Although Tottenham’s 2024-25 season ended in glory with their first trophy in 17 years and their first European silverware since 1984, their woeful league performances left them 17th, in their worst position in English football since one campaign in the old Second Division in the late 1980s.
Fan protests were a regular part of last season, although a planned protest on Saturday failed to materialise, apart from a handful of fans outside the stadium holding one banner criticising chairman Daniel Levy, which read: Built a business, killed a football club.
Some supporters have expressed their disappointment at the club’s business in the transfer window as Kudus, along with midfielder Joao Palhinha who has joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, have been the only major additions.
Hugely popular club captain Son Heung-min was sold to Los Angeles FC for £18m, while Spurs failed in an attempt to sign England’s Morgan Gibbs-White with the midfielder since agreeing a new deal with Nottingham Forest.
But the club are making progress to sign Crystal Palace and England forward Eberechi Eze with talks expected to progress in the next 48 hours, while Manchester City winger Savinho remains a target.
The best way for Tottenham and Frank to stop fans protesting is with their performances.
This result, and their showing in the Uefa Super Cup on Wednesday – when they gave European champions Paris St-Germain a huge fright before conceding a 94th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 and then lose on penalties – has been a good start.
Tottenham have remained as entertaining as they were under Postecoglou, but the early signs under Frank are that the team will be able to do that without the all-out attack and defensively vulnerable nature often displayed under the Australian.
Frank summed it up by saying: “It was a perfect start, our dream start, but we all know we need to follow on it.
“But today I will just enjoy it, and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoyed it.”
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