Success In West London Should Scare Tottenham Hotspur

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 19: Thomas Frank, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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At the end of the breathless 2-2 draw between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, focus was drawn to the crowd’s reaction to what proved to be one of the game’s critical decisions.

There were 10 minutes on the clock when manager Thomas Frank turned to his substitute bench and decided that, to alter the 0-1 deficit, he needed a change.

Up until that point, Xavi Simons had provided a few brief moments of excitement in what had been a drab affair for Spurs; yet, when the electronic board was held aloft, it was the Dutchman’s number that was displayed.

Boos cascaded down from the stands of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium at the decision. If Frank didn’t feel the pressure before, then he most certainly did after the sub.

Fortunately for the Danish coach, he was vindicated just five minutes later when replacement Mathys Tel lashed in an equaliser into the net, and before, stunningly, Richarlison completed the turnaround.

Even with their visitors reduced to 10 men, Spurs couldn’t see the job; however, and United left with a 2-2 draw thanks to a headed equaliser by Matthijs de Ligt.

Facing the media in the pressroom postgame, Frank was asked if he felt like his substitutions had worked.

“Yeah, sometimes you are lucky, but of course every single time I take a decision to sub a player it’s with one aim – to make the team win or get back into the game or try to see the game out,” was his modest response.

“It’s with only one aim – to try to win the game. No doubt, Mathys did well, great goal, great involvement and in general I think Xavi played a fine game, positive, but also you need a bit of freshness.

Questioned simply about the boos, Frank kept it brief.

“I just say every time I make a decision it is with one aim. To make the team better,” he said.

Frank did admit he was still figuring out the right way to set up his team.

“We are searching to find the right balance up front, and I think when we look at the game back, I think there was positive bits going forward also from the game,” he added.

“I think we created one of the biggest chances – Richarlison from a cross from Brennan after, what, five, 10 minutes.

“Sometimes it’s the small things – he scores on that instead of Bryan then it changes a little bit and opened up the game a tiny bit more, but we constantly work on the relationships and try to improve it with the players and try to find what is exactly the right blend, but I think there were small steps in the right direction.”

Of greater concern for Frank was the comparison drawn between himself and another manager in Spurs’ recent history who was fired after a disastrous change against Manchester United, which was booed by the home crowd: Nuno Espirito Santo.

As the Daily Mail pointed out in their review of the game: “The boos were reminiscent of jeers received by Nuno Espirito Santo during his brief spell as Tottenham boss.

“Nuno was booed for withdrawing Lucas Moura in a 3-0 defeat against Man United back in 2021, in what proved his final match in charge.

“By contrast, Frank’s substitutions helped Tottenham battle back against the Red Devils on Saturday, with three players contributing in the move for the equalise.”

For those with doubts about Frank, the comparison is not without substance.

Both managers arrived at Spurs having overachieved with sides they brought up from England’s second tier and are renowned for rigid teams whose success was built on strong defensive platforms.

The question has been, having moved to North London, could they adapt to high expectations and a desire to play more attacking soccer?

In Nuno’s case, the answer was invariably no. Tottenham Hotspur never appeared to be developing into the effective unit he so impressively moulded at Wolverhampton Wanderers or Nottingham Forest.

But what should scare Spurs fans more than the Nuno comparison is how Thomas Frank’s former side is performing in West London without him.

When Brentford lost their manager and a significant portion of their starting eleven, many feared for the club’s future.

I was one of those who expressed concerns about whether new boss Keith Andrews’ total lack of pedigree would prove an issue.

But it is with surprising ease that the Bees have continued to progress under the rookie.

The transition is so smooth that it raises the question of whether Frank was making Brentford look good or the other way around.

Actually, when you look at the records of managers who’ve left the club, most of the time they don’t go on to enjoy greater success.

Dean Smith was highly regarded when he departed Griffin Park, and while he did win promotion with his boyhood club, Aston Villa, few could say the Bees missed him too much.

Likewise, Mark Warburton was hailed as an exciting prospect as the club began to build towards its glorious ascent to the top flight. But he, too, has had a career that flattered to deceive.

The difference with Frank is that he achieved what no one had done with Brentford for the best part of a century and returned the club to the highest division.

However, the distinct absence of any hangover from his tenure ending suggests he was not some miracle worker whose individual brilliance drove the Bees to the top.

That should worry Spurs fans because, although their club is very well-run, it has not been able to outstrip expectations in the manner that Brentford is, albeit with very different stakes.