Thomas Frank has performed a phenomenal job since replacing Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.
Former chairman Daniel Levy sacked Ange at the end of last season despite ending the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy with the Europa League triumph in May.
The Australian has now taken the reins at Nottingham Forest, and although he has a strong relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis, his position at the City Ground is believed to already be under threat after a winless start in his opening seven matches.
Frank is flying high in the Premier League as Mohammed Kudus continued his sensational form since arriving from West Ham this summer, opening his account for the club in the 2-1 win against Leeds United.
However, there is a player whom Ange brought to North London who has been the recipient of constant criticism during his spell with the club.
James Maddison is criticised for his outspoken personality
When discussing Tottenham on the Stick To Football podcast, ex-Arsenal man Ian Wright believes talisman James Maddison is unfairly scrutinised at every given turn.
“It’s like someone like James Maddison, he would say something, he would say, he would just speak his mind and speak, and everyone says, ‘oh, really?’
“Some people say, ‘oh listen to him, he doesn’t even play, he’s injured always.’ But he speaks his mind because he’s got personality. And then people dig him out.”
Maddison suffered an ACL injury during pre-season and has yet to feature for new boss Frank this term, but he was an influential figure under Ange following his £40 million move from Leicester City in 2023.
The 28-year-old provided 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions last season despite Tottenham finishing 17th in the league table.
He hailed Jermaine Defoe as one of the best finishers in Premier League history and has never been shy about voicing his opinion on matters relating to anything involving Spurs.
Xavi Simons arrived in North London in a £52m deal with RB Leipzig to replace Maddison in the number 10 role. And while the Dutchman has yet to hit the ground running in English football, he will continue as the leading starter for the majority of the season.
Last year, Roy Keane constantly scrutinised Maddison for his efforts as Spurs struggled domestically, and it appears even from the sidelines, the midfielder is never too far away from the headlines.
James Maddison hit back at Roy Keane
After the Europa League final victory against Keane’s former club, Manchester United, Maddison took the opportunity to get his own back on the pundit.
Throughout the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign, Keane had said that Maddison needed to do more to help Tottenham overturn their domestic woes and even went as far as to criticise the midfielder’s trademark celebration.
However, the Englishman had the last laugh when he emerged for an interview with CBS Sports to poke fun at Keane.
“To be fair, I weren’t going to do any interviews but then I heard it was with Roy Keane.”
Keane replied: “I always said he was a good player but he needs to be more consistent. And he played well tonight!”