Once again, it appears Thomas Frank is teetering on the edge.
Even with Cristian Romero’s late equalizer, he and his Tottenham squad faced boos from the traveling fans after a 2-2 draw against Burnley—their struggles showing no signs of abating.
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There seems to be a unanimous sense of dissatisfaction among Spurs supporters regarding the style of play, raising concerns that his next defeat could be his last in charge.
The team is simply not generating enough quality scoring opportunities. Only Sunderland (23.12) and the bottom two, Wolves (20.69) and Burnley (19.93), have a lower expected goals (xG) tally than Spurs’ 23.95.
In his previous role at Brentford, Frank was adept at quickly distributing the ball to his pacey attackers like Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, culminating in an eighth-best xG in the league for the 2024-25 season.
Now, however, Spurs’ leading scorer in the Premier League is Richarlison with just seven goals. In a surprising twist, central defenders Romero and Micky van de Ven share second place with four goals each, while none of the new attacking signings—Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, or Randal Kolo Muani—have scored more than twice in the league.
To rectify the team’s balance, Frank has focused on constructing a strong defense as a foundation for earning points. Yet this strategy makes him more susceptible to criticism from fans when the results do not materialize.
Only Wolves (7) and Everton (12) have recorded fewer than Spurs’ 13 fast breaks this season, a stark contrast to Keith Andrews’ Brentford, which leads the league with 43.
A recent midweek victory over Borussia Dortmund and the late equalizer against Burnley may indicate that the players haven’t given up on Frank, but their inconsistency and lack of discipline remain evident.
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This season, despite not collecting any points at Turf Moor, Spurs have received the most cards in the Premier League with a total of 60 (58 yellow and 2 red), highlighting both a tactical approach that is backfiring and a sign of frustration.
This is not a squad that has turned against their manager, but rather one that is struggling with identity, direction, and, crucially, confidence.
*Statistics sourced from Opta