The Tottenham dressing room has been a hotspot for unrest and discontent for much of the past decade, often tied to a cycle of managerial turnover, limited squad investment, and mounting expectations without consistent silverware. Under ENIC’s ownership since 2001, the club has prioritised financial sustainability and infrastructure.
Sources close to the Spurs dressing room say there is increasing confusion about the roles players are being tasked with, as plans are thrown out or changed either close to kick-off or alarmingly early during games.
Claims of interest are far from new at Spurs
AVB’s tenure was as brief as it was turbulent. He was undermined by the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid mid-season, without key replacements like João Moutinho. Reports described a “disenchanted” dressing room, with senior players like Michael Dawson questioning the Portuguese’s authority. Villas-Boas was sacked after just 18 months, highlighting early signs of board-manager misalignment spilling into squad morale.
A lack of transfer activity has been a recurring theme
A Daily Mail report detailed jealousy over Levy’s £6m salary and Pochettino’s “up-and-down moods.” The team meeting after a Brighton loss in October 2019 revealed exhaustion “players had “nothing left physically or mentally.”
Poch was sacked days later, with insiders noting he hadn’t “lost the dressing room” but the club’s frugality had eroded it.
It was a lack of signings and talent that was determined to waste itself, like Dele Alli, who featured in José Mourinho’s reign. French players (e.g., Tanguy Ndombele) described “very tense relationships,” and he was accused of “losing the dressing room” weeks before his sacking – the Portuguese was fired just a week before the 2021 Carabao Cup final.
No major signings, like a centre-back for his preferred system, fuelled resentment.
Levy kept hiring the same low block style of managers
Poor old Nuno didn’t fare any better, bless him. The dressing room was described as “toxic” in a 2023 Athletic report, with players feeling directionless amid a post-Poch hangover.
Antonio Conte caused chaos by slating the entire club off, live on TV, after a loss against Southampton. Conte’s arrival promised trophies, but ended in acrimony. He publicly blasted the squad as “mediocre”, alienating players and some fans.
Ange Postecoglou’s woes were largely self-inflicted, with him failing to appreciate how tense the rivalry with Arsenal was, and actually squaring up to fans.
I guess we’re not in Brentford any more, Toto
Thomas Frank’s recent comments about fans booing backfired spectacularly, and despite sympathetic noises from the press, the disconnect narrative fits too well with the bad form.
It seems that there’s something not quite right at Spurs, and I suspect it isn’t the managers.