Put the weirdo on ignore.
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Manager Thomas Frank
- Thread starter The Fighting Cock
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The worst part about it for me is that we seem to be making such a feature of it in our play, but we don't actually seem to be that good at it. Yeah, the ball is going quite far, great, so what though? We don't look overly dangerous from it, on Saturday Chelsea almost totally nullified it by leaving three up top, meaning we left 3 back, and so the threat became pretty easy for their keeper to deal with. Everybody we face going forward should be doing that now if they have any sense.
The long throw should be another tactic in the locker, not the gameplan.
That through ball statistic for this season is absolutely disgraceful, and I'm also curious as to why Xavi doesn't seem to be on corners anymore, as he looked to have a pretty decent delivery in the West Ham game, yet now we just have Porro and Kudus delivering nice predictable crosses into the keepers arms.
Yeah I think it will take time, his Brentford side set up like this also - Frank is essentially having to learn a new way to play.
We look far more comfortable away from home where we can surrender possession and play very direct very quickly. At home when we’re on the ball, the players simply have no idea what to do with it or where each other is meant to be. Xavi is massively struggling with this as it then exacerbates his other short comings - weak as piss and not particularly fast, whereas Kudus is so strong on the ball he can compensate.
Additionally, no left sided attacker with any talent is making this all the more difficult.
Must admit Kudus has tailed off last few games. Not sure if novelty of him joining us has worn off. He was marked out of game Saturday. Imo he should have switched wings or put him at number 10 role.
The corners on Saturday were awful, the Chelsea keeper is far more confident aerially than Pickford yet we kept on trying to stick it on top of him to put him under pressure, yet he seemed very happy with the approach and our only variance was to play a short ball and not actually cross it, preferring to give the ball away instead.
When you have no attacking ability other than Spence down the left, it becomes easy for the opposition to double up on him.
It’s utterly ridiculous we have no player at the club who can play wide left effectively with Odobert being the best of a mediocre bunch.
Semenyo was the dream, but won’t happen, so go and identify someone else. You can’t go from Son to Odobert.
It's not even just corners. That bloody free-kick between, I think, Porro and Kudus, where we packed the box and they then just passed it back and forth between themselves about 6 times before handing over possession...
We should have just walked off the pitch then and conceded the result, it was obvious nothing was going to turn around at that point.
The players are either so thick they actually don't know what to do anymore, or so gutless that they're scared of taking an attacking risk.
The only thing we look capable and confident at is working it back to our own keeper, and it's been that way across multiple managers. We still harp on about "the Spurs way" but it's an embarrassingly distant memory right now.
Agree but he needs to adapt quick because thats 4 home games without a win and would be 4 home league defeats in a row if it wasn't for that last min Palhinha goal against wolves.
Kudus is physically levels above Simons so we probably need to consider moving him into the 10 permantly at home and use Simons as a left winger for now. Simons on the left will work much better when we have Udogie playing behind him as he's a natural left footer and can hold the width. Simons has been a disaster on the left with Spence as neither wants to overlap each other and end up on their weaker foot. They've been a terrible combo and I hope to never see them both on the left side together ever again.
I think with Udogie at left back, Simons at left wing and Kudus in the 10 we will look far better balanced at home. But lets see if Frank agrees.
He's carrying an injury, I said this after Everyon, he was limping after the match.
His body is able to withstand tough challenges and his physicality means he is able to take a lot of knocks but that doesn't mean they won't slow him down.
I agree
I'm still positive on Frank, as he's a talented coach, who has made some progress from where we were, and I think can take us forward. We've been shite in a number of games and it's in large part on him though. No getting away from that.
Our squad is still some way off. I'm afraid the false dawn (so far) that is Xavi Simons has been a disaster for us this season. Having Kulu and Dom back will make a big difference, but it doesn't make us world beaters by any stretch.
IIRC he was also heavily criticised for having run his team into the ground come the second half of last season.
Have to say, Levy has to carry the can for a lot of holes on the squad. The absurd obsession with unproven youth.
Look, you can play that game if you want but its a double edged sword because you also have to apply it to Frank now and our injury record is mounting as bad or worse than this time last season - even if you take out Madders and Kulu.
This is how Ange Derangement works. You make absolutist statements but then the data hoists you by your own petard. The person who suffers is the NEXT GUY because you've promised yourselves and everyone who'll listen to you that there is only ONE problem at Spurs. The LAST GUY. this is the Spurs cycle.
I've been consistent. I've always said Ange wasn't as bad a manager as Ange Derangers were making out based on Data. It was clear to me (and anyone who bothered to be even slightly objective about it) that the real underlying issue at Tottenham was a paper-thin squad held together by Top 4 quality Back 5.
This was always going to be an issue for any Manager unless it was fixed in Summer. And if it wasn't fixed then then the promises of the Ange Derangers that: "Any half competent Manager will have this squad Top 6 in the League" would be wildly optimistic at best and bitterly, catastrophically, wrong at worst.
Ange Derangers wrote cheques their "fat useless cunt" analysis couldn't cash. And that's exactly what we are seeing with the underlying numbers.
In the 12 League games up to an including the win against City on November 23rd 2024 Spurs had an xG of 26.44, and an xGA of 16,52. That was the last time our Back 5 played together in the league (they played together in the EL knock outs and we didn't lose a game FWIW).
Conversely in the 10 league games so far this season Spurs have an xG of 11.39 and an xGA of 14.02
Tottenham xG stats for the 2025/2026 season | Understat.com
Tottenham detailed xG stat for the 2025/2026 season. Data for players, different formations, situations, game states and etc.
understat.com
Those are the raw numbers. We can't create chances and we can't stop other teams creating chances. Without Vicario having an elite season so far we would be mired in the bottom half.
Is this because Frank is a terrible coach? I don't think so. I think he's having to deal with a paper thin squad with injuries to key players (Solanke, Kulusevski, Madders if we can even count him given he's basically dead).
Which is exactly what I warned you all would happen, to any "half decent manager" because the problem was not ever just Postecoglou's high line - it was we have decent Back 5 and an utterly mediocre midfield and forward line.
I warned you all that you were in for a shock, and that by November/December you'd all be sacking whichever sad sap who took the main job. And I'm afraid the raw data - and the debacle on Saturday - suggests I'm right.
Now we are seeing Frank Derangement break out. And the merry go round will continue as it ever has.
Praying Solanke comes back and we can turn some of those numbers around. But if we get more injuries to our Back 5... god help us.
Do you not think the available personnel has anything to do with it?!
When the ball has managed to be progressed up the pitch we look as blunt as a butter knife.
Richy, Tel, BJ, Odobert, Xavi have all had the opportunity to do something in the opposition half and have regularly come up short.
We need to have patience with Frank and judge him when our creative players return or we add some in January, as at the moment his ability to play flair football is hugely compromised.
I will defend Frank on that one - absolutely no chance he said to them “let’s get our CBs up, pack their box and then Fanny around and give them the ball”
That one was definitely on the players and was incredibly stupid
Then the new owners, need to come down on the side Frank.
I like both Djed and VdV, but their behaviour, was disgusting to be honest.
And quite frankly, both were at fault for the goal.
Sick of hear about players revolt, from squad that's full of mediocre shyte.
With Frank on this one.
We just don’t pay the wages and therefore the youth and second rate is what you get.
Mind blowing to think we spent more or less quarter of a billion on Richy, Dom, Xavi and BJ.
I just hope the new boardroom at the club have more footballing nous than Levy - it shouldn’t be too hard
Before Saturday I had the childish optimism of "Hey, if we can tidy up at home and pair that with our home record than we'll be going places"
Of course the reality is that the away record is not sustainable at all.. And pair that with the fact that there is zero indication of the home form improving at all... When that away form drops off from incredible to just pretty good or ok.... We're in deeeeeep shit
Of course the reality is that the away record is not sustainable at all.. And pair that with the fact that there is zero indication of the home form improving at all... When that away form drops off from incredible to just pretty good or ok.... We're in deeeeeep shit
Yep time and time again we wasted corners by dropping it right on top of Sanchez.
I bet he couldn’t believe his good fortune!