Tottenham have not improved in the Premier League this season.
Tottenham managed to achieve the unthinkable by winning the Europa League against all odds. The Lilywhites defeated Manchester United in the final, bringing an end to the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy. This historic triumph also cemented Ange Postecoglou’s place in the North London club’s history, turning the Australian tactician into an instant hero at N17.
Credit where it is due, Big Ange stayed true to his promise of delivering silverware in his second season at the club. However, that Europa League success came at a high cost. Ange Postecoglou chose to prioritise the European campaign midway through last season, effectively writing off the Premier League. As a result, the North Londoners finished the domestic campaign just one place above the relegation zone, marking their lowest league finish in the past three decades.
At the time, fans overlooked the domestic struggles as they celebrated a long-awaited trophy. However, the consequences of that poor Premier League campaign appear to have carried over into this season. Spurs are now out of all cup competitions and face the real threat of relegation in the coming weeks, with the club sitting just a point above the drop zone.
Did Tottenham do the right thing by sacking Ange Postecoglou?
Tottenham parted ways with Ange Postecoglou and appointed Thomas Frank with the aim of competing on all fronts this season. However, it is fair to say that the Danish tactician failed to meet that objective before being dismissed midway through the campaign last month. Under Frank, the Lilywhites were largely underwhelming, with players often forced into a more pragmatic approach during matches.
A striking statistic now highlights just how costly Spurs’ decision to move on from Ange Postecoglou may have been. As per Spurs Stand (via X), the Lilywhites are seven points worse off than they were at this stage last season (31 matches). They have also scored 18 fewer goals in that period (58 in 24/25, 40 in 25/26), while conceding five more (45 in 24/25, 50 in 25/26). To make matters worse, the North Londoners have registered 47 fewer attempts on target.
After 31 Premier League games:
Last season
37 points
58 goals scored
45 goals conceded
166 shots on target
This season
30 points (-7 points)
40 goals scored (-18 goals)
50 goals conceded (+5 goals)
119 shots on target (-47 shots)
— Spurs Stand (@SpursStand) March 23, 2026
These numbers suggest that Spurs may have been too quick to part ways with Ange Postecoglou last summer. Instead of building on their Europa League success and pushing towards the top end of the Premier League table, the club has regressed and now faces the possibility of dropping into the second division. For Big Ange, finishing 17th last season was described as a ‘blip’ that he was determined to correct. In contrast, for Thomas Frank, finishing just above the relegation zone appeared to become an accepted benchmark.
Now, fans will be hoping that the club can appoint a new manager capable of restoring Tottenham to its former heights and helping them compete with their rivals in the Premier League. Ange Postecoglou ‘dared to do’, and he delivered a trophy as a result. The next permanent manager must embrace a similar mindset as the Lilywhites look to turn things around and secure their top-flight status in the coming weeks.