Wayne Rooney Says Tottenham Should Have Hired Robbie Keane Over Igor Tudor

Wayne Rooney has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur may have made the wrong appointment with Igor Tudor following the sacking of Thomas Frank earlier this month.

Having decided they wanted an interim manager rather than a permanent one as Frank was dismissed after the defeat to Newcastle United, Tottenham opted to move for the available Tudor to keep them in the Premier League.

The Croat had the enviable task of beginning his reign with the visit of arch-rivals and league leaders Arsenal on Sunday, which ultimately ended in a 4-1 defeat despite some promising glances in the first half.

Rooney has suggested that while he respects what Tudor has achieved in Italy, another manager who knows the Premier League in Robbie Keane may have been a better shout.

Keane Would Have Been ‘Good Fit’ for Tottenham

As GIVEMESPORT sources revealed in the aftermath of Frank’s sacking, the three leading candidates to take charge on a permanent basis were Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi and Keane.

The issue with the latter was that while Tottenham’s preference would have been to bring in their former striker until the end of the season, on a similar deal to Tudor’s, Keane was said to want a longer-term agreement.

Despite that potential issue, Rooney told the Wayne Rooney Show on BBC that he believes the two-time title-winning manager would have been a ‘good fit’ for Spurs.

“I think he [Tudor] has done it over in Italy, where he’s gone in to save teams from getting relegated, but the Premier League is completely different. So surprised [about the appointment]. But who else is out there? Robbie Keane. He keeps getting overlooked for some reason. He’s done a fantastic job in the places he’s been.

“I think you’re looking and he gets overlooked by Celtic all the time, and this time by Tottenham when potentially, it could have been a good fit.”

Tottenham’s Next Five Fixtures Compared to West Ham and Forest

Sunday’s defeat means Tottenham have remained just four points above the Premier League relegation zone, so naturally attention is now on who they, and their main bottom three rivals, face in the upcoming weeks.

Two of Spurs’ next five league games are at home, against two teams struggling for form in Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, while they face trips to Fulham, Liverpool and Sunderland in the next six weeks.

West Ham’s next five look more difficult on paper, as they travel to top-four hopefuls Liverpool and Aston Villa, as well as Fulham, before hosting title-chasing Manchester City and rock-bottom Wolves.

Meanwhile, 17th-placed Nottingham Forest face Spurs, Brighton and Man City on the road, and host Fulham and Villa at the City Ground.

Is Robbie Keane the Right Next Manager for Tottenham?

GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT if it thought Keane was the right choice to be Tottenham’s next permanent manager when Tudor leaves, and this is what it said:

• Would bring club legend status and connection with fans, but limited top-level managerial experience compared with other candidates.
• Has won titles abroad and shown potential at Ferencváros, showing promise but not yet proven in Premier League pressure.
• Spurs odds and reports suggest he’s a longer-shot behind more experienced coaches, making him a riskier choice.

Related

Wayne Rooney Issues Big Tottenham Relegation Verdict After Arsenal Humiliation

The pundit has had his say on Spurs’ Premier League survival chances