Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a Tottenham Hotspur return following the departure of Antonio Conte as manager.
Following a press conference outburst that saw Conte publicly question his players and his side's mentality, the Italian manager has parted ways with Spurs, putting an end to his 16-month spell at the club. Conte was out of contract at the end of the season, but it seemed the final straw for the 53-year-old was the 3-3 draw against Southampton, with the ex-Chelsea boss once again criticising the club in the public eye.
Cristian Stellini - assisted by Ryan Mason - will take charge for the rest of the season, but former Spurs manager Pochettino is a name strongly linked with the vacant position in north London. As well as Julian Nagelsmann who was recently sacked by Bayern Munich, Pochettino is a contender for the Spurs job, with the Argentine having been out of management since July last year following his departure from Pairs Saint-Germain.
READ MORE: The five key Tottenham problems Stellini and Mason need to solve for the Premier League run-in
So, could Pochettino help secure a top-four spot in the Premier League with Spurs? We simulated the Lilywhites' run-in to try and find out.
Tottenham's final 10 Premier League games of 2022/23 season with Mauricio Pochettino as manager simulated
We used Football Manager 2023 to update the Premier League table to its current state, with Spurs in fourth, two points ahead of Newcastle. We then simulated until the end of the season to see if Pochettino could lead his side to a spot in the Champions League next season.
April 3: Everton (A)
In their first game with Pochettino in charge, Spurs returned to winning ways, beating Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park. The Argentine started Arnaut Danjuma ahead of Dejan Kulusevski, and the Dutchman opened the scoring before Heung-Min Son added a second.
April 8: Brighton and Hove Albion (H)
Pochettino's first home game didn't work out as hoped, with Brighton defeating Spurs 1-0. Evan Ferguson's 12th-minute strike was all that separated the sides, with the Lilywhites toothless in attack.
April 15: Bournemouth (H)
With Bournemouth fighting relegation, it was always going to be a stern test against the Cherries, but Spurs emerged victorious, winning 1-0. A lacklustre attacking display saw Son replaced by Richarlison, and the Brazilian scored in the 76th minute to win the game.
April 23: Newcastle United (A)
In the huge clash regarding the top-four race, Spurs faced a long trip to Newcastle. But, Pochettino's fell short, and their struggle in front of goal continued as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Magpies.
April 27: Manchester United (H)
Following the defeat to Newcastle, Spurs faced an even tougher test, this time against Manchester United. The Lilywhites got off to an awful start as Marcus Rashford bagged a brace as United went 2-0 up, but second-half strikes from Harry Kane, Son and Kulusevski completed an incredible comeback as Pochettino's side won 3-2.
April 30: Liverpool (A)
Spurs' last win at Anfield came in 2011, and they were made to wait another year as they lost 2-0 in the simulation. Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz grabbed the goals, making it three wins and three defeats in Pochettino's first six games.
May 6: Crystal Palace (H)
The pattern of one win one loss continued when Spurs faced Crystal Palace as Pochettino oversaw a 2-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. First-half goals from Son and Kulusevski secured the three points.
May 13: Aston Villa (A)
Aston Villa had really hit their stride in the simulation, with Unai Emery's side unbeaten in nine heading into the clash with Spurs. Son continued his goalscoring form as he put Spurs 1-0 up, but Douglas Luiz scored late on to hold Pochettino's side to a draw.
May 20: Brentford (H)
In the penultimate game of the season, Spurs made it three games unbeaten as they won 2-1 against Brentford. A Harry Kane brace either side of Ben Mee's equaliser secured the victory, sending Pochettino's side into their final game in high spirits.
May 28: Leeds United (A)
On the final day of the season, Spurs faced Leeds who needed victory to stay in the Premier League. The Whites were unable to do so, but Spurs failed to win, drawing 0-0 at Elland Road.
Final standings
Spurs managed five wins, two draws and three losses in their final 10 games under Pochettino. Not a fantastic record, but it was enough to claim a spot in the Premier League top four as Spurs secured a spot in the Champions League for the following season.
In total, Spurs managed 66 points, one more than Liverpool in fifth and three more than Newcastle in sixth. Pochettinho's side ended 10 points behind Manchester United in third, and Spurs' top scorer in the final 10 games was Son, who seemed to rediscover his best form under his former manager.
Overall, FM23 predicts that Pochettino may not be much of an improvement on Conte, but he could do just enough to earn Spurs a place in the Premier League top four. Familiar with the club and some of the players, the Argentine could prove a smart appointment, but it remains unclear how he could perform over the course of a full season.
Do you think Pochettino could lead Spurs to a spot in the top four? Let us know in the comments below!
READ NEXT:
Fabio Paratici ban extended worldwide to throw Tottenham manager search into chaos
Tottenham make stance clear on manager candidates with Julian Nagelsmann decision to be taken
Daniel Levy, Paratici, Danjuma, Son and the winners and losers of Antonio Conte's Tottenham exit
Tottenham's next manager stance, the Julian Nagelsmann decision and Cristian Stellini's big task
