From José Mourinho to Nuno Espírito Santo, from Ange Postecoglou to Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur have turned the head coach role into a revolving door.
One hire wants control and dominance of the ball; the next leans into directness and pragmatism; then the pendulum swings back again.
Each reset asks the squad to learn a new way of playing, and this means different profiles and a different tolerance for risk.
The outcome is a team that seems to be in a constant cycle of change.
Expectations of UEFA Champions League football through the Premier League have thinned; there are only 15 games left, and Tottenham are 16th, five points off the relegation places.
In that context, supporters are crying out for performances that keep them engaged, for a side that dictates the feel of matches.
Frank was the latest to be axed after less than eight months.
He arrived from Brentford with a reputation as a promising coach and an organiser, leaving them in the top half.
Spurs had an early flash that suggested it might work: a strong performance against PSG in the Super Cup, then wins away from home against Burnley and Manchester City.
After that, the football flattened.
The wins did not come often enough to justify the trade-offs.
And at a club like Spurs, trade-offs are only tolerated if they are buying you something.
Meanwhile, Brentford, now under their former set-piece coach, Keith Andrews, have continued to rise and are pushing for Europe.
That contrast does not necessarily condemn Frank as a coach, but it shows that the Spurs job is different and that the expectation is to be dominant.
What Went Wrong For Thomas Frank At Tottenham Hotspur?
What worked at Brentford did not transfer well to Tottenham for Thomas Frank.
Frank built a very effective model around low possession, direct play, set pieces, and quick access to the box.
The idea was to get the ball forward early, attack second balls, and create high-leverage moments through rehearsed dead-ball routines and low crosses.
Tottenham is not the right environment for that game.
At Spurs, the expectation is to impose yourself for long periods.
But under Frank, it felt passive.
He was comfortable without the ball, and that can work, but only if there are wins and devastation in attack.
Under Thomas Frank, Spurs are operating with less of the ball than in the early Postecoglou period.
Tottenham Hotspur Possession % By Season 2023/2024-2025/2026
The double pivot consistently received on the same horizontal line, with both midfielders dropping toward the centre-backs simultaneously to provide safety.
It produced a stable first pass but also affected Tottenham’s vertical spacing.