He didnt even do it this much at Brenford. I remember maybe one game against them in his first season he did, but not after that. I suspect it is a reflection of the attacking quality on the pitch that he feels it is necessary as we are so shite at producing anything of note from the attacking players.
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Manager Thomas Frank
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He didnt even do it this much at Brenford. I remember maybe one game against them in his first season he did, but not after that. I suspect it is a reflection of the attacking quality on the pitch that he feels it is necessary as we are so shite at producing anything of note from the attacking players.
Frank hasn’t had the luxury of Solanke, Maddison, Kulu, Son.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.
We’re in the top 5 after finishing 17th
The injuries and number of them were picking up are normal this season - Kulu was on Ange, Maddison and Solanke can’t be blamed on Frank as he hasn’t been able to play them, ditto Takai and Solanke. Bergvall was a freak concussion that won’t result in much of a lay off.
Ange was irrefutably at fault for the VDV and Romero injuries last season by rushing them back. He also had VDV crocked the year before playing the suicidal high line with 9 men against Chelsea.
I’m not saying Frank is better than Ange, but there is a clear difference in the injuries as well as set pieces
Yeah, felt like “it worked at Everton, so will work today” - Chelsea had prepared well and we had fuck all plan B.
With the squad we have, we don't have a plan A either.
You clearly are saying Frank is better than Ange and to be fair he probably is but that is like saying Tel is better than Odobert i.e. they are both not good enough.
Luxury: a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense.
I doubt Solanke, Madders or Deki will give us any comfort when they return and definitely no elegance. Most think Solanke is a donkey, majority wanted Madders replaced in the summer and Deki has had his detractors from the minute he arrived.
But you need a capable squad to do that. I would like us to play free flowing attacking football with flair and guile.
But your not going to get that from a squad, with to much mediocre crap. It's like turning up to F1 race, in a Robin Reliant, and expecting to win.
Frank is doing, what he is doing, coz he has both hands, tied behind his back.
Franks aim, is to get us playing football, but has a squad that finished 17th, lost 22 games, and regressed as professional players alarmingly,
Your expecting something that can't be given.
Levy has properly fucked this club, it's going to take years to sort it out.
Just gonna have to be patient, until Frank and the new head honchos have time to sort the mess out.
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They will have been told in training what to do in certain situations.
I am sure Frank would have been happy with Vic's choice, but obliviously not with the execution.
Sigh. I'm not making a defence of the last manager - he's gone and I've moved on unlike many - I'm simply providing data that shows what the effect of our paper thin squad has on results.
The data clearly shows just how important our Back 5 is to everything we do because the rest of the squad is mediocre at best. This is, if anything, a defence of FRANK.
Having said that I am of the opinion that your statement that the previous manager was "irrefutably at fault" for our injury crisis last year lacks evidence and is, anyway, beside the point. Injuries occur - they are occurring right now - the problem is the ability of the manger (ANY manager) to adequately cover for those injuries given the paucity of options we have.
Okay?
I don't really care who is "better". As I keep repeating: the issue is not the manager. It's the squad.
Solanke holds the ball up well and is a pressing machine - Richy can do this when he is up for it like the Europa final, but so often just does nothing other than a token run.
Maddison and Kulu with Kudus could be a sight to behold, passing, beating player, goals, it’s all there and if Frank couldn’t get a tune out of them 3 then absolutely he isn’t the right man. That 3 would also provide much better service to our average strikers, would allow us to bring BJ on late in games to get at teams leaving space in behind and allow Xavi to sit games out and build up his strength.
To be without 2 of those, have Xavi struggling, Muani just back and zero left sided attacking talent - I think any Manager would have their work cut out, the squad depth is very poor considering money spent.
But I also concede Frank has to improve at home and go for it much more than we have seen so far
Spence and VDV were also told to go and applaud the fans but they didn’t do that either.
Honestly, there is zero chance that free kick was planned like that, I think Kudus and Porro, thought they would try something and the. Just fucked it up further from there
I agree the squad is the problem.
I also think that Frank is getting more from this side than Ange could - but I hear you, that’s irrelevant.
The thing is the window isn’t open so we can’t improve the squad at this point and people are getting restless - which is crazy as we’re 5th and the CL is going fine, home wins against Slavia and Copenhagen will guarantee us a knockout place.
As a fan base we need to be patient - there is little the new board or manager can do at this point. The good enough players need to show it and we need to be much more active in binning the players that are capable to stepping up for the club - If Everton want Richy then sell him - great performance in the Europa final, but other than that he has been very disappointing
I am not saying it was planned to be a disaster , but I am sure it was planned to go short instead of Vicario putting it into the box. Vicario doesn't make that decision
All valid points Richard, even if they are maybe a tad glass half full... there are many example last season of Madders and Kulu drifting through games and not really making any impact so I would be more cautious on their absence being a cure for all out ills.
And the season is nearly over.
PS. We were top the league or there abouts in the first 10 games of the season when Ange took over and where we finished is history.
Yes I am probably quite optimistic, but I don’t think things are as bad as some are making out either given we’re 5th.
I would be more worried if I was a Villa or Newcastle fan, their managers have been with them for a long time now and have spent a lot of money yet despite both beating us, they sit behind us in the league and are both very Jekyll and hide. Newcastles performance yesterday as just as bad as ours on Saturday, they capitulated to the second worst side in the league
The point is, we would have been mad to sack Ange after 10 games and we would be mad to sack Frank after 10 games.
People expecting instant solutions to long term problems need a reality check, our squad is awful and we do not possess a single world class or even elite attacking player.
He's got us 2 points out of second. Its just now November. Relax.
brentford were 5th in the PL in goals scored last year.
automatic sin bin for mentioning the last manager? who's with me?