Eight months ago, Tottenham were parading a European trophy. Now? They’re staring down the barrel of a relegation scrap and have just sacked Thomas Frank.
Football moves fast. Spurs move faster — usually backwards.
After finishing 17th last season, there were obvious structural issues. But winning the Europa League plastered over the cracks like a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling ceiling. It looked fine from a distance. Up close? Mould everywhere.
Out went Ange Postecoglou. In came Thomas Frank, plucked from Brentford with the promise of structure, discipline, and clever recruitment. Sensible appointment. Progressive. Measured.
Seven months later: goodbye and good luck.
“We Buried United”… Apparently Not
Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara recently lit up TalkSport — yes, something interesting did emerge from that platform — with a brutally honest assessment.
He said after winning the Europa League he genuinely believed Spurs had buried Manchester United. Tottenham had European football, Champions League qualification, and a massive payday. United had nothing.
And yet…
United went out and signed Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo. Spurs? Spurs went sideways. Now United are sitting comfortably in the top four while Tottenham sit five points above the relegation zone.
He’s not wrong. Spurs have regressed at pace.
Thomas Frank: Wrong Man or Wrong Squad?
There’s no question Thomas Frank had to go. The football was slow. Sideways. Predictable. Watching Spurs build an attack was like watching someone reverse park for 15 minutes — cautious, hesitant, and ultimately ending up nowhere near the target.
But was the job too big for him? Or is this simply a recruitment disaster dressed up as managerial failure?
Spurs have spent over €500 million since 2023. Five hundred. Million. Euros.
And the only genuinely elite addition? Micky van de Ven. That’s it. You could sell him tomorrow and make a tidy profit.
Cristian Romero? A walking suspension. Red cards like they’re loyalty points. Currently serving another ban.
Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski? Talented, but permanently wrapped in bubble wrap.
Pedro Porro? Fine. Not transformational.
Wilson Odobert? Overhyped.
Mathys Tel? A serious question: what does he actually do? There’s a reason Bayern Munich let players leave. They rarely miscalculate. If Bayern are happy to wave goodbye, it’s usually not because they’re losing sleep.
The Real Problem: Bottle
Here’s the uncomfortable question.
Does this squad have the stomach for a relegation fight?
This isn’t a familiar environment for so-called “Big Six” clubs. They’re built for Champions League nights under the lights — not cold Saturdays away at Burnley with survival on the line.
Clubs like Leeds, West Ham, Burnley — they’ve lived in the trenches. Their players understand the chaos. Their fans understand the tension. Tottenham? This is foreign territory.
This squad was assembled with Champions League music in mind.
Now it might need hard hats.
With injuries piling up, an interim manager stepping in, and brutal fixtures ahead, Spurs could realistically be in the bottom three by March. And once you’re in that quicksand, history shows it’s very hard to climb out.
The next appointment has to work.
Not “give him time.”
Not “trust the process.”
It has to work immediately.
Because if it doesn’t, Tottenham Hotspur — a club that once believed it had buried Manchester United — might find itself buried in the Championship.
And nobody wants to be there.
