Doing it often has.
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