Next Tottenham Manager Odds: Back Pochettino over Mason at 7/2 to start afresh

• Pochettino should get the job straight away

• Tuchel is a good second choice

• Potter a worthwhile 80/1 outsider

Conte has gone too far

You just cannot come back from that.

Antonio Conte's astonishing tirade, during which he blamed his "selfish" players for not fighting hard enough and effectively accused Tottenham Hotspur of being too Spursy to find success, has been interpreted by many as a deliberate provocation to excuse himself from failure and earn an early pay out.

That may or may not be the case, because despite all his failings this season it should not be forgotten that Conte has had a very difficult year personally and, grieving multiple losses, may genuinely have been caught by an emotional outburst.

He may live to regret comments that seem certain to end in his dismissal during the international break.

Here's a look at the favourites to succeed him:

Mason (4/11) can unshackle the players

Ryan Mason was last put in charge of Tottenham Hotspur after Jose Mourinho was sacked in April 2021, winning four of his six league matches in charge (giving him a two points-per-game average) and losing to Manchester City by a single goal in the EFL Cup final.

Since then, his career at Spurs has gone on an upward trajectory, with Antonio Conte promoting him to first-team coach after being impressed witnessing Mason leading training in the week after Conte's appointment.

Mason is inexperienced but very popular with supporters, which might be enough to convince Daniel Levy to hand him the job on a temporary basis.

After all, the main thing these Tottenham players need is a morale boost and someone to release them from the shackles of Conte's suffocating defensive football.

There is little time for any great tactical changes, and so Mason would be a decent fit as Spurs try to hobble over the line into fourth. Of course, if he does well enough then he could get the job full-time...

It seems unlikely that Mason has the tactical skills required to take on such a challenging job, mind, and there is a decent chance he would be Tottenham's version of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if a strong end to the campaign convinces Levy he has found a cheap solution.

Pochettino (7/2) a romantic option but worth the risk

Mauricio Pochettino is the man Tottenham fans want. Their mutual affection is as strong as ever, with Pochettino still living in the area and supporters still bitter about his dismissal in 2019.

Rarely does it work out for returning managers, of course, and yet despite the alarming nostalgia that would motivate such a move there are plenty of good reasons for Pochettino to return.

First and foremost, he is a world-class manager and ready for another long-term project.

Many people have questioned the logic of Pochettino returning considering the squad profile and club expectations are completely different, and yet with Pochettino also changed by his experience at Paris Saint-Germain, that might simply clear the path to start afresh - rather than cling to an idea from the past.

The biggest obstacle is Levy. The relationship between the pair broke down in 2019, although with a lot more money being made available to subsequent managers, Pochettino and Levy ought to be able to get along better this time.

Who knows, a return of the man who took them to the Champions League final could even inspire Harry Kane to stay.

If Pochettino was unsure about the logic in going backwards, then he might have changed his mind watching big jobs go to others.

He was not approached for the Chelsea position, and Real Madrid seemingly have Raul and Thomas Tuchel ahead of him on their shortlist for the summer.

Poch opened up at 9/1 when Mason was installed as the 1/9 favourite, but his odds have been slashed throughout the early part of the week and there is still value at 7/2.

Glasner (11/1) would be a surprising choice

Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner has shot up to become third favourite after rumours that Tottenham had been in touch with him regarding the role.

Bild, though are not always a reliable source and it would be an odd appointment by Levy - whose own club secured four points against Frankfurt in the Champions League group stages this season - despite his success in Germany.

Glasner plays a transition-centric brand of football that would not necessarily go down too well with Spurs fans, and although his pressing is proactive he is certainly not as attacking as someone like Pochettino.

We saw this in Frankfurt's 0-0 draw and 3-2 defeat to Spurs this season, games in which Conte's side held the majority of possession.

But Glasner's track record is good. Frankfurt won the Europa League last season and are currently close to the top four in the Bundesliga despite a recent blip.

Previously he qualified for the Champions League with Wolfsburg. These are the sort of achievements that should put him in line for a role like Brighton or Aston Villa, not Tottenham in 2023.

Tuchel (12/1) is an exciting fit

Should Pochettino not want the job then Levy can turn to Thomas Tuchel - who is pretty much a perfect second choice.

The main issue here is that Tuchel is reportedly taking Spanish lessons in the hope of landing the Real Madrid job and, given his recent Champions League success, he has a right to assume he will soon be given a chance by a super-club like Real or Bayern Munich.

However, one of Spurs' size is a better fit. Tuchel plays an aggressive form of vertical possession football that never quite took off at Chelsea, yet with greater control over transfers in north London he could build a team as exciting as his Borussia Dortmund.

An explosive temperament is perhaps not what Levy is after following the Conte and Jose Mourinho debacles, but on this occasion it is a worthwhile trade-off for tactical acumen.

Potter (80/1) wildcard best of the rest

Graham Potter is currently very long at 80/1 but he could be relieved by Chelsea at the end of the season, at which point he would become an attractive option for a Tottenham side looking for the next Pochettino.

Similarly at that point Roberto de Zerbi (20/1) might be easier to get from Brighton, and after such a brilliant few months in charge he might just be the next big thing.

Still, on balance, there is no good reason to look beyond Pochettino. Even if Mason is given the caretaker job and does very well, Pochettino will surely still be there in June - ready for a heartwarming return.