Liverpool and Tottenham weigh midseason managerial dilemmas

Liverpool and Tottenham face renewed questions over their managers after another weekend of soul‑searching in the Premier League. Liverpool’s 13‑game unbeaten run ended with a defeat to Bournemouth, and a sequence that included home draws with all three promoted clubs looked unconvincing.

Tottenham had won only two of their 13 league games before Saturday’s away draw at Burnley, which was salvaged by an injury‑time goal from Cristian Romero. European fixtures have offered some relief — Liverpool beat Marseille 3-0 away and Spurs produced a strong first half in a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund — but the column argues many European sides nowadays struggle with the Premier League’s physicality.

The two clubs’ situations differ: Arne Slot won the league last season, while Thomas Frank arrived from Brentford to inherit a complicated Tottenham legacy. The modern dilemma is what to do if a manager appears to have run out of steam midseason — who of the necessary calibre is available, and when can they realistically be appointed?

The column notes a further complication around the World Cup: clubs are reluctant to hire high‑level managers before the tournament for fear of disrupting national preparations or of a damaging World Cup exit, citing the furore that surrounded Julen Lopetegui in 2018. Wait until after the tournament and there is only about a month before the Premier League restarts, narrowing options.

Key Topics

Sports, Liverpool, Tottenham, Premier League, World Cup, Arne Slot