Key Takeaways:
- Ange Postecoglou claimed Tottenham are “not a big club” due to financial limitations and wage structure
- Thomas Frank was sacked on Wednesday, with Spurs five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone
- Postecoglou led Spurs to Europa League victory in 2025 but was dismissed after a 17th-place finish in the same season
Postecoglou’s Assessment of Tottenham’s Status
Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou criticised the club’s strategy in the transfer market and questioned their status among Europe’s elite, following Thomas Frank’s dismissal as head coach. Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Postecoglou acknowledged the North London club’s “unbelievable” facilities but indicated that financial constraints prevented them from pursuing top transfer targets such as Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in 2024.
“When you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they’re not a big club,” he said. “I saw that because, when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.”
"They're not a big club!" 😯
Ange Postecoglou gives his verdict on Spurs’ current situation after the sacking of Thomas Frank! 📣 pic.twitter.com/5SpXGhAKpI
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) February 12, 2026
Transfer Dealings and Missed Targets
Postecoglou highlighted the club’s inability to compete for signings like Portuguese forward Neto, who secured a £54m move to Chelsea in 2024. Bryan Mbeumo transferred to Manchester United for £65m last summer, while Semenyo and Guehi joined Manchester City for a combined £85m last month. Postecoglou’s comments underscore his frustration at Tottenham’s reluctance or inability to financially compete with their top six rivals in the marketplace.
Managerial Turnover and Club Uncertainty
The instability within the club’s leadership has become a trend since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in 2019. Tottenham have since had five different managers. Jose Mourinho oversaw the squad from 2019 to 2021, only to be dismissed shortly before the Carabao Cup final. Nuno Espirito Santo’s stint spanned just four months. Antonio Conte was outspoken about the club’s board and criticised his squad before being sacked after 16 months. Postecoglou himself was relieved of his duties after guiding Spurs to fifth in his first season, and to Europa League triumph in 2025, but finished in 17th-place in the Premier League. His successor, Thomas Frank, signed a three-year deal but lasted less than a year.
Postecoglou, who experienced a 39-day tenure as Nottingham Forest manager earlier this season, questioned whether Frank understood the internal challenges at Tottenham when he took the job.
Risk, Ambition and Identity
Reflecting on his own time at the club, Postecoglou lamented a lack of risk-taking, despite breaking a 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League in 2025. “I think they didn’t realise that, to actually win, you’ve got to take some risks,” he said. “I felt like Tottenham as a club were saying, ‘we’re one of the big boys’, and the reality is I don’t think they are.”
He continued to question the club’s direction following recent upheaval, noting the departure not only of multiple head coaches but also of executive chairman Daniel Levy. Postecoglou described the resulting situation as unstable, which he believed contributed to Tottenham’s ongoing struggles despite having “world-class managers” at the helm.
“There’s no guarantee whichever manager you bring in. They’ve had world-class managers there and they haven’t had success. And for what reason?”
He added, “Thomas is walking in and what’s his objective? What’s the club’s objective? If you’re going to do such a major pivot, you’ve got to understand there’s going to be some instability there. Did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don’t know.”
