Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph in the 2024/25 campaign allowed numerous players to write themselves into the club’s history books forever.
The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware, and did so in tremendous fashion after defeating fellow Premier League side Manchester United in Bilbao.
Ange Postecoglou handed the fanbase memories to last a lifetime with the triumph, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his position as manager in North London.
Thomas Frank was elected as the man to take the reins during the summer, with the Dane handed the responsibility of taking the club to the next level after the European success.
However, his appointment has prevented numerous players from kicking on in their careers, with the first-team members often struggling to replicate the form they demonstrated under the Aussie.
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Yves Bissouma was often one of Postecoglou’s first names on the teamsheet during the 2024/25 campaign, as seen by his tally of 44 appearances across all competitions.
The Malian international featured in 11 of the 15 club’s European outings last campaign, but it’s safe to say his spell under Frank has been far from successful to date.
He was left out of the club’s UEFA Super Cup final after being late numerous times, resulting in missing out on the club’s Premier League squad for the current 2025/26 campaign.
However, he’s not alone in that regard, with Brennan Johnson one of the Lilywhites’ most important players in the previous campaign, as seen by his phenomenal goalscoring record.
The Welshman scored 18 times across all competitions - even netting the winner in the Europa League final - subsequently ending the year as the club’s top goalscorer.
Like Bissouma, he’s struggled for consistency this time around, with the 24-year-old only starting five league games out of a possible 11 since Frank took charge in the summer.
Mohammed Kudus’ arrival has no doubt pushed him down the pecking order, with the manager seemingly preferring the Ghanaian international over him at present.
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Spurs’ £120m spending spree during the summer window has made competition for places even tougher in 2025/26, with the first-team now having incredible depth in certain areas of the squad.
Given the number of competitions the Lilywhites are currently featuring in this season, it’s crucial Frank has the ability to rotate and rest certain players when needed.
Competitions such as the Premier League and Champions League will likely take priority, which has seen numerous players have to settle for minutes off the bench as a result.
Djed Spence has taken his career in North London to the next level over the last couple of years, with the full-back taking advantage of the injury crisis last campaign.
The Englishman made himself a regular starter under Ange last campaign, which has resulted in the 25-year-old now becoming an international regular under Thomas Tuchel.
His starts at right-back has provided competition for Pedro Porro in such an area of the pitch, with the Spaniard often missing out from the starting eleven as a result in recent months.
The 26-year-old has become known for his ability in possession rather than out of it, with Spence the complete opposite and making him an excellent fit for Frank’s system.
In 2024/25, Porro registered nine assists across all competitions, the most in a single season since his move to England - resulting in one journalist labelling him the “best in the world”.
However, in the ongoing campaign, the full-back has only registered one assist to date - showcasing his struggles - with his underlying stats also a cause for concern.
He’s completed just 72% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him in the bottom 8% of all players in England’s top-flight this season.
Porro’s crossing success has also taken a massive hit in recent months, as the Spaniard has only completed a total of 17% of his efforts as of the middle of November.
Out of possession, he’s struggled just as much, as seen by his tally of just 3.9 duels won per 90, with such a figure placing him in the bottom 25% of all defenders in the league.
His lack of defensive talent is also evident in his tally of being dribbled past 1.3 times per 90, which is higher than 82% of other full-backs in the division at present.
Such numbers will certainly be a cause for concern to the manager, especially given the quality of players such as Spence already on the books in North London.
Despite his form under Ange, Porro could now find himself on borrowed time in the near future, with the hierarchy potentially tempted to cash in on him and invest in other areas of the squad.