Thomas Frank’s new Tottenham ethos might restore predictability to Premier League

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra “It sends a message to different groups,” declared Djed Spence. “We are able to beat any staff.” If the message final season was that Tottenham Hotspur might lose to any staff, maybe it has been flipped. Though, some may say, any Tottenham staff can beat Manchester Metropolis. Their home dominance could also be over however in, current years, Metropolis have misplaced to Spurs sides beneath the auspices of Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and even Cristian Stellini.

Typical Tottenham, then, even when the phrase might produce other connotations. Saturday’s terrific show towards former champions had the texture of a mission assertion; not simply that Spurs might win, however how they might. They had been separated by 14 locations final season however seventeenth beat third. Spence has his sights set on a top-four end. “In fact, there is no purpose [why not], if we carry out like that week in, week out,” he added.

The efficiency made it appear a sensible intention. To take action, nevertheless, would fly within the face of current historical past. Twenty years in the past, David Moyes’ Everton completed seventeenth one season, fourth the subsequent. Nobody has performed so since. There was a extra spectacular rise within the meantime, Leicester going from 14th to first, however there was a sure familiarity concerning the prime of many a Premier League desk.

Maybe Tottenham added a volatility to the division, their hunch final season, and Manchester United’s simultaneous descent to fifteenth, proving far worse than appeared possible. Ought to every return to extra regular abodes, it is likely to be a response to startling underachievement. There might be a way of regular service being resumed.

Possibly the switch window is a sign of the established order reasserting their authority. Newcastle missed out on gamers signed by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Tottenham had been gazumped by Arsenal for Eberechi Eze. United and Spurs each signed a participant – Bryan Mbeumo and Mohammed Kudus – from a membership who completed above them. Spurs employed a supervisor from a membership who completed above them.

If Frank disturbed the pure pecking order with Brentford and is charged with restoring it now, it might nonetheless be some feat. Even when final season was a man-made low, groups hardly ever enhance their factors tally by about 30 in a yr. Losers do not simply change into winners.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/09/Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Burnley-Premier-League-jncndvbu.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/09/Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Burnley-Premier-League-jncndvbu.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/09/Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Burnley-Premier-League-jncndvbu.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Richarlison has excelled under Thomas Frank in the early stages of the season" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Richarlison has excelled beneath Thomas Frank within the early levels of the season (Getty Photographs) A few years in the past, within the heady days of a begin beneath Postecoglou that featured eight victories and two attracts in 10 video games, their followers chorused: “We’ve received our Tottenham again”. There have been contrasting choruses within the closing minutes on the Etihad Stadium: one calling for chairman Daniel Levy to go, one other that Spurs had been prime of the league.

Which, 5 hours later, they weren't. The decision on Frank’s Tottenham might solely come on the finish of his reign. Postecoglou’s Spurs had been persistently good firstly, persistently unhealthy within the Premier League on the finish and persistently inconsistent within the center.

The early proof is that they've been imbued with a brand new ethos. A flexibility has changed a self-defeating dogma. “He is a supervisor who will change up,” mentioned Spence. “I suppose it relies upon what staff you play, you modify the techniques. And also you noticed [at City], you noticed towards Paris Saint-Germain he was able to doing that.”

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/51/Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-p1w2joa9.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/51/Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-p1w2joa9.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/51/Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-p1w2joa9.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Frank is a good man-manager and hopes to improve Spurs" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Frank is an effective man-manager and hopes to enhance Spurs (AP) There may be an consideration to element. “There’s been numerous conferences, however I like that; conferences day by day,” mentioned Richarlison. “I’m enhancing the tactical half.”

There are gamers benefiting from regime change, the Brazilian striker amongst them. “Since I received right here, each time the switch window opens, my identify is circled as one who might depart, going again to Brazil or wherever,” added Richarlison. “However I’ve at all times been focussed on Tottenham and I’ve by no means had a dialog about leaving.”

There are a few signings who've had a direct affect. Kudus received two assists towards Burnley on his first Premier League begin. Joao Palhinha scored at Metropolis, however his actual worth lies in his capability to recuperate possession. “He is a machine, he flies into tackles,” mentioned Spence. There was a common sense aspect to Palhinha’s arrival on mortgage from Bayern Munich: Frank addressed a shortcoming in his squad. There may be additionally an aspirational aspect. Even whereas annoyed in makes an attempt to recruit Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze, he has introduced within the form of confirmed performers he couldn't entice to Brentford.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/56/APTOPIX-Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-awvv46e2.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/56/APTOPIX-Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-awvv46e2.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/24/14/56/APTOPIX-Britain-Soccer-Premier-League-awvv46e2.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Brennan Johnson's goal against Manchester City helped Tottenham to a famous win" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Brennan Johnson's objective towards Manchester Metropolis helped Tottenham to a well-known win (AP) There was a glimpse of Frank’s charismatic man-management. As Spence spoke within the bowels of the Etihad Stadium, his supervisor walked previous, tapped him and mentioned: “He performed properly, guys”. Spence could also be in a construction the place that excellence will be rewarded. “With the defence, should you maintain clear sheets it wins video games,” he mentioned; it's orthodox pondering, however there have been occasions when Postecoglou’s Spurs appeared to eschew it. However Frank, Brennan Johnson mentioned, “respects defending”.

Maybe the paradox of Frank’s Tottenham is that he appears to be making a staff out of holding with the membership’s identification – extra stable, extra streetwise – to take them again to the place they was. If Spurs go from seventeenth to fourth, they might present the brand new unpredictability of the Premier League. And but they might be restoring predictability.