Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of a successful new chapter have been dashed, with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou as manager last summer and already on loan.
The Europa League champions were eliminated prematurely, with N17’s defeat to bottom side West Ham United in the Premier League at the weekend taking the season to new depths. Spurs remain 14th in the table, but the dreaded dotted line is creeping up on them.
Frank is set to lead his squad into Tuesday’s Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund, but the board is currently looking for a replacement and it is starting to feel like it is not a matter of when.
Spurs focus on Frank’s successor
Frank is safe for now, but there is no doubt that something drastic will be needed to appease the disgruntled Spurs fan base and turn things around.
ENIC Group is exploring a number of potential avenues, with outgoing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner being one of them. However, this was a poor decision and sporting director Johan Lange appointed a more exciting manager.
Midfield legend Xavi Hernández is ready to return as manager, two years after leaving Barcelona, according to reports in Spain. This eventful but title-winning run has established the Spanish legend as one of the brightest up-and-coming managers in the game, and Tottenham are understandably keen.
Manchester United are also interested, with both clubs actually contacting Xavi’s agent to offer him the job.
Why Xavi is an upgrade for Spurs
Xavi, 45, is a progressive tactician with a modern flair born of his deep ties with Barcelona, and his style of play has always been fascinating.
And in addition, he is interested in moving to England. Xavi said: “I want to work in the Premier League.” Speaking fluent English, he will fit in quickly and it could help him re-establish himself as a leader, given that frankly the expectations at Spurs are not to win a league title from the off-season.
Pundit Thierry Henry, who knows a thing or two about strong attacking play, actually said that Xavi is “better than Pep” when it comes to football intelligence and emphasis on free football. Xavi was coached by Pep early in his career at La Blaugrana, right?
He won La Liga and championed a style that lived up to the expectations of Spurs fans. What you dare to do is do it – Xavi will definitely be an upgrade over Franck. Frank is a great coach in his own right, but he is clearly not stylistically suited to Tottenham’s current team.
His possession-oriented approach will encourage rather than hinder attacking concentration. Too much emphasis on ball possession can result in dry and tasteless football if it is not applied effectively. But Xavi has set up a fun system at Barcelona and will feel he has the tools to replicate that trick at N17, even though Franck’s regime is currently so dire.
League – Leaders Possession (22/23) | ||
|---|---|---|
club | final position | Possessor. |
Barcelona | 1st place | 64.3% |
real madrid | second | 60.9% |
Villarreal | 5th place | 56.9% |
royal society | 4th place | 54.6% |
seville | 12th | 52.6% |
Data via FBref | ||
If he moves to Tottenham and builds a project similar to Guardiola’s at Manchester City. After all, Xavi worked under stifling financial conditions at the Camp Nou and still played a trump card, bringing in the likes of Rafinha, Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski.
There may be some risk with a 4-3-3 tactician, but Tottenham’s relationship with the public is broken and it is probably riskier to continue with Frank, who will likely never be repaired.
Tottenham have made a series of changes over the past year, but with Frank’s future looking increasingly likely to lie away from north London, it might be better for ENIC to jump in now and appoint one of the most interesting managerial profiles in the game before Man United sign him first.
