Sports
Spurs in talks to sign “incredible” Frank upgrade who’s “up there with Pep”
Tottenham Hotspur‘s hopes of a successful new chapter have been dashed, and Thomas Frank is a man on borrowed time already, having replaced Ange Postecoglou at the helm last summer.
The Europa League champions have fallen by the wayside, and the N17 defeat against lowly West Ham United in the Premier League at the weekend has cast this season into new depths. Spurs remain 14th in the standings, but the dreaded dotted line is creeping up on them.
Frank will lead his troops out for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund, but the board are now scouring for a successor, and it’s beginning to feel like a matter of when, not if.
Spurs looking at Frank successors
Though Frank is safe for now, there’s no question that it would take something drastic to mollify the frustrated Spurs fanbase and turn things around.
ENIC Group have sounded out a number of potential avenues, with outgoing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner among those in contention. However, this is a decision that cannot fall wide of the mark, and sporting director Johan Lange has earmarked an even more exciting coach.
According to reports in Spain, midfield legend Xavi Hernandez is ready to return to management, two years after leaving Barcelona. That turbulent yet title-winning spell established the Spanish legend as one of the brightest up-and-coming managers in the game, and Tottenham are understandably keen.
Manchester United are also interested, with both clubs actually contacting Xavi’s representatives to offer him the job.
Why Xavi would be an upgrade for Spurs
Xavi, 45, is a progressive tactician with modern flair born from his deep-rooted connection to Barcelona, whose playing style is invariably attractive.
And, moreover, he’s interested in moving to England. “I would love to work in the Premier League,” Xavi said. A fluent English speaker, he would settle right in, and given that, candidly, the expectation at Spurs would not be to win league titles from the off, it might serve him well in reestablishing himself on the coaching scene.
Pundit Thierry Henry, who knows a thing or two about strong attacking play, has actually said that Xavi is “up there with Pep” in regard to his footballing brain and emphasis on free-flowing football. Xavi was schooled by Pep in the early days of his La Blaugrana career, was he not?
Having won La Liga and championed a style that would align with Spurs fans’ expectations – To Dare Is To Do – Xavi would surely provide an upgrade on Frank, who is a fine coach in his own right but clearly not an apt stylistic fit for this current Tottenham team.
His possession-oriented approach would promote an attacking focus, not inhibit it. Overemphasis on ball retention can result in dry and flavourless football if it’s not applied effectively. But Xavi created an enjoyable system at Barcelona, and he would feel he has the tools to repeat that trick at N17, even with things currently so miserable in Frank’s set-up.
|
La Liga – Possession Leaders (22/23) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Final Pos. |
Possession Av. |
|
Barcelona |
1st |
64.3% |
|
Real Madrid |
2nd |
60.9% |
|
Villarreal |
5th |
56.9% |
|
Real Sociedad |
4th |
54.6% |
|
Sevilla |
12th |
52.6% |
|
Data via FBref |
||
Were he to move to Tottenham and build a project akin to that of Guardiola over at Manchester City. Xavi, after all, worked within suffocating financial parameters at Camp Nou and still came up trumps, welcoming the likes of Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski.
The 4-3-3 tactician might be something of a risk, but it would be riskier still to persist with Frank, whose relationship with the Tottenham masses has been broken and likely cannot be repaired.
Tottenham have made a series of changes over the past year, and now, with Frank’s future looking more and more likely to lie away from north London, ENIC may as well swoop in now and appoint one of the most interesting coaching profiles in the game, before Man United grab him first.
