Thomas Frank’s festive cheers may be short-lived on Sunday when his struggling side head to Crystal Palace desperate for points.
His side sits 14th and are in real danger of being cut adrift if they have ambitions to finish in Europe.
Just six victories from their opening 17 matches means Frank is now the favourite in the Premier League sack race, despite being appointed in the summer.
Given the dismal league campaign under Ange Postecoglou last season, it’s little wonder patience among the Spurs faithful is running thin.
But is the pressure on Frank warranted? We compared his first 17 games in charge against Postecoglou’s last season.
Ange Postecoglou vs Thomas Frank
Postecoglou headed into his second season in charge at Tottenham on the back of a fifth-place finish.
They opened their season with a draw at Leicester before a first victory of the campaign with a thumping win against Everton.
Spurs then struggled to find momentum with two defeats followed by two wins, which would be their last back-to-back victories in the league until February.
On their 17th league game, which coincided with a 6-3 home loss to Liverpool, they sat in 11th with murmurs of discontent around the stadium and protests against former owner Daniel Levy.
It’s not all too dissimilar from Frank’s first 17 league matches in charge, although the numbers tell a different story – particularly from an attacking sense.
Frank won his opening two matches and enjoyed a run of one defeat in seven matches, including an impressive victory away at Manchester City.
Their form has since gone off the rails.
Just two wins in 10 games have followed, which have included six defeats. More worryingly, Spurs’ poor home form has remained a real issue with two victories and five losses at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou after 17 league games in the 2024/25 season
Won: 7
Draws: 2
Defeats: 8
Goals scored: 39
Goals conceded: 25
Points: 23
Shots: 258
Shots on target: 102
Touches in opposition box: 578
Thomas Frank after 17 league games in the 2025/26 season
Won: 6
Draws: 4
Defeats: 7
Goals scored: 26
Goals conceded: 23
Points: 22
Shots: 168
Shots on target: 56
Touches in opposition box: 380
In defence of Thomas Frank
Frank inherited a Tottenham side that had a disastrous second half of the campaign under Postecoglou.
They won just four matches after Christmas, with their former manager opting to throw everything into the Europa League in sacrifice of their league form.
A 17th-place finish followed, and their 22 defeats were only higher than the three relegated sides Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester.
Only the three relegated clubs and 16th-placed Wolves conceded more than the 65 goals Spurs leaked in the Premier League in 2024-25.
Frank has also had to juggle the demands of league football with the Champions League, meaning squad rotation and intensity of matches have been a major factor.
Postecoglou also enjoyed quality in his attack, including James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son.
Son departed in the summer, while the other three have been unavailable through injury.
Frank has had a threadbare squad, particularly going forward, and they’ve struggled to deliver from an attacking sense, which is justified by the numbers.
The Dane needs time, money and patience to turn Spurs’ form around. They’ve been linked with Antoine Semenyo, who has reportedly rebuffed their approach, while Manchester City’s Savinho remains a target.
There’s little doubt Frank needs to instigate a more exciting brand of football, while maintaining solidity at the back. He also needs to find a way to win home matches to get the fans firmly behind his project.
With no matches against the so-called ‘big six’ until they face Manchester City at the beginning of February, the New Year could spark a catalyst for some much-needed positivity around the club.
