‘It’s the club’s culture’: Readers say Tottenham Hotspur’s problems run deeper than Thomas Frank

Tottenham’s turmoil under Thomas Frank has sparked a fierce debate among Independent readers with fans split between those calling for immediate change and those urging patience.

Responding to reports from chief football writer Miguel Delaney that the club are considering his future, many readers argued that the former Brentford head coach’s position has become untenable, citing a lack of identity or playing style, repeated defensive errors and little evidence of progress.

Many felt he was hired to stabilise the club after Ange Postecoglou, only for injuries to persist and performances to deteriorate further, dragging the club towards a potential relegation fight.

Others placed responsibility higher up the club, blaming Tottenham’s hierarchy, medical department and long-standing culture. Several suggested Frank is merely the latest coach to be undermined by poor squad planning, constant injuries and short-term decision-making, with some arguing Postecoglou was unfairly discarded.

A smaller group defended Frank, insisting managers do not suddenly lose their ability and that he deserves time to shape a squad of his own once key players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski return.

Underlying much of the discussion was a familiar pessimism about Spurs, with several commenters arguing that institutional flaws and constant managerial churn – rather than one coach – remain the club’s defining problem.

Here’s what you had to say:

I like Frank and think he did a great job at Brentford – but he has to go.

Received wisdom was that Ange’s style of play was the reason for incessant injuries and poor performances, and Frank was brought in to rectify that. But the injuries have continued to mount up, performances are still poor, leaving the club in danger of being drawn into a relegation fight, and now there is no clear identity or style of play.

Something must be very wrong with the medical team at Spurs for the players to be so susceptible to injury and for recovery times to consistently take so long.

Recruitment has also been poor. All I hear is that a left-sided winger is the prime target, but in a team that creates so few chances, what is most needed is a proven goalscorer who can make the best of the scraps available to replace Son.

With that in mind, I don’t understand why Frank was happy for Brennan Johnson, one of the few squad members with a decent goalscoring record, to go to Crystal Palace.

Managerially, I don’t know what the solution is but suspect that we might see the return of Pochettino to try to steady the ship.

Mythicalking

Unfortunately, much as we can’t keep chopping and changing the manager, I think the situation has passed the point of no return. Frank has had 22 league games, six Champions League games and three domestic games in charge, and it is difficult to see any identity in this Spurs side. There has certainly been zero sign of any progress or development.

Yes, there are mitigating circumstances; he’s been shorn of his best attacking talents and we’ve suffered a conveyor belt of injuries, so it’s been impossible to build any depth in the match-day squad. But leaving this aside, there is a lot to lay at Frank’s door: gifting goals playing out from the back, gifting goals by not closing down shots from distance, thinking that Bentancur and Palhinha is a viable midfield pivot, not finding room for Bergvall often enough, and the fact that we are rock bottom of the stats for attempted through balls, etc.

Having said this, the players need to own this situation as well. The likes of Kolo Muani should be embarrassed to collect their wages every week – zero goals in 15 league appearances – but more importantly, it doesn’t look like he gives a damn.

BobbyA

A wee while back, a very good coach from a provincial side was given a chance to manage a top side. He did not enjoy the best of starts, to say the least, but the club kept faith and were duly rewarded.

Of course – Fergie and Man U.

Flint

It’s not him. You don’t suddenly become a bad manager. The squad just isn’t that good, and because of long-term injuries to our best players we’re constantly having to field the B-team. We don’t have the likes of Bale, Son and Kane in the team – nowhere near.

Frank should be given at least until the summer to field a team of his own making. He won’t, though, because the board are like all the rest: trigger-happy and short-term thinkers.

MikeA

The problem with Spurs is the upper management and backroom staff. Firing Postecoglou was a mistake. Hiring Richarlison was a mistake… I can go on.

What do I expect? Spurs will fire Frank. Then they will go to the US and hire an MLS manager willing to give it a go, because no one else in their right mind wants to work with such a band of misfits. Sort of like Celtic, who could not even give their new guy a month.

Both teams deserve what they have.

Postecoglou, Frank and Nancy will be sitting on a beach somewhere, drinking fruity drinks and dreaming about the millions they took away from north London – or Scotland.

Rachel

It looks like Postecoglou overachieved last season.

Tsarbee

Well, Spurs decided to sack Ange despite him winning a trophy and dealing with multiple injuries in the team. They then got rid of key players and gutted the heart of the team. Why on earth they thought the manager of a minor Premier League team would do better shows abject stupidity.

Spurs get what they deserve.

Commonsense1

The problem at Spurs is the culture of the club, which is why, after so many years, everyone knows what ‘spursy’ means.

Hardraingonnafall

If Frank does go, Spurs need to get Alonso, if he’ll come. If he can get Leverkusen to win in Germany, a team known as Neverkusen, maybe he can work another miracle with Spurs. However, knowing what the ownership and backroom boys have been like over the past five or six years, breath will not be held.

Boy from ceiber

They cannot even pass the ball to one another, over and back across the field and back to the keeper… that is the players. The coach must surely know that you cannot score – let alone win – without putting the ball in the opponent’s net.

What to do next? Try the Championship and forget it.

Conqueror

Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.

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