It’s a weird time to be a Spurs fan. Honestly, if you walked into a pub near the Seven Sisters station today, you’d hear a mix of genuine optimism and the kind of seasoned grumbling that only decades of North London "almosts" can produce. Everyone has an opinion on the tottenham hotspur fc team, but most of those opinions are stuck in 2019.
The reality on the ground in early 2026 is far more chaotic and interesting.
Right now, the club is sitting in 14th place in the Premier League. Yeah, you read that right. 14th. After winning the Europa League last season under Ange Postecoglou—which, let's be real, was an incredible high—the wheels have sort of come off the domestic wagon. Thomas Frank is the man in the hot seat now, having taken over in the summer of 2025. He’s trying to implement this high-intensity, data-driven system, but it’s been a bumpy ride.
The New Look: Life After Son Heung-min
You can't talk about the current squad without addressing the elephant in the room: Son Heung-min is gone.
Seeing him head off to Los Angeles FC in the summer of 2025 felt like the end of an era. It was. He wasn't just the captain; he was the heartbeat. Now, the armband sits on the bicep of Cristian Romero. It’s a different vibe. Romero is "Cuti"—he’s aggressive, he’s vocal, and he’s probably going to get a yellow card just for looking at a referee the wrong way. But he’s the leader this younger, more volatile group needs.
The recruitment has shifted too. We aren't just looking for "Premier League proven" players anymore. The club spent big—£51.8 million to be exact—on Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig. Then they dropped another £55 million on Mohammed Kudus from West Ham. It’s a "galactico-lite" approach that Daniel Levy (well, Peter Charrington is the interim chairman now, but you know how it goes) has leaned into to keep the stadium's premium seats full.
The January 2026 Shake-up
We are currently in the thick of the January window, and it’s been busy. Conor Gallagher just arrived from Atlético Madrid for £35 million. It’s a classic Thomas Frank signing—a player who will run until his lungs give out. He’s expected to debut today against West Ham.
Then there’s the coaching staff. Just two days ago, John Heitinga was brought in as an assistant. It’s a bit of a "brain trust" situation. Heitinga, who just left Ajax, is here specifically to fix a defense that has been, frankly, leaky. Spurs have the fourth-worst home record in the league this season. In that billion-pound stadium, that’s just not acceptable.
Why the Stadium Still Defines the Club
People love to joke about the "trophy cabinet," but if you look at the business side of the tottenham hotspur fc team, they are winning. Big time.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium isn't just a football ground; it’s a cash machine. We’re talking 62,850 seats, the largest club stadium in London. When the NFL comes to town, or when Beyonce or some other massive star does a four-night residency, the revenue keeps the club afloat while the on-pitch results fluctuate.
- The Retractable Pitch: It takes 25 minutes to swap the grass for an NFL surface.
- The South Stand: 17,500 people in a single tier. It’s supposed to be a "wall of sound," though lately, it’s been more of a "wall of sighs."
- The Microbrewery: Because nothing helps a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth like a pint brewed 50 feet from your seat.
But here’s the rub: you can’t play in a spaceship and finish in the bottom half of the table. The fans won't have it. The pressure on Thomas Frank is immense because the infrastructure is built for a Champions League giant, not a mid-table rebuild.
The Tactics: What Frank is Actually Trying to Do
If you watch Spurs lately, they’re playing a very specific 4-2-3-1 or a fluid 4-3-3.
Guglielmo Vicario is still the man between the sticks. He’s been one of the few consistent bright spots. In front of him, you’ve got Micky van de Ven—who is basically a track star playing center-back—and Romero. The problem hasn't been the talent; it’s the space they leave behind.
Frank wants them to squeeze the pitch. He wants the full-backs, like Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, to be almost permanent wingers. It’s high-risk, high-reward. When it works, like the 4-0 demolition of Copenhagen in the Champions League earlier this season, it’s beautiful. When it doesn’t, you get the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest that had people calling for Pochettino to return.
The Injury Crisis
To be fair to the manager, the medical room is packed.
Richarlison, who is actually the top scorer this season with 8 goals, is out with a hamstring injury. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are also sidelined. This forced the club to play kids like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall more than they probably intended.
It’s a "skinned" squad, as Frank calls it. They are relying on Randal Kolo Muani to lead the line, and while he’s talented, he hasn’t quite found that clinical edge yet.
What Most People Get Wrong About "Spursy"
The "Spursy" label is lazy.
Winning the Europa League in 2025 proved they can get over the line. The current struggle isn't a "lack of backbone"—it’s a massive identity shift. They are moving from the Son/Kane era into something entirely new. They are betting on youth (like the 18-year-old Luka Vušković who just joined) and high-pressing managers.
It’s messy. Rebuilds usually are.
The club is also going through a leadership change. Daniel Levy stepped back from the chairman role in September 2025, with Peter Charrington taking the interim reigns. This is a seismic shift in how the club is run day-to-day. The focus is now on finding a long-term Director of Football Operations—Carlos Raphael Moersen is the name being floated—to finally align the scouting with the manager’s vision.
Actionable Insights for the Second Half of the Season
If you’re following the tottenham hotspur fc team through the rest of 2026, here is what you need to watch for to see if they’ll actually turn it around:
1. The Gallagher Effect
Watch how Conor Gallagher integrates. If he can provide the "engine" in midfield that they’ve lacked since Moussa Sembéla (or even Højbjerg, who left for Marseille), it frees up Xavi Simons to actually create.
2. Home Form Correction
Spurs have only won two home matches in the league this season. They have to make the stadium a fortress again. If they don't start winning at home by March, Frank likely won't see the end of the season.
3. Champions League vs. Premier League Balance
They are still in the Champions League (thanks to that Europa win). If they prioritize the knockout stages over climbing the PL table, they risk a very low finish that could hurt their coefficient and pride.
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4. The Return of the Injured
Keep an eye on the return dates for Maddison and Kulusevski. Without their creativity, the attack is too predictable.
The club isn't "broken," but it is definitely under construction. Whether Thomas Frank is the architect who finishes the job or just another temporary foreman remains the biggest question in North London right now. If they can beat West Ham today, the mood might shift. If they don't, that Pochettino "return" talk is only going to get louder.
To get the most out of following the team this season, track the defensive Expected Goals (xG) against. If Heitinga’s arrival actually tightens that back line, the talent further up the pitch is more than enough to drag them back into the top eight. Pay close attention to the partnership between Van de Ven and Romero; when they stay disciplined, this team is a different beast entirely.