When Tottenham Hotspur appointed Thomas Frank as head coach last summer, there were three characteristics they believed stood out: Frank was a progressive coach, an expert in team culture and a master developer of young players.
Nobody could deny Frank had shown all those qualities at Brentford and, crucially, in the Premier League. Unlike Ange Postecoglou, his predecessor, Frank had significant experience of the division and a track record of managing players physically from August through to May. In his opening press conference, Frank said one of the main aims of his first season was to “compete on all fronts”, a reference to Tottenham collapsing in the league and finishing 17th last term.
Yet just as the Christmas tree needles were being hoovered up at the training ground on Monday, so are Spurs back in their own January routine. In the league, they sit 14th, the same position they held this time last year under Postecoglou. Injuries are piling up again, with seven players out at present, including a starting attacking four in Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke. As for competing on all fronts, Tottenham are on course for a play-off spot in the Champions League but out of the Carabao Cup. In the FA Cup, they face Aston Villa at home in the third round on Saturday, hoping to preserve their last realistic hope of winning a trophy.
Tottenham have won only two league games out of ten at home this season
MATTHEW CHILDS/REUTERS
Frank knows the importance of the FA Cup to keep this season afloat, not least because of the legacy of Postecoglou, who would have been sacked much earlier last season had it not been for the Carabao Cup and Europa League. In terms of league position, Frank is already on shaky ground. Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in November 2019 with Tottenham 14th in the table and more credit in the bank than Frank. José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte were dismissed when Spurs sat seventh, eighth and fourth.
With Daniel Levy gone, Frank has been given more leeway, in terms of results, from the next generation of owners, in Vivienne and Charles Lewis, who want less churn at the top and to delegate football decisions, including the hiring and firing of coaches, to the club’s “football experts”.
Assuming they stick to that position, it leaves Vinai Venkatesham, Tottenham’s new chief executive, in charge. Venkatesham is close to Frank and has been a loyal supporter so far — the pair speak almost every day, play table tennis together and share similar views about some of the club’s deeper-rooted problems. Frank said on Monday that Venkatesham’s patience with Mikel Arteta, while he was the chief executive at Arsenal, would inform his approach at Spurs.
Yet go back to those three traits that helped Frank get the job last summer and the case for redeploying the “Arteta Hold” becomes harder to make. Progressive football? According to Opta, Tottenham are in the bottom half of the Premier League table this season for goals scored (11th), passes (11th), chances created (15th), expected goals scored (17th) and through-balls (20th). At home, where Frank’s attacking blueprint should be clear, Spurs have won only two out of ten league games this season.
Development of players? Richarlison has a decent return of eight goals in Solanke’s absence and the 19-year-old Archie Gray has played more games in central midfield. Micky van de Ven has stayed fit, which is not to be underestimated, given his history of serious hamstring problems. But none of Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Lucas Bergvall, Xavi Simons or Randal Kolo Muani have excelled, while Brennan Johnson, who many thought might thrive under Frank, has been sold.
And culture? Frank has asked for padel courts to be installed at Hotspur Way but otherwise, Spurs has been nothing like Brentford. The cracks are everywhere, between players and fans, fans and coach, coach and players, players and board. Away at Brentford on New Year’s Day, Tottenham supporters booed Frank specifically, after singing “boring, boring Tottenham” late in a goalless draw. Away at Bournemouth on Wednesday night, Van de Ven appeared to be calling one angry fan down for a fight. A few hours after the defeat, Cristian Romero, the club captain, posted a scathing message about the board on Instagram. And that’s only the last three games. At the end of a tense, 25-minute press conference on Thursday, one reporter suggested the future of Greenland, given Frank’s Danish nationality, might make for a lighter topic next week. Frank laughed. “That would be good,” he said.
Frank has certainly been dealt a difficult hand, not least because of the injuries to his attacking players, with Solanke’s absence especially limiting. There is also an awareness at Tottenham of a lack of leadership and proven quality in the squad, which looks painfully short of the level required to finish in the top four.
Since the 2019-20 season, when Pochettino was sacked, Tottenham’s net spend has been nearly £700million, more than Manchester City, but it is hard to think of one signing in that time who would start in Pochettino’s best team. Kulusevski, perhaps, or Van de Ven? Both have too often been injured. Romero? An elite team wouldn’t rely on him like Spurs do. Romero will miss the game against Villa because of suspension.
Van de Ven shows his frustration as Spurs face defeat in their most recent game, away to Bournemouth
MICHAEL STEELE/GETTY IMAGES
A steady decline has left Frank in charge of a middling squad, full of optimistic signings, based on potential, and back-up options, bought after top targets were missed. Simons, for example, has needed six months just to get to grips with the Premier League after deals for Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, who could have helped Frank get off to a stronger start, fell through.
The club’s new leadership insists there will be a change of approach in the market, although it has been a familiar start to the January transfer window, with only Souza, a 19-year-old left back from Santos, close to joining so far. Even Fabio Paratici, Tottenham’s co-sporting director, whose main remit is to negotiate the transfers, may have to be replaced if he leaves for Fiorentina.
The dilemma for the Tottenham hierarchy is how much weight those mitigating factors should bear and for how long, but also whether the frayed connection between Frank and the fans can realistically be restored. Some of that is about style of play and results, but also message and projection, the need for Frank to sell a vision to supporters and to convince them that patience with a sensible coach is not just blurring into an acceptance of mediocrity.