“The bird rots from the head”: Why the real issue at Spurs is not the manager

Thomas Frank’s job had been under increasing pressure with Spurs winning just three times in 16 Premier League games and ultimately, that pressure proved fatal. His dismissal in the last weeks brings an abrupt end to a turbulent tenure, yet the same structural questions remain.

Even in his final weeks, the contrast was striking. Spurs’ 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt secured automatic qualification to the Champions League Round of 16, while domestically they hovered dangerously close to the relegation conversation.

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Now, with Tottenham appointing a new head coach and Mauricio Pochettino heavily rumoured to return at the end of the season, the cycle feels familiar.

So, what is really going wrong at Tottenham? And does changing the manager truly solve it?

Spurs have long been a club defined by extremes, exhilarating highs such as last season’s Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou followed by sobering lows, including a 17th-place league finish.

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Sustained footballing success has proved elusive. Iconic moments from the Pochettino era, like Lucas Moura’s hat-trick against Ajax, feel increasingly distant, while old criticisms of Spurs resurface with renewed force.

Terms like ‘Spursy’ remain shorthand mockery for a club that repeatedly has success within reach, only to let it slip. ‘Dr Tottenham’ persists as a label, given their tendency to revive struggling opponents. Recent last-minute defeats to Bournemouth and West Ham both ending long winless runs against Spurs reinforced that narrative before Frank’s eventual departure.

The damaging home loss to West Ham deepened the toxicity brewing inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank clapped the fans at full-time and was met with boos a moment that symbolised the widening divide between supporters and the dugout.

Thomas Frank After Another Worrying Performance - Which Followed With A Sack Few Weeks Later

Yet with Frank now gone, supporters must ask themselves: was he ever truly the root of the problem?

Long-term injuries to key players James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, a thin and depleted squad, and questionable recruitment have undermined Spurs domestically. Expensive ticket prices and a growing disconnect between fans and ownership have only amplified the frustration.

Daniel Levy’s resignation in September after sustained “Levy Out” protests initially sparked optimism.

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But clarity and direction have not followed. With minimal direct communication from the Lewis family ownership, the hierarchy still appears fractured. Financial caution and commercial opportunism continue to be perceived as priorities over on-pitch ambition.

The signing of Conor Gallagher divided opinion. While an experienced England international, many fans questioned why other glaring gaps in the squad were not addressed particularly during an injury crisis in January.

Fan group Change for Tottenham insisted the club’s problems run far deeper than the manager. A planned walkout against Manchester City earlier this month was abandoned as the game hung in the balance at 2-2, but the sentiment behind it remains.

Against City, Spurs named just thirteen senior outfield players in their squad. Even as Dominic Solanke returned from injury with a brace, the lack of depth was glaring. Frank may now be gone, but those squad limitations remain.

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Spurs’ European campaign arguably protected him for longer than expected. However, context matters. Slavia Prague and Villarreal were winless in the group stage, while Bodo Glimt and Eintracht Frankfurt are opponents Spurs have historically matched well against. Whether that run reflected progress or simply continuity is debatable.

The Premier League remains football’s “bread and butter”. It is where managers are ultimately judged and Frank was no exception. Postecoglou was sacked despite delivering a trophy, after Spurs’ lowest-ever league finish. Now Frank joins the list.

With both domestic cups gone and the Champions League representing a distant long shot OPTA gave Spurs just a 1.1% chance of winning the competition at the start of the 2025/26 campaign the margin for error domestically was always slim.

Spurs’ motto, ‘To dare is to do’, reflects the bold, attacking football fans demand. At times under Frank, there were glimpses of that philosophy. But as results deteriorated, change felt inevitable.

Now, with another managerial appointment made and Pochettino’s name once again dominating headlines, Tottenham face a defining crossroads.

If the issues are truly structural recruitment, ownership strategy, squad balance then simply replacing the man in the dugout risks repeating the same pattern.

If Spurs are serious about ending cyclical failures and genuinely competing across multiple competitions, responsibility must be directed firmly at the very top.

For now, the manager may be gone. But history suggests that unless deeper change follows, another name could soon be added to the chopping block.