OK so that is that. Here is where we stand:

• Pochettino and his staff have been sacked
• BBC Sport has learnt Jose Mourinho is a strong contender
• Mourinho is the bookies' odds-on favourite to replace Pochettino

Stay with the website for the latest news on Pochettino's sacking and who could come in next.

Harry Redknapp
Ex-Tottenham manager on BBC Radio 5 live

I like Poch and got on great with him but they're down the league with an incredible squad of players,

Have a look at the forwards they've got to choose from. They are absolutely underachieving.

Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. What the boy's done... that's amazing. But he won't get a look in. Wilder could win league titles with the right team.

But English managers will be overlooked - they won't look at Eddie Howe.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

If you want a reason for a disconnect between Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy, you don't have to look far.

Speaking to Tottenham fans last month, Levy admitted he had been unable to offload the players he wanted - believed to be Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen - which meant the club were unable to make the signings they wanted.

After not getting any new players the summer before, it underlined to Pochettino that simply moving into their new stadium was not going to be the answer to all Tottenham's problems.

Harry Redknapp
Ex-Tottenham manager on BBC Radio 5 live

Daniel Levy will bring in whoever he think will get results. It looks like Spurs won't qualify for the Champions League. Joe Lewis (the owner) and Levy - they are wondering if they'll make the Champions League and decided to make the change.

But they'll have somebody ready, they would have already had a meeting over that

Can I throw another name into the ring?

Robert Moreno.

Chris Waddle
Ex-Tottenham and England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Unfortunately Tottenham cannot stand still, they cannot be team in 10th to 14th place in the Premier League. They were in the Champions League final last sesaon, top four last four years running and he has been a big part of it.

They have looked at it and thought, where are Tottenham going at the moment? 10th is not going to pay the bills or attract the big players.

Who will come in next? Jose Mourinho is nailed on, is he a Tottenham type manager? Will he sort it out? Will he be a fans' favourite with his style? I would say not, unless he changes his philosophy.

Carlo Ancelottu would be a better fit, he has won as a player and a manager.

Football moves very quickly, eventually it happens. He has been brilliant for the club but the way they have developed, they cannot stand still.

Here's the statement from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust:

We’re shocked and saddened to hear our club has sacked Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff.

During his time at Spurs, Poch gave us many of our best moments as supporters, made Tottenham Hotspur a force to be reckoned with again, and forged a strong link with the fans. We will never forget the joy he brought us.

Of course, results in the league have been disappointing for some time. But many fans thought Poch had earned the right to turn it around in the first sustained period of poor form we’ve had during his time at the blub. We now have to look forward and take stock. But there are questions that must be asked of the board of THFC. The club’s statement makes it clear the board has decided to sack the manager and coaching staff. It is their decision. We question why this decision was taken at the end, rather than the beginning, of the international break. We question whether the timing of the decision leaves the club with much choice in who takes over. To take the decision it has, the board must have a clear plan for what and who comes next. It needs to tell this Club’s supporters what that plan is. And the Board also needs to consider its own role in this.

Is the manager solely accountable? How much has the board’s line on wages and transfers contributed to player unrest and disaffection? How much did it contribute to the situation we now find ourselves in? And will it change to help support a new manager? We’d like to put on record our thanks to Mauricio Pochettino, Jesus Perez, Toni Jiminez and Miguel D'Agostino for the fantastic football and magical moments they have brought us over the last five years.

Chris Waddle
Ex-Tottenham and England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

This has shocked the football world but it is a results business.

I still think the mistake was not to get rid of Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen who are out of contract. When you get players who are running out of contract, mentally and physically players have found it hard. They are a fit group.

Mauricio Pochettino has done a marvellous job, he has not freshened it as he wanted to, the stadium cost an absolute fortune and has kept hold of players he wanted to move on.

Gareth Brett: Klinsmann came out and said he wanted to manage Spurs, how come no one has mentioned him?

There might be a good reason

Pochettino reached 100 Premier League wins as Spurs manager in just 169 games - only Jose Mourinho with Chelsea (142) and Alex Ferguson with Manchester United (162) have reached 100 wins for a single team in fewer games in the competition’s history.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Ex Spurs boss Harry Redknapp on 5 Live in a bit - tune in.

John Nixon: Howe as manager of Spurs is a ridiculous notion, but not beyond the stupidity of Levy

Since the start of 2014-15, Tottenham’s overall improvement has been considerable, winning 382 points - the fourth best total behind only Man City (446), Liverpool (404) and Chelsea (398).

They have finished in the top four in four of their five previous seasons under Pochettino, having finished in the top four in just two of the 22 Premier League campaigns before his arrival.

You really want Bournemouth's Eddie Howe and you really don't want Jose Mourinho.

Image source, .