Tag Archives: Spurs

Spurs’ three managers head-to-head

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Spurs managed to make their way through three managerial appointments over the course of the 2025/2026 season. From turgid Thomas Frank ball, to Igor Tudor’s baffling reign, finally settling on saviour Roberto De Zerbi. Our eyes, and the results, told us that we finally ended up with the only competent candidate, but how do the top level stats look?

Note: I got the following from the excellent: https://understat.com/ which allows you to filter by dates.

Also Note: we don’t have great sample sizes, apart from for Frank, but it’s still interesting to compare.

Results

As expected De Zerbi’s record is the best. He makes it into the top half of the table during the his stint for the final seven games. Interestingly, it looks like this had more to do with a tightening up of the defence, rather than an increased scoring rate.

Expected goals

Goals are rare events, and as such, expected goals can often give a clearer picture of true form, especially when the sample size is small.

This matches more closely to my experience of watching these three versions of Tottenham. Tudor was the worst, but interestingly still not quite in the bottom three for the period he was in charge. Burnley, Wolves and Newcastle! had a worse expected points haul over those five games.

Frank was bad. Maybe not relegation bad, but the team were trending in that direction. The expected goals column makes more sense than the goals figure in the table above. On xG De Zerbi’s attack was more productive. Again it’s an even starker contrast for xGA (expected goals against). And Frank told us he was concentrating on building the defence first!

Conclusion

These number back up the general narrative among Spurs fans that Frank’s team was bad, Tudor’s team even worse, while De Zerbi had an immediate impact. Given that of the three, Frank was supposed to know the league, had time in preseason, two transfers windows, and (for at least part of the time) more fit players available to him, the numbers look particularly damning.

Do these stats back up the differences between the three managers? Are you happy we ended up with De Zerbi?

Why has it taken so long for Spurs attack to hit their stride?

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Pochettino’s defence has been solid all season. Spurs have conceded a league low 14 goals; of the rest only Chelsea are below 20.

Going forward it’s not been as simple. Much like last season Spurs have struggled to break teams down in the early part of the campaign. And just like last time around, they’ve started to hit their stride mid-season. Spurs only scored 15 in their first 11 Premier League games, then 28 in the next 10.

So why is that?

  • Injuries to key players

The most obvious answer is the effect injuries have had on the squad. Last campaign Pochettino was very lucky, with the spine of the team available most weeks. That luck couldn’t hold forever and this season has seen long layoffs to several first team regulars – most notably Kane and Alderweireld.

The defence is more about a system, so it is easier to plug in new players, the attack is more about individuals and chemistry.

  • No European distractions

Our tendency to struggle in league games after midweek European trips is well documented, as is the boost teams get when they don’t have European football; see Chelsea and Liverpool this year. Our upturn in form has coincided with our exit from the Champions League. It’s not just less tiredness, it’s also the extra time on the training ground and the ability to focus.

  • A loss of form for some of our best performers

Last season so many of our players had stand out seasons. The anti-climax during the run in, plus a disappointing and tiring Euro’s for our England contingent, was always likely to leave its mark. Dembele and Eriksen have been notably below par and the Dane’s resurgence has been a key factor in our recent run.

  • A change of formation

Of late Pochettino has moved to three at the back and that has freed our most potent attacking threat, our fullbacks. They have provided the pace and width missing in the early part of the season, opening up space in the centre for Ali, Eriksen and Kane. Rose and Walker are possibly the best in the league, while Trippier and Davies have proved able deputies.

  • The nature of our attack

By it’s very nature Pochettino’s system relies on everyone being in sync. If one or two of our players are a little off the pace or not on the same wavelength it doesn’t work. The chemistry that sees Eriksen find Ali with a subtle flick, or Ali chip the ball to an onrushing Kane, takes time to get right. It’s operates on much finer margins than the defence.

  • Confidence

Even a casual 5-a-side player knows how important confidence is. One or two bad results and heads go down, the crowd gets restless, players take that second or two longer to make decisions, and worst of all, they take the safe option. There’s nothing like a run of wins and a happy crowd to fuel the kind of daring one touch attacking play we’ve seen of late. Long may it continue!

Why do you think Spurs have clicked? Do you think it will continue?  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Discuss it with me on Twitter: @ABPSpurs

 

Spurs’ title bid reinvigorated

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SpursStoke4-0

As the Premier League season builds to a climax, Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side are peaking at just the right time. It’s hard to remember two more impressive performances than the clinical way in which we dispatched Manchester United and Stoke City – two teams who certainly had the potential to derail our title push. Continue reading →