Tottenham ‘No Longer a Large Club’ – Postecoglou’s Critique Explained

In a candid and revealing interview, former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou delivered a stark assessment of his former club, stating they are “no longer a large membership” due to financial limitations and a lack of clear direction. His comments, following the sacking of his successor Thomas Frank, highlight deep-seated issues at one of England’s most iconic football institutions.

This analysis dissects Postecoglou’s claims, explores the context of Tottenham’s recent managerial carousel, examines the financial realities of the modern Premier League, and outlines what the club must do to reclaim its status among England’s elite.

Key Points: The Core of Postecoglou’s Argument

Ange Postecoglou’s critique, made on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, centers on three interconnected pillars:

1. Financial Ceiling: Tottenham’s wage structure and net transfer spend place them outside the “scaling” of Europe’s top clubs, making it impossible to sign elite targets like Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, and Marc Guehi.
2. Strategic Delusion: The club operates under the misconception it is a “big boy” while its financial and sporting output tells a different story.
3. Chronic Instability: A pattern of managerial turnover and boardroom uncertainty since 2019 has created a dysfunctional environment where no manager has been given a stable platform to succeed.

Together, these factors form a diagnosis of a club at a crossroads, struggling to align its self-image with its operational reality.

Background: The Postecoglou Era and Its Aftermath

The Australian’s Turbulent Tenure

Ange Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in July 2023 with a reputation for attacking, possession-based football. His first season (2023/24) was a relative success, finishing 5th in the Premier League and qualifying for European football. Crucially, he ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League—a monumental achievement that temporarily silenced critics.

However, his second season (2024/25) saw a catastrophic collapse, with the team languishing in 17th place when he was dismissed in the summer of 2025. The board cited a dangerous slide in performance and results. Postecoglou’s philosophy, while celebrated in Europe, was questioned for its defensive vulnerabilities in the relentless Premier League.

The Brief, Unsettling Reign of Thomas Frank

Postecoglou was replaced by Thomas Frank, the long-serving and revered Brentford manager, on a three-year contract in the summer of 2025. Frank’s appointment was seen as a move for stability and pragmatic progress. However, less than a year later, in February 2026, Frank was sacked with Spurs just five points above the relegation zone. His tenure lasted only 11 months, underscoring the immediate pressure and lack of patience at the club.

Analysis: Deconstructing “No Longer a Large Club”

Postecoglou’s phrase “no longer a large membership” is a loaded statement in football parlance. A “big club” is traditionally defined by sustained on-pitch success, global brand power, financial muscle, and the ability to attract and retain top talent. Postecoglou argues Tottenham currently fails on the most critical metric: financial muscle to compete for players.

The Financial Reality: Wage Structure and Transfer Spend

Postecoglou provided concrete evidence. He stated that during his tenure, Tottenham were not in the “scaling” (i.e., the financial bracket) for primary targets such as:

• Pedro Neto (Wolves to Chelsea, £54m, 2024): A player Tottenham were linked with.
• Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford to Man Utd, £65m, 2025): Another long-term target.
• Antoine Semenyo & Marc Guehi (both to Man City, combined ~£85m, 2025): Premier-proven talents.

The pattern is clear: when competing against clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City—who can offer both higher wages and larger transfer fees—Tottenham consistently lose out. This suggests a deliberate, restrictive wage structure designed for sustainability but at the cost of competitive edge. According to financial analysts, Spurs’ net spend (transfer outlay minus sales) over the past five years has been significantly lower than their “big six” rivals, placing them in a seventh or eighth position in this metric.

The Illusion of “Big Club” Status

Postecoglou’s most piercing insight is the club’s self-perception gap. He stated: “I felt like Tottenham as a club were saying, ‘we are one of the big boys,’ and the fact is I don’t think they are.” This refers to an internal narrative that may not match external reality. The club’s stadium is world-class, its commercial revenue is strong, and its global fanbase is massive. However, in the modern transfer market, stadium tours and shirt sales do not directly buy players; available cash flow and wage budget do.

Being a “big club” in the 2020s requires the financial flexibility to pay premium transfer fees and wages without selling key players to balance the books—something Tottenham have been forced to do, selling the likes of Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele to fund other moves.

The Managerial Carousel: A Cycle of Instability

Since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in November 2019, Tottenham have had five permanent managers in six years:

1. José Mourinho (Nov 2019 – Apr 2021): Sacked days before a Carabao Cup final.
2. Nuno Espírito Santo (Jun 2021 – Nov 2021): Sacked after 4 months despite a strong start.
3. Antonio Conte (Nov 2021 – Mar 2023): Sacked after a public rant where he called players “selfish.”
4. Ange Postecoglou (Jul 2023 – May 2025): Sacked after a dramatic second-season slump.
5. Thomas Frank (Jul 2025 – Feb 2026): Sacked after less than one season.

Postecoglou calls it a “curious club.” This churn prevents any long-term project from taking root. Each new manager arrives to find a squad not entirely built for their system, often with lingering issues from the previous regime. The constant upheaval erodes player confidence, fan patience, and institutional memory.

Practical Advice: The Path Forward for Tottenham Hotspur

Based on Postecoglou’s diagnosis, here is a strategic blueprint for recovery:

1. Embrace a Realistic Financial and Sporting Model

The board must formally decide: are they a “super club” competing with City/Chelsea/United, or a “strong club” competing with the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, and West Ham? The latter model, as seen with Brentford and Brighton, involves intelligent recruitment (young talents, undervalued players), a clear playing identity, and patient development. Trying to be the former without the financial resources is a recipe for crisis.

2. Appoint a Director of Football and Grant Long-Term Authority

The constant managerial change is often a symptom of a missing sporting director figure with a coherent, long-term vision. The club needs a single, empowered executive (like a Michael Edwards at Liverpool) to oversee a 3-5 year recruitment and project plan that outlasts any single manager. This person must have a proven track record and the full backing of the board.

3. Secure Managerial Stability with a Clear Mandate

The next manager must be given a clear, realistic project mandate (e.g., “develop young talent and achieve consistent European qualification”) and a minimum of three years to implement it, barring catastrophic performance. The board must publicly and privately support this timeline, resisting panic changes after a few poor results.

4. Optimize Squad Building Around a Core Philosophy

Rather than chasing “top targets” they cannot afford, Tottenham should double down on identifying and developing profiles that fit a specific, sustainable style of play. This means smarter data analytics, leveraging their excellent academy (as seen with players like Dane Scarlett), and making shrewd profit on player sales to reinvest.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Tottenham’s Situation

Q: Does “no longer a large club” mean Tottenham are in danger of relegation?

A: No. Postecoglou’s statement is about relative status among Europe’s elite financial and sporting powers. Tottenham remain a massive club with a huge stadium, global fanbase, and consistent top-flight status. The danger is stagnation and becoming a “mid-table giant”—a club with huge potential but underachieving on the pitch.

Q: Who is ultimately responsible: Daniel Levy, the board, or the managers?

A: Responsibility is shared. The board (led by Daniel Levy) sets the financial model and hires/fires managers. Managers are responsible for performance. Postecoglou implies the board’s financial constraints and the resulting “pivot” in strategy (likely referring to a shift towards financial prudence after previous high-risk spending) created an unstable environment that managers walked into without full awareness.

Q: Can Tottenham ever get back to challenging for the Premier League title?

A: Yes, but it requires a fundamental strategic shift. They must either: (a) find an owner/backer willing to invest at the level of City or Chelsea (unlikely under current ownership), or (b) execute a multi-year project of elite player development and smart recruitment like Arsenal has done, which requires extraordinary patience and sporting leadership.

Q: What does “curious club” mean?

A: Postecoglou uses it to describe an organization that makes dramatic, sudden strategic pivots (like sacking a manager after one bad season after promising stability) without a clear, communicated long-term plan. This creates an aura of unpredictability and uncertainty for incoming staff and players.

Conclusion: A Crossroads for North London

Ange Postecoglou’s remarks are not merely the sour grapes of a sacked manager. They are a cold, professional assessment from someone who experienced the club’s inner workings firsthand. The data supports his view: Tottenham Hotspur’s net investment in the squad has not matched that of their direct rivals for several seasons.

The club stands at a critical juncture. They can continue the cycle of high managerial turnover, hoping for a lucky appointment that delivers European qualification on a limited budget. Or, they can make a courageous, patient, and unified decision to define a realistic sporting model, appoint a long-term sporting architect, and build consistently toward a sustainable top-four challenge. The first step is acknowledging the reality Postecoglou laid bare: you cannot act like a top club without the resources and structure of one.