All is not well in North London at present. Tottenham Hotspur’s 2025/26 campaign is nearing the halfway mark, but the Lilywhites are seemingly lacking any markers of the progress you would expect at this point in a season - even under a new coach. The XI changes significantly every match; players are making simple errors; the team struggles to string several passes together; and there is a lack of cutting edge (or even a blunt one) around the opposition 18-yard box. Let’s be real here: things are not going well under Thomas Frank.
Though reports recently indicated club ownership were willing to give Frank time to reshape the side in his image, saying results have been underwhelming is an understatement, with the numbers (courtesy of FBRef) conveying an even bleaker outlook:
Statistic
Wins76Goals3926Expected Goals (xG)31.816.2Goals Against2523xG Against29.422.6Shots258168xG per Shot0.120.10Possession (%)57.851.9% of touches in attacking third28.724.2Through balls327Errors1621Yellow cards3646Red cards02
Note that even though this looks bad enough in isolation, added context makes these numbers look even worse. Last season’s equivalent Liverpool fixture was a statistical outlier, with Spurs going down 6-3 and conceding 5.6 xG against as they rolled out Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray at center back against the eventual Premier League winners. In fact, one or both of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven has started every match this season, with that only happening on 12 of 17 occasions last season at this point through the campaign - including that infamous match against Chelsea where both picked up injuries.
But let’s take a step back. You probably don’t need to be told how bad it is. You probably are well aware. What does this mean for the club?
This level of performance (or lack thereof) hasn’t just played out on the Premier League points table; it has also had an impact on fans, with growing discontent in the ever-decreasing numbers in the stands. Whereas it was previously near impossible to secure tickets to see Spurs play in their state-of-the-art stadium, more and more fixtures are seeing tickets released to general sale. For a club that relies heavily on matchday revenues to run things, this hurts - and will hurt the board.
It is therefore possible circumstances escalate to a point where bold decisions must be made. Dissatisfaction is growing, both in the stands and the boardroom, and while we are probably not quite at the tipping point, it feels like we’re not far away.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the options available to the Spurs brass.
Option 1: Fire Frank; hire a new permanent manager
There are a number of very good arguments for firing Frank, some of which were laid bare in the numbers above; however, this is probably the least likely of the options on Vinai Venkatesham’s plate right now (assuming he’s the one with the decision-making power). The problem with going in this direction is the paucity of options available to Spurs for a replacement should Lange and Paratici opt for a new long-term appointment.
Here’s a list of some free agent managers Spurs may or may not be interested in:
Zinedine Zidane
Xavi Hernandez
Edin Terzic
Thiago Motta
Erik Ten Hag
Brendan Rodgers
Gareth Southgate
Ange Postecoglou
Does anybody feel a deep sense of something resembling ennui reading that list?
You could probably categorize those managers into four groups: probably can’t get (and we’re not actually sure how good they are); no way on Earth; I guess could work in the short-term; and the ex-girlfriend.
The first group is comprised of Zidane and Xavi. Both probably have their sights set higher than Spurs, or potentially on international roles; and it’s hard to say how well they would do in the Premier League anyway. With Zidane, it’s very much a case of “Could he do it on a rainy Wednesday night at Stoke?” - we’ve never seen him manage anywhere else except the titans of Real Madrid, and Spurs in the Prem is very much a different prospect. Xavi is similar, except with much, much less of a record of success on his resume, as well as some troubling outbursts while at the helm of Barcelona.
Saying no way on Earth to Edin Terzic is maybe a little harsh, but Terzic is basically Bundesliga Frank. He took over a swashbuckling Borussia Dortmund side and made them… boring. They were more solid at the back, but became dour to watch, and despite endless tinkering, Terzic was never really able to make Dortmund click. Sound familiar? Thiago Motta is a similar story. After an impressive stint with Bologna in Serie A, he jumped ship to Juventus where he also struggled to produce anything resembling fluidity.
Gareth Southgate would be a questionable appointment, but I do think Spurs could do worse if they were looking for a short-term solution. I think he would build a good sense of unity amongst the squad and put out something unimpressive, albeit functional, on the pitch. To be very clear, I don’t want Southgate, and wouldn’t see him as anything but a temporary appointment. As such, he probably fits more in the below section, but I doubt he would want to accept an interim role.
And that brings us full circle to Big Ange. Would Spurs go back there? For that matter, would Ange? I think the answer to both those questions is no. Lange and Vinai (and potentially Paratici) would have been involved in the decision to remove him in the first place, and I’d say it’s unlikely they would second guess that decision. Ange himself disposed of most of the reputational capital he built following Spurs’ Europa League win in his short stint at Nottingham Forest, so maybe he’d view it as an opportunity to rebuild his profile; but I think he’d instead see it as a way to only tarnish it further (including amongst the Spurs faithful).
To those questioning where Erik Ten Hag and Brendan Rodgers sit: I don’t understand the question and I won’t respond to it.
The other risk factor in both this and Option 2’s outworking I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this section: Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici. Thomas Frank by all accounts was Lange’s appointment, and that follows a number of underwhelming signings under Lange. It’s hard to forget Paratici’s record with managerial appointments at Spurs as well, with the disastrous see-saw of targets from Paulo Fonseca to Gennaro Gattuso, before finally appointing Nuno Espirito Santo; while later appointee Antonio Conte did his best to burn any and all bridges on his way out of the club. Are these really the guys we want targeting a new (especially permanent) manager?
Option 2: Fire Frank; hire an interim manager
I said above there are a number of good reasons for firing Frank - and I think unless Spurs are at risk of relegation, Spurs higher-ups would largely only consider some of the non-football reasons touched on previously. Frank’s relationship with the fandom has been testy at best thus far, with a few ill-judged comments (as well as poor performances) leading to fan reactions that fall just short of revolt. There’s also been some interesting comments and reactions from members of the squad. If relations on either front continue to deteriorate, and on-pitch results don’t improve, the board would likely have no choice but to fire Frank.
Make no mistake, though - this is a risky option. In this scenario, Spurs are potentially in free-fall down the table, and the expectation would be that an inexperienced or ambitious candidate would be able to stem the bleeding. That’s a huge roll of the dice.
In years past, that roll of the dice would likely have landed on Ryan Mason. He’s no longer available to fill that role, currently in charge of West Bromwich Albion in the Championship (and leading them to a rather disappointing 16th). Another member of the current coaching staff who may have also been considered was Matt Wells. He came on board under Ange Postecoglou and was retained under Thomas Frank (albeit with a small demotion), which speaks well of his abilities; however, recent reports have him headed to the Colorado Rapids in MLS.
The best option currently left on staff then is probably Justin Cochrane. Having worked his way up through Spurs’ youth ranks, he’s also been a head coach with England at various age-grade levels, and more senior stints at Manchester United and Brentford before his return to Spurs put him in good stead for a step up. If Spurs wanted somebody to take the reins on a short-term basis, he’s the least risky option.
You know, unless you wanted to go the Ben Davies player-coach route. Do it Vinai.
Option 3: Retain Frank
Honestly, unless things become irredeemable with Frank at the helm (and I’m not talking about missing out on Europe here - I’m talking about risk of relegation or a staff / fan revolt) this is probably the most likely course of action. It’s low risk and it gives the Spurs brass more options in the summer; especially given the number of high-profile coaches that could be available come the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
It would be much easier to coax previously linked managers such as Oliver Glasner (who appears to be all but done at Crystal Palace) and Andoni Iraola to Spurs in the offseason, and Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and Julian Nagelsmann could all be good appointments, as well as potentially without jobs, following World Cup campaigns in charge of USA, England, and Germany, respectively.
I personally have been against the rehiring of Pochettino in the past, especially given his stint at Chelsea - the irony being his ability to turn that side around in extremely challenging circumstances (followed by his perhaps unfair sacking) is the reason I would even really consider his return. Tuchel on face value seems unappealing, but would likely fit well into what the Spurs front office were trying to achieve by hiring Frank: a smart tactician who is flexible and gets his sides playing consistent, front-foot football. Nagelsmann is perhaps the most intriguing of this international triumvirate: after being dismissed (like Pochettino, perhaps unfairly) from Bayern Munich, he has worked wonders with the German national team, getting them playing in both an intricate and penetrating manner.
One name that could be available and definitely piques a significant amount of interest is that of Xabi Alonso. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder did the unthinkable when he took charge of Bayer Leverkusen a couple of years back: going unbeaten in the Bundesliga and beating Bayern Munich to the title. Since then, he has shifted to Real Madrid, where he has struggled somewhat with some of the dressing room egos and demanding fans - starting well, but leaving some dissatisfied as the team from the Spanish capital trail rivals Barcelona. If Real Madrid were silly enough to fire Xabi, he would be an excellent get; the problem being that many sides (and some with resources greater than Spurs) would likely be queueing up to secure his services.
Of course, this whole “Retain Frank” section has largely been written with a large “for now” asterisk in the subtext. There is a distinct possibility that Frank turns things around and constructs some sort of success from this shaky start. The odds of that possibility, however, are eroding with every misplaced pass, every boo from the stand, and every lackluster performance, and there has been little to give me confidence that Frank can indeed succeed in North London. Given he is Spurs’ manager, I am inclined to give him every last chance, and I think that those higher up in the club will want to do so as well - but surely the Dane is on thin ice.
