What is the expectation from Tottenham and Thomas Frank next season?

Tottenham are now getting used to being in transition every season. Despite leading Spurs to their first trophy triumph in over 15 years, Ange Postecoglou was sacked. The Australian oversaw a terrible league campaign, but won the Europa League at the expense of Manchester United – that could not save him from the hammer of Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman. 

As expected, some fans will be moved by the new manager coming on board with effect on Tottenham tickets.

The North London club wanted Thomas Frank of Brentford as their next manager and they got him. As the 2025/26 season approaches, fans, pundits, and the club’s leadership are hopeful that Frank will finally bring the stability and progress Tottenham has long craved. But with those hopes come big expectations.

Speaking at his first press conference at Tottenham, Frank said, “The feeling of being the new head coach is extraordinary. I’m looking forward to this massive challenge together with a lot of good people. I only heard good stuff about all the people here, the training ground, the players, good squad, exciting, massive club, I think massive potential, so just super, super excited.”

The 51-year-old spent seven years in charge of Brentford, guiding the club from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021. He has signed a three-year deal, and he is Tottenham’s fourth permanent manager since June 2021. 

In terms of the composition of his backroom staff, Frank will have Justin Cochrane as one of his assistants in North London. He will also have Chris Haslam, Head of Performance, and Joe Newton, First-Team Analyst, from Brentford, while Andreas Georgson, another assistant coach, arrives from Manchester United.

It’s an entirely new coaching staff, as Tottenham Hotspur look to build again after the exit of Ange Postecoglou – a man Frank was full of praise for in his first interaction with the press, describing him as a legend of the club.

“Huge congratulations to the club, to the team. Huge congratulations to Ange. He will forever be a legend in Tottenham, and congratulations to him for that. I think it’s essential to understand that we all stand on the shoulders of others, so I’m going in on the foundation that Ange has built and his coaching staff, and I’m very humble about that and I’ll do my very best to continue the great work they put in.

“But the feeling and the excitement and the joy and the happiness you could see in the fans’ faces and the pictures you saw was wow. So hopefully we can create more of those moments, that will be the ultimate dream to do that and hey no one can say they’re not winners, the team and the players are winners. Now we need to do our best to become serial winners in the future”

With the managerial position sorted, fans will be waiting to see what he has in store. He did a lot with a modest budget at Brentford, but he now finds himself at a club like Tottenham that is very ambitious. Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League last season, losing 22 of their 38 matches. That return was simply the reason Postecoglou was sacked, so Frank has to do better.

Realistically, expectations for Thomas Frank’s first season will be shaped by a balance between hope and patience. There were flashes of promise under Ange Postecoglou before injuries set in and results dipped. Now, with Frank in charge, the goal will be to restore consistency, identity and fresh hunger to keep playing for the badge.

One of the greatest mistakes of Ange Postecoglou was failing to solve the lack of defensive organisation in the team. World Cup winner Cristian Romero remains a top-class centre-back, but most of the other players in the backline with him lack the right amount of composure and ability to form a solid defensive structure. Frank is known for organising well-drilled defensive units, and Spurs fans will expect to see their side concede fewer goals, especially in crunch games.

Spurs do have some quality in midfield, and Frank will be expected to come up with the right combinations to make them competitive in games. In attack, Tottenham have so many underperforming players. The likes of Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Brennan Johnson have not delivered consistently for the Whites. In addition, Son Heung-min is entering the twilight of his career, and that could see his output or performances drop. Frank has taken up the job, so he will be expected to come up with solutions.

While speaking during his unveiling, Frank had the following to say as per his style of play.

“I think in terms of my style of play, I’ll explain it a little bit now, but I would rather want to, how can you say, show it. You can talk a lot, but I think it’s more what we show, what we try to do, but in a few words the intention is to play aggressive front-footed football and I know the ethos and the history of the club is massive on attacking football, and I think there’s so much attacking talent in the squad. I’m very excited about that.

“They’ve clearly shown over the last two seasons that the ability to score goals is fantastic, and I’m very, very in on that. I love a team that is scoring goals, very, very big on principles. What we do on the final third, in terms of creating chances, and putting balls in the box, playing in behind and stuff like that, I think it’s key. So, just want to build on that attacking football, we already have here in the club.”

If not for winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham would have been without a place in Europe next season. Fortunately, they will be playing in the UCL, and that means Frank has to deliver that at the end of the season, or anywhere in Europe at least. Being his first season, an FA Cup or Carabao Cup run could buy time and goodwill with the fans.

So, what does success look like in 2025/26? A top-six finish, a deep cup run, visible improvement in playing style, and a more cohesive squad. Those are the benchmarks. And while trophies will give him more boost and support, he cannot afford not to start well or he will be given the boot by Daniel Levy without mercy.

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