What’s next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Tottenham Hotspur are enduring yet another dreadful season in the Premier League. Having recently sacked Thomas Frank and currently sitting 16th in the league table, Spurs have definitely hit rock bottom.

It’s no different from last year, when Spurs slumped to a disappointing 17th-place finish, which was definitely underwhelming for a club of their stature. It was not all doom and gloom, however, as the Lilywhites did secure Champions League qualification on the back of a superb Europa League campaign, where they ended up as the champions and beat English side Manchester United in the final. 

After bringing the club their first piece of silverware in 17 years, head coach Ange Postecoglou was sacked at the end of the season. It was quite evident that the club management was not satisfied with the team’s domestic performances under the Australian. Spurs then hired the services of Brentford’s Thomas Frank and also strengthened their squad with a host of talented players like Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, and João Palhinha in the summer.

However, little has improved. Their woeful domestic form continues to torment them, and they’ve only managed 29 points all season, with the relegation zone looming too close for comfort. 

In stark contrast, their Champions League campaign has been impressive. They secured direct qualification to the last 16 from the league phase, overtaking some of Europe’s elite and most storied clubs. Spurs won five of their eight league phase games, with just two draws and a solitary defeat.

This disparity in form can be explained by the difference in the format of the two competitions. Despite the league structure of its first phase, the Champions League retains its cup-competition identity, with any of its team — all having qualified on merit regardless of their league’s strength — capable of causing an upset; even an inconsistent team can go far in the competition. Meanwhile, the Premier League has a demanding 38-game season, where consistency is key when facing familiar opponents in a highly competitive environment.

After a long string of poor results in the league, a defeat to Newcastle United at home last week proved to be the last straw for Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, who was sacked following a tumultuous eight months in charge. Frank had come in with a huge reputation, having worked miracles with Brentford on a shoestring budget, first getting them promoted into the top flight and then sustaining their Premier League status for several seasons.

With the job having proved to be a step too far for the Dane, and too soon perhaps, Spurs have roped in former Juventus and Marseille coach Igor Tudor as their head coach until the end of the season. 

Here, we take a look at the factors that have affected Spurs this season, as well as speculate on how they can look ahead.

Injuries have derailed their season yet again

Similar to last season, Spurs have been decimated by injuries to key players several times this season. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke suffered long-term injuries and have spent most — if not all — of the season on the sidelines. Currently, Spurs have several key players out injured: Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pedro Porro, Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall, and Destiny Udogie.

Whether this is down to style of play, training and recovery issues, or some players just being more injury-prone, sustaining this many injuries in back-to-back seasons is something massively concerning and needs to be considered seriously and addressed in a decisive manner.

Mitigating factors with so many injuries can’t be ignored. Thomas Frank was somewhat unlucky in that, even after strengthening the squad in the summer, injuries prevented him from playing his best XI for a significant period, which definitely affected both his prospects and those of his team.

Poor tactical approach from Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank had instilled a high-intensity style of play in his Brentford side. He was an adaptable coach there and fostered technical ability and strong defensive structure, while also making his side excel in set pieces. His style worked superbly with the personnel he had at his disposal, but at Spurs, who prefer a more attacking brand of football, there was a feeling that he was unable to properly utilise the quality of the squad at his disposal.

In a league that has moved from a possession-based, technical style of play to a more physical one, Frank wasn’t able to make the transition and field a team capable of a more defensive style with set-piece superiority. On many occasions, it felt like he was being rather reactive, trying to adapt to the opposition’s tactics rather than being proactive and forcing the issue. 

Injuries didn’t really help his cause, of course, but Frank further isolated himself from the players by poor man management as well. At big clubs, a manager not only needs to guide the players, but also manage the egos in the dressing room — something the Dane clearly failed to achieve. 

Player indiscipline has been another worrying factor

Spurs’ issues with the players’ indiscipline during games and their behaviour towards the manager have been a worrying sign of discord in the dressing room. A lot of instances have been witnessed where some players have consistently reported late to training, some have refused to shake hands with the manager after poor results, along with needless yellow- and red-card incidents during crucial games.

A recent example was the sending off of Cristian Romero in a big home game against Manchester United. Spurs have been the most indisciplined side this season, tied in first place with London rivals Chelsea, and have received 64 yellow cards and three red cards in 26 league games so far this season.

For a team to perform well, there should be a feeling of togetherness, positivity, and camaraderie in the dressing room, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Spurs. Indiscipline on the field is indicative of frustration, desperation, and lack of belief in the coaching style.

Conclusion

Spurs have announced the appointment of Igor Tudor as their interim head coach until the end of the season, and the Croat most definitely has a firefighting job on his hands.

The team’s immediate priority will be to ensure top-flight survival and see how far they can go in the Champions League. Given they are out of both domestic cups, there’s a strong possibility of going trophyless this season, though they have more pressing matters on hand.

If rumours are to be believed, the Spurs management could be looking at the fan-favourite Mauricio Pochettino as a potential permanent managerial appointment after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Without a doubt, Spurs have a fairly talented squad with top-class players in Mohammed Kudus, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, and Xavi Simons. These can form the foundation on which Spurs could build with further quality additions next summer. However, they will also need to keep hold of their star players amid growing frustration in and around the North London club.

As things stand, Spurs will be hoping for the new manager bounce to help them secure Premier League survival before they turn their attention to a crucial rebuild in the summer. With the competition for European places increasing every season, getting themselves back into the top four is going to be very challenging for the Lilywhites.

I believe that, even with the injuries and the poor recent form, Spurs should comfortably survive relegation, though they are miles off from challenging for silverware over the next few seasons. At best, they will be looking to get back into the top six, as another transitional season approaches, which will bring another coaching change and, potentially, an exodus of ageing and injury-prone players.