Chris Warner
@chrislwarner.bsky.social
Work in executive search with venture backed tech companies.
Interested in politics, business, Tottenham Hotspur and the Golden State Warriors. #COYS
Interested in politics, business, Tottenham Hotspur and the Golden State Warriors. #COYS
I believe this game in particular was where Sarr was also actually just unfit; not sure if virus or something else but I think it came out afterwards that under any other circumstance he would not have played in the game. We were completely bare bones.
January 27, 2026 at 10:02 PM
I believe this game in particular was where Sarr was also actually just unfit; not sure if virus or something else but I think it came out afterwards that under any other circumstance he would not have played in the game. We were completely bare bones.
RE injuries, Frank having just as many struggles as Ange despite playing lower tempo and being able to rotate more suggests again, it’s the transition. Which means Ange deserved more grace rather than being made out to be a clown. I wonder if the club thought it would be quite as hard this season.
January 25, 2026 at 6:11 PM
RE injuries, Frank having just as many struggles as Ange despite playing lower tempo and being able to rotate more suggests again, it’s the transition. Which means Ange deserved more grace rather than being made out to be a clown. I wonder if the club thought it would be quite as hard this season.
I actually think this is what explains the struggles this season. It is not ‘Frank bad’ or ‘players not good enough’ rather we’ve swung to a wildly different approach, in terms of coaching, motivation, preparation. We whiplashed the squad into a massive transition.
January 25, 2026 at 6:08 PM
I actually think this is what explains the struggles this season. It is not ‘Frank bad’ or ‘players not good enough’ rather we’ve swung to a wildly different approach, in terms of coaching, motivation, preparation. We whiplashed the squad into a massive transition.
Yes, he could have chosen Tel, but he chose Dom. I probably didn’t phrase it well, blame character limits!
January 19, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Yes, he could have chosen Tel, but he chose Dom. I probably didn’t phrase it well, blame character limits!
Frank’s comments in today’s presser suggest that he had the option to keep Tel and chose Dom. Baffling decision. Even if you think that given 20 mins Dom is more likely to grab a goal than Tel, it’s not so obviously true as to be worth alienating our player here. And Dom can’t even play 90!!
January 19, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Frank’s comments in today’s presser suggest that he had the option to keep Tel and chose Dom. Baffling decision. Even if you think that given 20 mins Dom is more likely to grab a goal than Tel, it’s not so obviously true as to be worth alienating our player here. And Dom can’t even play 90!!
Agreed. I *think* his vision is some kind of being the smartest team, always doing the highest expected value play that over the long term means we succeed.But he’s also come across like he genuinely believes ‘fixing the defence’ was his job, as if attacking and defending aren’t linked in this sport
January 19, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Agreed. I *think* his vision is some kind of being the smartest team, always doing the highest expected value play that over the long term means we succeed.But he’s also come across like he genuinely believes ‘fixing the defence’ was his job, as if attacking and defending aren’t linked in this sport
It’s his right to do what he wants since he earned the job. But he has stuck rigidly to his ‘we must be defensively solid and take no risk in possession unless we’re behind’ ideals and it clearly hasn’t worked. It’s Brentford applied at Spurs, rather than a new thing based on this squad.
January 18, 2026 at 11:03 PM
It’s his right to do what he wants since he earned the job. But he has stuck rigidly to his ‘we must be defensively solid and take no risk in possession unless we’re behind’ ideals and it clearly hasn’t worked. It’s Brentford applied at Spurs, rather than a new thing based on this squad.
I think part of the issue is that Frank is just as much of an ideologue as anyone! We were promised someone flexible, who understood we needed attacking football, and would get the best out of the squad. As it is, he’s been wedded to what he believes is the right approach. He hasn’t been flexible.
January 18, 2026 at 11:01 PM
I think part of the issue is that Frank is just as much of an ideologue as anyone! We were promised someone flexible, who understood we needed attacking football, and would get the best out of the squad. As it is, he’s been wedded to what he believes is the right approach. He hasn’t been flexible.
Agreed. The reaction to our Palace win was interesting.
January 18, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Agreed. The reaction to our Palace win was interesting.
…standards are low if we’re excited about that I think. Because we’re still not showing real quality. We’re just two down with nothing to lose.
January 10, 2026 at 11:52 PM
…standards are low if we’re excited about that I think. Because we’re still not showing real quality. We’re just two down with nothing to lose.
I’d expect to have more territory in the second half given we held off a lot in the first. We should have the energy to raise our intensity.
But did we lay siege on their goal with a barrage of chances? Not really. We played some nice stuff, but we have to defend better and attack better…
But did we lay siege on their goal with a barrage of chances? Not really. We played some nice stuff, but we have to defend better and attack better…
January 10, 2026 at 11:51 PM
I’d expect to have more territory in the second half given we held off a lot in the first. We should have the energy to raise our intensity.
But did we lay siege on their goal with a barrage of chances? Not really. We played some nice stuff, but we have to defend better and attack better…
But did we lay siege on their goal with a barrage of chances? Not really. We played some nice stuff, but we have to defend better and attack better…
This performance is a disgrace with the season on the line. Whatever foundations Frank might have been laying, it’s simply not been worth wasting a whole season to lay them. This has broken whatever faith I had in his project (and I was open minded, despite loving Ange). Just a complete mess.
January 10, 2026 at 6:46 PM
This performance is a disgrace with the season on the line. Whatever foundations Frank might have been laying, it’s simply not been worth wasting a whole season to lay them. This has broken whatever faith I had in his project (and I was open minded, despite loving Ange). Just a complete mess.
..players already had a manager they were bought in on!!
January 9, 2026 at 5:59 PM
..players already had a manager they were bought in on!!
I don’t disagree really, I just think the form is so dreadful that you’d expect the guy Celtic just sacked to be managing us or something, rather than someone who is at least decent. But I agree, buy in is his job. And I would agree the club shouldn’t have put Frank in this position, because the…
January 9, 2026 at 5:59 PM
I don’t disagree really, I just think the form is so dreadful that you’d expect the guy Celtic just sacked to be managing us or something, rather than someone who is at least decent. But I agree, buy in is his job. And I would agree the club shouldn’t have put Frank in this position, because the…
..and system when they had achieved greatness through the most trying circumstances under a previous leadership, it must be a step too far for them psychologically. I’m sure they are trying, but there’s only so much you can naturally give, and they already believed in something and gave so much then
January 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM
..and system when they had achieved greatness through the most trying circumstances under a previous leadership, it must be a step too far for them psychologically. I’m sure they are trying, but there’s only so much you can naturally give, and they already believed in something and gave so much then
I think you’re right on this aspect being the story of the season. Reasonable people can disagree on Frank’s style, but I don’t think his management has been *so* bad that it deserves *this* form. It’s something deeper. The player’s confidence seems shot. And asking them to learn a whole new method
January 9, 2026 at 4:28 PM
I think you’re right on this aspect being the story of the season. Reasonable people can disagree on Frank’s style, but I don’t think his management has been *so* bad that it deserves *this* form. It’s something deeper. The player’s confidence seems shot. And asking them to learn a whole new method
I think the club didn’t want a ‘Ten Hag’ situation where they back a manager just because of a trophy win. Not understanding that United’s players were lukewarm on Ten Hag, and that an FA Cup for them is not as big as the Europa for us, especially forged through the circumstances we faced.
January 9, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I think the club didn’t want a ‘Ten Hag’ situation where they back a manager just because of a trophy win. Not understanding that United’s players were lukewarm on Ten Hag, and that an FA Cup for them is not as big as the Europa for us, especially forged through the circumstances we faced.
I think Poch is a fair comparison because it was another example of the club almost being too clever for their own good. Not understanding what they had, and laying blame at his door when they should have backed him. And he largely never lost the players.
But yeah, tough to think of another.
But yeah, tough to think of another.
January 9, 2026 at 3:07 PM
I think Poch is a fair comparison because it was another example of the club almost being too clever for their own good. Not understanding what they had, and laying blame at his door when they should have backed him. And he largely never lost the players.
But yeah, tough to think of another.
But yeah, tough to think of another.
I’m trying to think of another example where a club has gotten rid of a manager who had such obvious recent, tangible success and with the players enthusiastically still behind him?
January 9, 2026 at 1:58 PM
I’m trying to think of another example where a club has gotten rid of a manager who had such obvious recent, tangible success and with the players enthusiastically still behind him?
…the system itself!
December 30, 2025 at 10:28 PM
…the system itself!
off in more games ala Brentford at home going forward. But tough away games, and tough home games, I think we’re going to see what we’ve seen a lot of already. And that’s attacking in phases but containing more often than not. And I think then the attacker changes the quality of the execution, not…
December 30, 2025 at 10:28 PM
off in more games ala Brentford at home going forward. But tough away games, and tough home games, I think we’re going to see what we’ve seen a lot of already. And that’s attacking in phases but containing more often than not. And I think then the attacker changes the quality of the execution, not…
Seeing a lot of people assume that with those three back all of a sudden the fluidity in attack comes back. I don’t think that’s true, and I think we’re seeing what Frank wants. The hope is that he judges are squad to be good enough, and in tune enough with his principles, that he lets the handbrake
December 30, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Seeing a lot of people assume that with those three back all of a sudden the fluidity in attack comes back. I don’t think that’s true, and I think we’re seeing what Frank wants. The hope is that he judges are squad to be good enough, and in tune enough with his principles, that he lets the handbrake
..containing moments. We need to give this a season before being definitive that Frank’s method doesn’t work. Especially before creating hypotheticals that didn’t happen, and when those hypotheticals could be applied to every other system too.
December 30, 2025 at 4:34 AM
..containing moments. We need to give this a season before being definitive that Frank’s method doesn’t work. Especially before creating hypotheticals that didn’t happen, and when those hypotheticals could be applied to every other system too.
The flip is that we go ahead like at Brighton last year and aren’t able to contain the game, we’ve used up our intensity and our tiredness is exploited. To be clear I prefer the Ange style. But Ange’s system requires scoring in the on top moments and the Frank system requires defending well in the
December 30, 2025 at 4:33 AM
The flip is that we go ahead like at Brighton last year and aren’t able to contain the game, we’ve used up our intensity and our tiredness is exploited. To be clear I prefer the Ange style. But Ange’s system requires scoring in the on top moments and the Frank system requires defending well in the
This is crazy to me. Because it literally didn’t happen. And nor did Palace create clear uncontested chances. I agree if a Frank team concedes they are less likely to fight back than an Ange team, so they need to defend well in the phases where they are intending to defend. And they did!
December 30, 2025 at 4:31 AM
This is crazy to me. Because it literally didn’t happen. And nor did Palace create clear uncontested chances. I agree if a Frank team concedes they are less likely to fight back than an Ange team, so they need to defend well in the phases where they are intending to defend. And they did!