It is fair to say that a section of Tottenham Hotspur supporters are not pleased with the direction of travel under new head coach Thomas Frank this season.
Football.london reported that some fans were chanting "sideways and backwards, everywhere we go!" during the 2-2 draw with Burnley last time out. It was also claimed that some supporters used some less than pleasant language to describe the manager's style of play.
Style versus substance is a debate that continues to rage on throughout football fanbases across the globe, but Spurs have neither at the moment.
They are 14th in the Premier League table after 23 matches, ten points off fourth place, and their style of play, clearly, is not going down well with supporters.
The statistics in the table above illustrate how dull Spurs have been to watch at times under Frank, as they are a midtable team, at best, offensively, with a big chunk of their goals coming from set-pieces.
Title-winning manager is a contender to replace Frank
The Lilywhites are, though, reportedly looking at a manager whose style of play would be way better than what the fans have had to sit through this season.
According to a report from Spain, former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez is a strong contender for the Tottenham Hotspur job if it becomes available.
The outlet claims that the board appreciate the Spaniard's coaching pedigree and believe that he has a style of play that would provide them with more control of the ball in matches.
It adds that his experience in Europe and his presence as a leader, having also been a world-class player, are also factors in their interest in him.
The report adds that there are doubts over Frank's long-term future at the club due to the disappointing results and the lack of a clear identity on the pitch, with Xavi identified as a possible replacement for him if they decide to make a change.
Why Spurs must sack Frank to appoint Xavi
Spurs must sack Frank immediately to swoop for Xavi as their next head coach because he is a proven European level manager who has shown that he can mix substance with style.
The Spanish tactician won six trophies in two seasons with Al-Sadd SC before winning two trophies in three seasons with Barcelona, per Transfermarkt, which included winning LaLiga in the 2022/23 campaign.
When the former central midfielder guided the Spanish giants to the league title, the style of football was as exciting as the results were, as his team dominated games and scored tons of goals.
As you can see in the table above, Xavi's team were brilliant at scoring goals from open play and creating high-quality chances on a regular basis, constantly threatening the opposition's goal, without relying on set-pieces.
This shows that he knows how to set up a team to dominate and win games with the ball on the floor in open play, rather than relying on low-quality percentage football from set-pieces and crosses.
The quote from Xavi in the post above came years before he won a league title with Barcelona, and his words held weight in the end as he went on to coach a team to win a league title with the style that he set out to play.
This is why the Spanish boss, who was hailed as a "world-class" manager by journalist Maynard Manyowa, would arrive in North London as a big upgrade on Frank, who has not won a single major trophy in his managerial career, as he has a demonstrable style of play and has achieved success at a huge European club.
Therefore, the board should already be making moves to part ways with Frank so that they can appoint Xavi as their next manager, in an attempt to merge style with substance.