Who will manage Tottenham if Thomas Frank gets the sack?
Thomas Frank’s grip on the Tottenham job looks weaker by the week, and the noise around a possible change is growing not simply because Spurs are losing, but because they look like a team without an identity. The results have been damaging, but the bigger issue is the feeling of drift. Tottenham see themselves stuck between styles. They are not aggressive enough to overwhelm opponents, not controlled enough to manage games, and far too fragile when matches become stretched. Even when they start brightly, they struggle to sustain pressure, protect leads, or respond when momentum swings against them.
Thomas Frank has had genuine mitigation in the form of injuries, especially through the midfield. Losing key bodies has forced constant reshuffles and made it harder to build rhythm or intensity. But Spurs’ problems go beyond missing players. There has been a recurring lack of clarity in possession, predictable patterns in the final third, and too little coordinated movement around the box. For a fanbase that expects front-foot football, the gap between what Spurs should look like and what they actually look like has become impossible to ignore.
That is why Xabi Alonso’s name is increasingly being floated as a credible alternative [h/t The Athletic]. It is not just a glamorous suggestion. It is a logical one. Alonso is a coach with a defined identity, proven elite credentials, and a style that aligns with Tottenham’s idea. At least better than what has been served up this season. Tactical coherence, not hype, was the foundation of his development at Bayer Leverkusen. In 2023-24, he led the side to their first Bundesliga title and a domestic double, doing it with modern, brave football that balanced structure and attacking freedom.
What to expect at N17?
Alonso’s teams play with a fluid framework that can shift between a back-three and a back-four, but the principles stay consistent. They progress the ball quickly, create overloads, attack with runners arriving in waves, and counter-press in a coordinated way that suffocates opponents before transitions become dangerous. That is crucial for Spurs. Under Frank, Tottenham have too often conceded “cheap” moments, losing the ball and instantly looking wide open. Alonso’s sides stop most of these dangerous problems at the source.
Even his Real Madrid exit is very unfortunate. That is a squad that stops responding at full intensity, with big personalities pulling in different directions. In that sense, it felt more like an attitude issue within the group than a tactical failure on the manager’s part.
Tottenham is not Madrid, and that could actually work in Alonso’s favour. Spurs have their own pressures, but the dressing-room dynamics are different, and the project is more about building something coherent than managing a collection of superstars. For a squad that needs structure, clarity, and renewed aggression, Alonso’s methods could land far more cleanly.
Frank still has time to change the narrative, but the direction of travel is forcing Tottenham to think bigger. If Spurs decide they need a reset, Alonso it is. He is the type of appointment that might restore identity, reconnect the football to the fanbase, and make Tottenham feel like Tottenham again.
