“A curious club”: Postecoglou reacts to Tottenham changes

February 13, 2026 Oliver Obel

"You know that he can't be the only issue at the club, right?"

Ange Postecoglou did not hesitate when reacting to Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to dismiss Thomas Frank, suggesting the manager’s departure points to deeper instability inside the club.

Frank was relieved of his duties on Wednesday following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United. The loss left Spurs 16th in the Premier League, just five points above the relegation zone with 12 matches remaining. The bottom three teams at the end of the season drop into the Championship.

The change means Tottenham have now parted company with two managers in eight months. Postecoglou himself was dismissed in June, days after delivering the club’s first European trophy in decades with victory in the 2025 Europa League final — a triumph that secured Champions League qualification despite a 17th-place league finish.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast shortly after Frank’s exit was announced, Postecoglou suggested the challenges at Spurs extend beyond whoever occupies the dugout.

"That's probably for every manager, but that's ultimately what we get judged on," he said, reflecting on how head coaches often shoulder responsibility for wider structural problems.

Questions over long-term planning

Postecoglou described Tottenham as "a curious club" and pointed to what he sees as significant upheaval behind the scenes. During the discussion, he referenced uncertainty surrounding long-time chairman Daniel Levy’s position, although Levy continues to serve as chairman.

"You've created this whole sort of environment of uncertainty. There's no guarantees, no matter which manager you bring in. They've had world-class managers in that haven't achieved success," he said.

Tottenham have previously appointed high-profile coaches including José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, yet sustained domestic success has remained elusive.

Reflecting on what he called a “major pivot,” Postecoglou questioned whether there was clarity behind the club’s reset.

"What was the reason for such a major pivot? Thomas is walking in - what's his objective? What's the club's objective?" he asked.

He also referenced the club’s stated ambition of "competing on all fronts" at the start of the campaign.

"If you're going to do such a major pivot, you've got to understand that there's going to be some instability there. Did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don't know," he said.

Postecoglou added that the squad he assembled had been built to fit a specific tactical approach.

"It's a fair departure from me ... I built that squad, for want of a better term, to play a certain way out of the last couple of years. And then he's coming in. It's a curious club, Tottenham."

With another managerial search underway and the team still looking over its shoulder in the league table, Tottenham’s immediate challenge is survival. The broader question, as Postecoglou’s remarks suggest, is whether the club’s leadership can provide a clearer and more stable path forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=flhBQvJeAH8&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportbible.com%2F

Sources: The Overlap podcast, Premier League standings