Tottenham eye Kieran McKenna as the next Pochettino after a shaky start
At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the roar of the crowd faded into uneasy murmurs as the club sat bottom of the Premier League after a 3-2 loss to Aston Villa. The defeat left Spurs with just two points from five games and intensified speculation over manager Roberto De Zerbi’s future.
De Zerbi under pressure
De Zerbi, who arrived with a summer overhaul that cost more than £300 million and broke the club’s transfer record twice, now faces a three‑week international break to regroup. With an early exit from the EFL Cup at the hands of Liverpool, the Italian’s side must rediscover form before a crucial clash at Manchester United on 10 October.
Kieran McKenna as a possible successor
Former Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, 40, has been linked to the Tottenham job. After guiding the Tractor Boys to promotion back to the Premier League and delivering back‑to‑back promotions in 2023‑24, McKenna announced his departure earlier this summer and signalled openness to roles at both Spurs and Manchester United.
McKenna, a London‑born coach raised in Northern Ireland, admires Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy and has built his reputation on an expansive style of play. He once said, “The Mauricio period was a very good period for the club and certainly one that had an impact on me.”
Ben Jacobs says Tottenham remain calm on De Zerbi despite horrid start
James Beavis’s media pedigree
Via Reuters, James Beavis is identified as a Senior Editor at GIVEMESPORT. He has spent more than ten years in online football media, graduating with a Sports Journalism degree from Southampton Solent University in 2012. He joined Football FanCast in 2016 after a three‑year stint at Shoot Magazine, progressing from freelance writer to editor before moving to GMS in 2020.
Beavis has cultivated strong relationships with top‑tier journalists such as Fabrizio Romano, Dharmesh Sheth and Ben Jacobs, regularly engaging them as part of an exclusives initiative.
Man Utd Must beat Tottenham at Old Trafford to keep McKenna in frame
Tottenham’s hierarchy now have a clear alternative should De Zerbi’s tenure falter, with McKenna’s proven track record and Pochettino‑style influence offering a tempting blueprint for revival.