2025 was a mostly difficult for year for Tottenham fans. A 17th place finish last season saw us end with only 38 points, a total that should have put us in relegation threat had the teams below us been more competitive. Then this season has started in a better but still very disappointing way as we look very much a mid-table side.
Of course, the “mostly” qualifier of a mostly difficult year is because we also saw a great high point of winning the Europa League. For a club that had gone without a trophy since 2008, this was much needed and a night that will not be forgotten. It was also a perfect way for us to, sadly, say goodbye to Son Heung-min as he left for the MLS.
Will Thomas Frank look forward to more success in 2026? After only a few months in the new job, he is being given time, but there will need to be changes to what we’ve seen so far this season. Here are 3 New Year’s Resolutions, which we hope will last longer than mid-January.
1. Fix a broken attack
One problem we did not have under Ange Postecoglou was scoring goals. We had many other issues, such as being wide open defensively in every game we played, but we were always a threat going forward. This season has seen a shocking regression under Thomas Frank in this area.
The number of goals scored is misleading for Spurs this year. The record does not look terrible, but we are too reliant on set pieces or crosses with little other idea beyond this. It is true that it does not matter where goals come from, they still win games. It is also true that we were struggling with set pieces under Ange, so the improvement there is welcome.
We have seen many games this season, however, where our only idea going forward has been to cross the ball into the box, and usually see it headed away. This becomes very easy to defend against, and we have consistently seen attacks break down and the ball come straight back at our defenders. As a result, a defence, which has shown potential to be solid, eventually makes a mistake and concedes simply for being under so much pressure. Games against Chelsea, Bournemouth, Forest, Newcastle (League Cup), Wolves, and Arsenal have all seen us create a woefully low number of chances.
There are injuries to some creative players, but all teams get injuries and they should not regress the situation as much as we are seeing. January is a chance to bring in players, but Frank needs to look tactically at this as well.
2. Decide on our best team
This seems like something Thomas Frank is still figuring out. Before he joined, there was a lot of talk about Frank’s tactical flexibility, and this would be a welcome improvement after Ange’s unique way of playing was sadly quickly exposed. It has not been clear that we have seen this flexibility from Frank yet, however.
Rarely do we have a settled team, and while it is understandable the same players cannot play every week, the extent of the changes seems to be causing an issue with establishing any kind of identity as to how we play. Too often there seems to be like-for-like changes without much reason why or impact on the game. This often applies to substitutes as well.
During the game away at Forest, we had the strange situation of Frank and multiple coaches analyzing a screen and being deep in discussion, only to decide on substituting Djed Spence for Ben Davies. Unsurprisingly, this did not alter the flow of the game at all. The best coaches have an impact during the game, and Frank has a reputation for this. We just need to see it more in 2026.
3. Start games quickly
This is a particular problem at home and is potentially linked to the above two points. Far too many games we start slowly, often seeing our first shot on target come in the second half. Before that there is some play at the back, a few crosses cleared away, some backward passes when attacking, and a few long balls that do not reach their target, but not much else. This impacts home form particularly because it creates frustration from the fans, quietens the atmosphere, and gives the away team confidence.
When behind, we sometimes seem to be able to generate some urgency for a brief time, but then slow attacks resume. The home game against Fulham is a good example of this where we found ourselves 2-0 down after only 6 minutes, waited until well into the second half to have a short period of sustained pressure, and then rather timidly ended the game with a defeat. Having players who can run with the ball and take on opponents is a big way to get at teams early, and this is something we are lacking.
The days of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale flying down the wings and cutting inside may not be returning imminently, but we need to find a way to test teams early. Mohammed Kudus is a creative outlet who can beat defenders, but too often our point of attack is to give it to him and hope for the best. Wilson Odobert has shown flashes of ability to drive forward like this, but usually his best performances have come from the bench (such as against Man United and Crystal Palace) rather than consistently from the start.
Happy New Year Spurs fans! We expect the mix of highs and lows as usual. Let’s hope for more of those highs. COYS!