Unrestrained criticism by Ange: He explains why Spurs are not a big club after sacking Frank amid a drop to 16th place.
On 12 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Ange Postecoglou, former Spurs manager, spoke candidly about his old team on The Overlap, a well-known English football program, after the Premier League club abruptly dismissed Thomas Frank as head coach.
Spurs recently lost 1-2 at home to Newcastle United, falling to 16th place in the Premier League standings, just five points above the relegation zone, contrary to the management’s goals for success.
Ange Postecoglou addressed the situation within Spurs, noting he was previously sacked despite leading the team to a Europa League title last season, ending a 17-year trophy drought since winning the League Cup in 2007-08.
Ange spoke bluntly about Spurs, saying, "Tottenham, as a club, claim 'we are one of the big teams,' but in reality, I don’t think they are, based on my experience over the past two years."
"When Arsenal wanted a player, they spent £100 million to buy Declan Rice. I have not seen Tottenham do that—not just during my tenure but even before I arrived."
"(Regarding Thomas Frank's dismissal) It’s a difficult situation, and you know he wasn’t the only problem at the club. But in the end, that’s what we were judged on."
"You know, going back to when I was there, Tottenham was a strange club. They made a major shift late last year—not just with me but also with Daniel Levy’s departure."
"They’ve had world-class managers but didn’t succeed. Why? What’s the reason for such a big change? Thomas is leaving, but what is his goal? What is the club’s goal?"
"Earlier this year, they said they would compete on all fronts, but the club hasn’t truly competed on all fronts for a long time. And the most influential person at the club over the past 20 years is about to leave."
"So, if you’re going to make such a big change, you have to understand it will cause instability. Did Thomas Frank know he was walking into that situation? I don’t know."
"For me, this is quite a good change. Anyone who studies football knows it hasn’t developed much. I built this team to play the way I wanted over the past 2-3 years, and now he’s coming in trying his own way. Tottenham is an interesting club."
