Manager Thomas Frank

[Shadydan]

he needs more time.

people need to chill out.

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The man hasn't even worked with Kulu, Maddison, Solanke, RKM yet and people are already melting and questioning him, incredible.

I'm being continually informed that he has a job to do to undo the mess of last season and stabilise us so let him get on with his job.

 

[_mehstg]

I always feel that a new manager should be given 2 seasons. Even Ange, until by November last year it was clear that he really was clueless, on top of no PL experience before us. And from mid-March to the end of the first season when it was not good at all.

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Did you want Nuno to have 2 seasons. Were you dissapointed when he was sacked after 15 games.

 

[_mehstg]

We've only lost one game out of nine. So calling Frank out feels very unreasonable to me.

Yes, the football hasn't been great in the last couple of games. But this is Frank's first job where he is expected to play as many games as he is now. It is a learning experience for him and we are still grinding out wins and not conceding that many goals.

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Which is why he should never have been hired. We are Spurs, not a team where someone can learn.

 

[Aphex]

There's a cognitive dissonance between your first sentence and second.

Because Ange did exactly the latter when he came in. I simply couldn't believe my eyes when I watched the football we played in August 2023 after the utter dross our 22/23 campaign had ended with. In one pre-season Ange got us playing daring, front-foot, one touch, attacking football that was thrilling to watch.

We all know it didn't last. But that first 3 months before the catastrophe of the Chelsea game and the injuries we incurred in it was absolutely thrilling and full of fluid attack and intent. All after losing Kane.

And this is where Frank has a terrible uphill battle. Because the crowd took to Ange from Game 1 - that weird almost American baseball chant of "Oohhh Ange Postecoglou..." was imbedded by match day 2. Everyone knew "we were back" - playing "the Tottenham way" (yes a cliche but it felt real at the time).

Crowd hasn't taken to Frank at all. Because why would you when his remit is to make us "safe". So he has to work so much harder than Ange ever did to win the crowd over. To make us believe - while also trying to make us harder to beat because we simply don't have the talent to dominate most other sides.

Already you can see the vultures circling over Frank. Now is the time to back him. Especially if you are one of those who turned on Ange for doing the same thing Frank is trying to do - make the best out of a pretty "meh" squad. You can either do that by going for broke, or by being hard to beat.

Let's give Frank the time he needs and the support he needs.

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Great post and also worth remembering that Ange had Maddison making things tick for us in those first ten games and he was majestic.

Frank lost him to an ACL and I think some are forgetting how absolutely crucial he has been to our attacking play. Even in the Europa which we went on to win he was crucial in the run to the final.


Anyone circling over Frank now is a fucking clown. And you can see some people itching to say Frank out. Probably the same people who watched us lose week in week out under Ange but still wanted him to stay and were happy to give him a third season.

Absolutely fucking bizarre.

 

[Bloodbath]

Not sure how you think we have a shocking squad all of a sudden. It's the best squad we've had in years, Mourinho, Conte and Ange would have loved to get players of the calibre of Simons, Kudus, Palhinha into their squads. Most of these guys finished 5th two seasons back and we are now better squad wise than that. We are just playing poorly at the moment, but scraping results against weaker opponents. Can only hope Frank can turn it around with more time together.

 

[White Van Jan]

Did you want Nuno to have 2 seasons. Were you dissapointed we he was sacked after 15 games.

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No.

I only saw Nuno as a stopgap, a panic hire from a lunatic know-nothing Levy who'd screwed up everything Poch had achieved with the Mourinho/Mason balls up.

A 4-4-2 clean sheet 1-0 manager. Who after some trademark 1-0 wins (like AVB 2nd season) then had us losing loads of 3-0's including the mighty Palace (no Glasner then of course). 5 losses in 7.

Most importantly he was replaced by a serial winner in Conte who amazingly got us top 4 which was not on the agenda with Nuno, conceding goals for fun and dropping from top to midtable in a month.

So, no.

And I don't see much similarity with the current situation.

 

[Go on son]

Which is why he should never have been hired. We are Spurs, not a team where someone can learn.

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We are Spurs. We finished 17th last season

 

[Sir Archibald Crooks]

We are Spurs. We finished 17th last season

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Worst ppg for 80 years, worst league finish in 48 years. I'm amazed we're now not playing like Brazil 70.

I'd agree since City its been a dreadful watch and we need to up it asap but its 1 defeat in 9, taken over from a team that lost 26 last season. Whoever is new to the job at least deserves a chance. If we're mid table and still playing shite come spring then it starts to become a different matter.

 

[_mehstg]

No.

I only saw Nuno as a stopgap, a panic hire from a lunatic know-nothing Levy who'd screwed up everything Poch had achieved with the Mourinho/Mason balls up.

A 4-4-2 clean sheet 1-0 manager. Who after some trademark 1-0 wins (like AVB 2nd season) then had us losing loads of 3-0's including the mighty Palace (no Glasner then of course). 5 losses in 7.

Most importantly he was replaced by a serial winner in Conte who amazingly got us top 4 which was not on the agenda with Nuno, conceding goals for fun and dropping from top to midtable in a month.

So, no.

And I don't see much similarity with the current situation.

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This is exactly what is happening now... a couple of plucky draws against relegation fodder and the worst team in the Champions League then after Leeds I cant see where the next win is coming from under this manager and his regressive football. Sadly, there will be no Conte to pick up the pieces but maybe the Bodo manager might fancy the job. Can't be any worse than what is currently being served up.

 

[manmountainbutters]

Which is why he should never have been hired. We are Spurs, not a team where someone can learn.

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The only managers we've had had in the past 20 years who were therefore qualified in your view were Conte and Mourinho

 

[Richard Arlison]

"Was it the plan in the first half to sit back and try to get them on the counter or was that kind of imposed upon you by the way that they played?

I think that was what we wanted. Hopefully also you saw that we went high pressure sometimes. It was not that we never went high pressure.

So the plan was both to go into the high pressure, which we did on several occasions, and also succeed with those situations, and then there were times when we were a little bit more banked in.

You know, exactly that we were four months ago, because they're very, very good at what they're doing. And then I think the counters should have been a little bit better. But I think the main bit was that when we were on the ball, we threw the ball away too quick."

This was the most interesting answer from the PC last night. I understand where Frank is coming from with the idea of getting more defensive structure, so sitting deep and counterattacks make sense to him.

My issue is we weren't defensively solid in the last 3 games, we are conceding a lot of chances because we have no control of the game at all.

Leeds will be interesting because they are a super aggressive mid/low block team that wants to counter but the worry IMO is that if you give a team like that control of the midfield, you just make them even more confident.

 

[Shadydan]

For all the warranted criticism though one positive thing is that he's worked on our mentality and we now no longer know when to lose, which is good. It was probably the biggest hurdle getting the confidence back into this grouo after last season so fair fucks for that.

 

[WillWilliams]

We are Spurs. We finished 17th last season

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Last won the league in 1961.
Average league position since we sacked Poch. 8th.
Finished in the top 4 once.

On paper very much a mid table team at the moment. No truly elite striker. A GK who’s definitely not at the top level. Lots of promise in the squad. Not much actual quality you would put into a “best of” premier league squad of 25. Let alone the best XI.


And is Frank just a mid table manager? I dont think anybody would call him elite either. Nothing in his CV shouts that. It’s a step up for him too.

His main job seems to be to stabilise a ship, but without a few key players on Day 1. Which is unfortunate

So my only concern for him is we have no idea what the new board want.
Exciting football - not yet.
Sold out matches - nope.
Feeling we can achieve something special this season. - I’d say no at this point.

Wonder how the Lewis family play this game of executive management?
Happy to give managers longer than the league average?
Longer than the Daniel Levy average manager lifespan??

Guess we will find out.

 

[manmountainbutters]

Great post and also worth remembering that Ange had Maddison making things tick for us in those first ten games and he was majestic.

Frank lost him to an ACL and I think some are forgetting how absolutely crucial he has been to our attacking play. Even in the Europa which we went on to win he was crucial in the run to the final.


Anyone circling over Frank now is a fucking clown. And you can see some people itching to say Frank out. Probably the same people who watched us lose week in week out under Ange but still wanted him to stay and were happy to give him a third season.

Absolutely fucking bizarre.

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Maddison and Kulu are huge losses and in no way (so far) does Xavi compensate for even one of those (though he has clear potential).

Fully fit we have a good squad, with one major weakness at LW. The problem is our two established 10s are out.

Totally agree we've had some shite performances and a few good ones. We are still heading in the right direction and supporters should back Frank.

btw, 2-2 at Bodo isn't THAT bad. It's not good, but plenty of elite teams in Europe would fail to win there. Bodo had had about 10 days rest prior to that game.

 

[manmountainbutters]

Last won the league in 1961.
Average league position since we sacked Poch. 8th.
Finished in the top 4 once.

On paper very much a mid table team at the moment. No truly elite striker. A GK who’s definitely not at the top level. Lots of promise in the squad. Not much actual quality you would put into a “best of” premier league squad of 25. Let alone the best XI.


And is Frank just a mid table manager? I dont think anybody would call him elite either. Nothing in his CV shouts that. It’s a step up for him too.

His main job seems to be to stabilise a ship, but without a few key players on Day 1. Which is unfortunate

So my only concern for him is we have no idea what the new board want.
Exciting football - not yet.
Sold out matches - nope.
Feeling we can achieve something special this season. - I’d say no at this point.

Wonder how the Lewis family play this game of executive management?
Happy to give managers longer than the league average?
Longer than the Daniel Levy average manager lifespan??

Guess we will find out.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, we absolute 100pc fucking need to stop spending 10s of millions on each "prospect".

Honestly if you put the Tel and Odobert money to a Savinho we are already a much better team.

I desperately hope we learn from the Levy years of how not to recruit. Any player about £20m or more should be established in an elite league.

 

[manmountainbutters]

Last won the league in 1961.
Average league position since we sacked Poch. 8th.
Finished in the top 4 once.

On paper very much a mid table team at the moment. No truly elite striker. A GK who’s definitely not at the top level. Lots of promise in the squad. Not much actual quality you would put into a “best of” premier league squad of 25. Let alone the best XI.


And is Frank just a mid table manager? I dont think anybody would call him elite either. Nothing in his CV shouts that. It’s a step up for him too.

His main job seems to be to stabilise a ship, but without a few key players on Day 1. Which is unfortunate

So my only concern for him is we have no idea what the new board want.
Exciting football - not yet.
Sold out matches - nope.
Feeling we can achieve something special this season. - I’d say no at this point.

Wonder how the Lewis family play this game of executive management?
Happy to give managers longer than the league average?
Longer than the Daniel Levy average manager lifespan??

Guess we will find out.

Click to shrink...

Re "sold out matches" the drop off is due to Son leaving.

 

[Gatsby]

he needs more time.

people need to chill out.

Click to shrink...

This is the issue, we have a massively impatient fan base.

A large portion expect everything to rosy immediately, winning every match and smashing teams with ease. Couple of poor performances and they want a change in management and start comparing Frank to Ange, Conte and others. It's embarrassing at times.

We wouldn't have come back against Brighton, Wolves or Bodo in the past. Poor performances, yes, but at least there is character being shown and Frank doesn't sugarcoat it in post match interviews. He's honest about it.

We have to get a top striker and LW over the next two windows.

 

[Notabadsquad]

The man hasn't even worked with Kulu, Maddison, Solanke, RKM yet and people are already melting and questioning him, incredible.

I'm being continually informed that he has a job to do to undo the mess of last season and stabilise us so let him get on with his job.

Click to shrink...

Last season left a mark on all concerned, glorious Europa apart.

Like the Labour Party and Starmer, whatever one's political affiliation, you cant simply click your fingers and voila.

No guarantees whatsoever that Frank gets us to where we want to be, but give him a season to stabilise and. dentify.

Then he can hopefully get more players that he wants, plus those who are yet to feature. Only then will it be fair to properly assess.

Results are currently better than performances and I know which I prefer.

 

[WillWilliams]

Yeah, we absolute 100pc fucking need to stop spending 10s of millions on each "prospect".

Honestly if you put the Tel and Odobert money to a Savinho we are already a much better team.

I desperately hope we learn from the Levy years of how not to recruit. Any player about £20m or more should be established in an elite league.

Click to shrink...

It’s crazy we have spent so much money but seemingly not that much to show for it.
Cost of living in football form I guess.

Top players are now £100m plus. On wages of £300k a week.
We struggle to go over £60m. And pay around £200k to our top players.

Madness.

 

[Gatsby]

Is anyone fully clicking in the league yet? No one has been consistent.

We aren't at the level of Woolwich, Liverpool or City. A new manager needs time, not judging after 6 league games and 2 UCL games. Stop wanting to chop and change all the time, it's not worked before and it won't work now.

So many people like children getting upset because something isn't fun for 5 minutes and want to change it all the time.