Managerless and ambitionless, where do the real problems lie at Tottenham Hotspur?

Thomas Frank became the latest managerial casualty for Tottenham following the club's defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday, ending a dismal eight months in charge for the Danish boss. 

Despite arriving with huge optimism following his exploits with Brentford, Frank leaves the club five points off the relegation places, with the worst home record in the division outside of the bottom three. 

Attention now turns to his successor and which way Tottenham will turn for their next appointment, whether that's an interim position for the rest of the campaign to steady the ship or a permanent name to salvage what is left of a faltering campaign. 

Already names such as Roberto de Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Mauricio Pochettino have been thrown out, but whoever is next in line, does the problem lie deeper at Spurs than whoever is put in charge?  

Managerial mess 

Since Mauricio Pochettino's acrimonious departure from the club in 2019, Spurs have employed five permanent managers, all of whom left the club under a huge cloud despite looking like the right move for the club upon their appointment. 

Pochettino led the club to second place in the league and a Champions League final, with a talented squad that included one of the world's best strikers in Harry Kane as well as several top names such as Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier.

However, since then, the quintet of names that followed have endured a term that came with its flawed story that was detrimental to the club, but with Tottenham having to take a portion of the blame for their failure. 

Jose Mourinho replaced Pochettino, a manager of huge pedigree and a notable winner, but left North London having, for the first time, not won a trophy and is best remembered for his role in an Amazon documentary. 

Nuno Espirito Santo was next, not a first choice, but given his impressive work with Wolves, it was seen as a next step for the Portuguese. He lasted just four months, yet has gone on to enjoy success at Nottingham Forest and West Ham outside the gloom that surrounds Tottenham. 

The club then switched tact again, appointing Antonio Conte, another winner, who had won titles in Serie A and with Chelsea, but he lasted less than two years after growing tired of the lack of ambition from the club and has since got back to his title-winning ways with Napoli.

Then it was Ange Postecoglou. Another name that wasn't first, second or even third choice, but led Spurs to their first trophy since 2008 by landing the Europa League last season. True, it was at the expense of their league form, but it wasn't enough for him to build on, and the club refused to back his unique style for another season and was shown the door last summer. 

However, the proof is in the pudding. Other than 'Big Ange', each of the managers who have failed at Tottenham has gone on TO enjoy a level of success elsewhere. Even Pochettino has a trophy under his arm since leaving North London, so it begs the notion that it can't be every manager that's the problem, but an issue rooted much deeper. (C)Getty Images

It's not us, it's you 

There's no doubt that off the pitch, Tottenham's owners, ENIC and most prominently until last year, Daniel Levy, have propelled the club into an elite brand. 

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is at the centre of that rise, and is seen as one of the best sporting venues in the world, not only as the home of the North London club but as a global stage for NFL, rock concerts and more. 

It's made Spurs into a financially profitable organisation, but has it all been at the expense of creating a football club that should be the crown jewel in that vision? 

Time and time again, the club have backed down from bringing in truly top-level names and although they have spent, it's on players who arguably boast potential but aren't the profile of instant trophy-winning success the team and stadium crave. 

Just looking at the club's record buys, it shows a succession of players who have the expectancy of taking the game to another level at Spurs, rather than being an already established star that the top money can buy. 

Current record signing Xavi Simmons is the perfect example. A talented player with the ability to make it at the very top, but it's almost like the club is a stepping stone to that next level, rather than being the level they all want to be at. 

Conte said it himself during his time in charge, criticising the culture the owners had bestowed on the club, "They don't play for something important, yeah. They don't want to play under pressure; they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. For 20 years, the owner and they never won anything, but why? The fault is only for the club." 

Three years on, and it's captain Cristian Romero who's taking to social media to suggest the same thing and that the squad isn't good enough and isn't being backed by the club. 

It's not a good look for the club, nor the skipper, but it reeks of a lack of leadership both at board level and on the pitch, where the erratic and temperamental Romero is seen as the best option as captain. Getty Images

Time for change 

The lack of transfer movement, particularly this past January when the club were crying out for reinforcements, has been laid at the door of Sporting Director Johan Lange. 

Many fans agreed with Romero's comments, and it only added to the fuel behind their displEasure of Lange in his role. 

Having arrived with a questionable reputation from Aston Villa in the same role, it's been quite an embarrassment to see what his successor has done at Villa Park under tighter purse strings, by usurping Spurs and becoming a Champions League club ahead of the North Londoners. 

Yet, it looks as though Lange and his perceived lack of ambition will remain at the club and it will be a new manager tasked with bringing the 'glory days' back to Tottenham. 

But with the club stuck in a perpetual loop of speaking an ambitious game, but showing a true lack of investment on the pitch and leadership in areas where it needs most, how many more sacrificial lambs will agree to take on the managerial role if the culture at the club stays the same? 

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