Over the summer, Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties as manager of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
He had promised supporters that season three is always the best. Alas, Spurs fans swiftly saw him exit the club, replaced by Thomas Frank.
While Postecoglou had guided the Lilywhites to the Europa League, thus engineering plenty of credit in the bank, they did ultimately finish 17th in the Premier League.
A major trophy was won but their league form was inexcusable. The same could now be said of Spurs under Frank.
Things started off rosy but they have unravelled in recent months. It's all beginning to become rather Ange, isn't it? The lack of ability to create goal-scoring opportunities and play attractive football is not rubbing off well on supporters.
Spurs could replace Frank already
As of 30th November 2025, the Dane has only been in charge of Spurs for 171 days. Yet, after a matter of months, Frank is already feeling the heat.
A week ago, the north Londoners put in a drab performance against rivals Arsenal, conceding four in the process. A few days later, while they did look more threatening in attack, they shipped five against European champions PSG.
A defeat against two of the continent's very best is hardly a surprise, but their 2-1 loss to Fulham only rubbed further salt in the wounds.
This has been a terrible week for Tottenham and it's hardly a surprise that Fabio Paratici and Co have been told to earmark possible replacements.
According to reports in Spain, one name to have emerged on the club's shortlist is former Barcelona player and manager, Xavi.
While the Spaniard is also on the radar of Manchester United, it's thought that the Spurs board are considering making a change in the dugout if things have not improved by the end of December. In that eventuality, they will look to speak with Xavi about the job.
It's stated that Spurs and United see Xavi as 'an ideal coach to lead a new phase', largely thanks to the fact that he has 'modern ideas' and 'believes in young players'.
Why Xavi would be perfect for Spurs
Spurs have been there and done it before with a big-name manager. Antonio Conte's spell ended in tears, as did Jose Mourinho's. He steered them to a League Cup final at Wembley but was remarkably sacked on the eve of that big game.
As a result, caution must be heeded here. Is Xavi really the best port of call? Fears that another Conte or Mourinho situation could play out are understandable.
Yet, the fact of the matter is that Spurs have tried everything now. The relatively untested route of Postecoglou did end with a trophy but his spell was incredibly topsy-turvy. They've also been there and done it with a Premier League-proven manager. Nuno Santo ended poorly and the Frank regime is hardly going well, is it?
It's rather sad. Frank is a nice man. He's likeable. The first few months saw something of a revival too. Postecoglou's defence was a total mess but the former Brentford manager had sorted that out.
Across Tottenham's first seven games under Frank's stewardship, they kept five clean sheets. There was better organisation and defensively they were far more resolute. Job done, right? The biggest problem under Ange was fixed. Think again.
The honeymoon period is now over. Spurs have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions. Across that time, they have shipped 15 goals. It's far from ideal.
So, why would Xavi represent an upgrade? Well, in the words of Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, the former midfielder is "the best manager in the world."
Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, the experience he boasts is extraordinary. As a player, he won the World Cup, two European Championships, eight LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues.
As a manager, he navigated Barca through choppy waters. Under financial pressure, the Spanish giants still won LaLiga and while they did spend big on the likes of Raphinha and Ferran Torres, a lot of the work done in the transfer market was bringing in players on a free transfer.
Xavi was also the boss who gave a certain Lamine Yamal his debut aged 15. He also handed a first-team debut to Fermin Lopez, now a regular in the Barca team and to centre-half Pau Cubarsi.
Speaking about the Spanish manager's philosophy, Arsene Wenger once said: "Personally, I like Xavi, and I give him credit for having the courage to bring these young players on board. That's the difficult thing. He believed in them and gave them a chance to play. It's true that he didn't win the league last season, but he did win it the season before that. So I think he did a good job."
The fact of the matter is that the Spaniard trusts young players and this couldn't be more perfect for a Spurs squad boasting some of the finest young talent around. Take the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Luka Vuskovic and Luca Williams-Barnett as prime examples. The 45-year-old could be game-changing for players like that.
Born and bred in La Masia, it's hardly a surprise that Xavi also favours attractive and possession-based football. Frank, on the other hand, does not.
Sure, Spurs were more organised during the opening months of the Frank regime but as manager of Tottenham, the fans expect to see exciting football too.
While the Londoners have enjoyed 53.8% of the ball this season, the sixth-best tally in the division, they have struggled big time with their creativity. Their 9.5 shots per game is the third-lowest tally in the entire Premier League. Only Wolves and Burnley are below them. Remarkably, they are also registering no through balls per game. No other team is worse in that regard.
As a consequence, they sit 16th in the league for expected goals, with a record of 14.33 xG.
To put some of those numbers into context, when Xavi won the league with Barca in 2022/23, they enjoyed the most possession in the league (64.8%), and had the second highest volume of shots per game (15.1).
While Xavi had a better team in his armoury, he is clearly a better tactical coach and the fact that he's won some of football's biggest honours puts him on a pedestal far above Frank.
He's played under the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, he's certainly been able to learn a thing or two. Spurs would certainly be better off should they seal the remarkable capture of Xavi heading into 2026.