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‘Untarnished’- Alan Pardew backs former Tottenham favourite to succeed Ange Postecoglou

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Dec 10, 2024 10:02 AM ET

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is under pressure after a run of poor results

Ange Postecoglou’s torrid time in North London continued on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur let a two-goal lead slip to lose 4-3 to Chelsea at home.

Spurs went 2-0 up at home to Chelsea inside 12 minutes on Sunday, thanks to Marc Cucurella slipping twice and presenting both Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski with the chances to score. However, a turnaround from Enzo Maresca’s in-form side saw the Lilywhites lose 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; and that has put mounting pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

Just a few weeks ago, the North Londoners aced arguably their toughest assignment of the season to date at the Etihad Stadium, thrashing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-0 in the Premier League. However, that is the only win they have registered in the last seven games across all competitions, failing to hold onto critical leads.

Postecoglou could be out of his office in North London should results continue to be poor—and former Newcastle United and Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has stated that his choice for a new boss would be Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick.

Speaking on talkSPORT show, the 63-year-old stated that someone with a clean slate should be given the keys at Tottenham, with Michael Carrick being his choice to replace Postecoglou if the Australian is fired by Daniel Levy.

“Listen, I personally would go for somebody who is untarnished,” Alan Pardew said on talkSPORT.

“You sometimes have to look at young managers and give them a chance. Michael Carrick is doing a great job at Middlesbrough. If I was a Premiership club I would seriously have him on the list.”

Carrick has done a fantastic job at Middlesbrough. He took over the reins back in October 2022 with the Teesiders having won just four of their opening 16 Championship games—sitting just a spot above the relegation zone. However, he instantly transformed the club’s fortunes and led Middlesbrough to the 2022/23 play-offs against the odds.

Despite losing some key players including Cameron Archer, Chuba Akpom and Aaron Ramsey, Boro finished eighth in the Championship last season. But some exciting additions made over the summer have seen Carrick reignite the club’s promotion hopes, and they currently sit fifth in the table heading into the festive period.

Having developed youngsters at the Riverside Stadium while compiling a strong and exciting unit on a modest budget capable of beating any side in the Championship, Carrick is now highly regarded in English football. And with Tottenham having won just one of their last seven games, it’s that backbone that the North London side might just require if they are to move forward.

For now, though, the upcoming games against Rangers and Southampton are extremely crucial from the perspective of Big Ange’s future at the Hotspur Way.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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