Jamie Carragher Sends Jose Mourinho Warning to Thomas Frank Over Tottenham’s Obsession With Attacking Football

The Liverpool Legend Believes Spurs Fans Will Take Time to Warm to Frank’s Pragmatic Style

When Thomas Frank took the Tottenham Hotspur job in June, few doubted his tactical intelligence or leadership. What they did doubt, however, was whether he could win over a fanbase still chasing the ghost of “the Tottenham way.”

Now, several months into his reign, Spurs sit third in the Premier League — a position any manager would envy. But even with results falling in his favour, Frank faces a different kind of battle: one fought not on the pitch, but in the hearts and minds of Tottenham supporters.

And according to Jamie Carragher, that’s not a battle that can be won quickly.

“My instincts are that the relationship between Frank and his new fanbase will be a slow burner,” Carragher wrote in The Telegraph. “For the past two years it felt as though many Spurs supporters were blinded by the idea of what they were trying to be rather than what they actually were – a team far too easy to expose.”

In other words, Frank has stabilised Tottenham — but stability doesn’t always stir emotion in north London.

Frank’s Appointment: The Pragmatist Takes the Reins

When Ange Postecoglou was dismissed after a turbulent season that promised excitement but delivered inconsistency, Tottenham turned to Frank — a man celebrated for his remarkable work at Brentford.

At Brentford, the Dane built a club rooted in structure, cohesion, and smart decision-making. He guided the Bees from a Championship hopeful to a Premier League mainstay without ever compromising on discipline or detail.

That same pragmatic streak is now visible at Tottenham. The early signs are promising — perhaps more so than many expected. After nine league games, Spurs are sitting third in the table, just five points off leaders Arsenal. They’ve scored as many goals as Manchester City and Chelsea, and only Arsenal have conceded fewer.

Defensively, Tottenham look reborn. The side that was once a soft touch under Postecoglou has allowed only seven goals this campaign — a statistic that quietly defines the early Frank era.

Yet, despite those numbers, the mood around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is oddly subdued.

A “Slow Burner” Relationship

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Carragher’s warning isn’t so much a criticism of Frank as it is a reflection of Tottenham’s long-standing identity crisis.

“Spurs fans like what they are seeing with the team’s improved results,” he said. “For the time being, Frank’s pragmatic approach is probably more tolerated than adored.”

And that word — tolerated — cuts deep. Tottenham fans have long cherished the romantic ideal of attacking football, from the flowing sides of Bill Nicholson to the flair of Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, and Gareth Bale. It’s an identity that persisted even during barren years, when trophies were scarce but the football was entertaining.

Carragher points to that as both a blessing and a curse.

“During my lifetime, the Spurs fanbase have been one of the most obsessed about insisting their team play in a certain way,” he wrote. “They never took to Jose Mourinho or Nuno Espirito Santo for that reason.”

The message is clear: results matter, but style still rules at Spurs. And while Frank’s approach is methodical and data-driven, it’s not the high-tempo, risk-taking spectacle fans were promised under Postecoglou.

The Ghosts of Mourinho and Nuno

The Mourinho comparison is especially pointed. When the Portuguese coach arrived in north London, he too offered structure and control — but his tenure quickly soured as the football turned sterile and fans lost patience.

Carragher’s mention of Jose Mourinho isn’t coincidental. It’s a reminder that Tottenham’s relationship with pragmatism has always been uneasy. Mourinho delivered results early, but his football was viewed as an affront to the club’s attacking DNA.

Frank isn’t Mourinho — his football is more balanced, more thoughtful — but Carragher’s warning is that perception can matter as much as performance.

“The desire to play beautiful football is hardly exclusive to Spurs,” Carragher noted. “Every top club in the world wants to play a technically brilliant style, although for the majority, trophy-winning football trumps being regarded as one of the most attractive teams.”

That line sums up the paradox perfectly. Spurs fans crave success, but not at any price. They want the fairytale and the fireworks — and Carragher believes Frank’s biggest challenge will be convincing them that he can deliver both.

Style vs. Substance: Frank’s Balancing Act

If Postecoglou’s Tottenham were style over substance, as Carragher described them, then Frank’s version has flipped the script.

Under Frank, Spurs are organised, compact, and efficient in transition. The pressing is coordinated rather than chaotic, and the passing patterns are deliberate rather than reckless. There’s less improvisation — but also fewer disasters.

Still, for supporters raised on the adrenaline of free-flowing football, the contrast can feel jarring.

Carragher understands that. “Spurs were style over substance for too long under Postecoglou,” he said. “Now a period of substance over style gives them a great chance of making a statement against a top-four rival.”

In other words: Tottenham may be less entertaining, but they’re finally hard to beat.

That alone, for a club trying to claw its way back into the Champions League, is progress.

Dreaming Big — Even Without the “Beautiful” Football

Despite Wednesday’s 2–0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle, Carragher insists there’s plenty of reason for optimism.

“Spurs are in third place,” he said. “Frank will have done an amazing job if he keeps them there. This is the season to dream big given the problems at other clubs.”

It’s a fair point. Manchester United remain inconsistent, Chelsea are still rebuilding, and Liverpool’s title challenge has wobbled. If England continues to secure five Champions League spots, Spurs are in pole position to claim one.

For Frank, that would represent a monumental first-season success — even if it comes without the kind of champagne football that typically wins plaudits in north London.

The Tests Ahead: Chelsea, United, Arsenal, PSG

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Frank’s next few weeks could define both his early tenure and his relationship with the supporters.

Spurs face Chelsea this weekend — a fixture that carries emotional and historical weight after Postecoglou failed to beat the Blues during his time in charge. After that, Tottenham host Manchester United on November 8, before heading to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in a North London Derby that could shape the title race narrative heading into winter.

Then comes an even greater challenge: a Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain on November 26.

For a man accused of being overly pragmatic, those matches offer the perfect opportunity to show his adventurous side — to prove that tactical discipline and attacking intent don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

A Manager True to Himself

Thomas Frank is no stranger to scepticism. He faced it when Brentford were promoted and critics claimed they’d go straight back down. He faced it again when he turned down other jobs to stay loyal to the Bees.

At Tottenham, he’ll face it once more — but this time under a far brighter spotlight.

If anything, the Dane has already shown he won’t bend to external pressure. His calm, methodical demeanour, his trust in data and structure, and his refusal to indulge in theatrics mark him as a manager who believes in evolution, not revolution.

And maybe that’s what Tottenham need. For too long, the club has chased ideals instead of results. Frank might not be the most glamorous appointment, but he could be the man to bring balance — the harmony between performance and pragmatism that’s eluded Spurs for over a decade.

Carragher’s Final Word

Carragher’s verdict, then, feels both realistic and hopeful.

“Seeing how Frank goes about trying to give Spurs the best of both worlds will be as captivating as Postecoglou’s gung-ho approach,” he wrote.

The message? Frank doesn’t have to abandon his principles to please the fans. But if he can blend the control of Brentford with the ambition Tottenham supporters demand, he might just find the sweet spot.

Until then, the journey will indeed be a slow burner.

In the End: Pragmatism Might Be What Spurs Always Needed

Tottenham’s obsession with attacking football is part of their identity, but identity evolves. What Carragher seems to be suggesting — between the lines — is that Frank could be the man who finally ends the cycle of idealism without reward.

He may not bring the swashbuckling flair of the past, but he’s already bringing something Spurs haven’t had in years: genuine consistency.

And perhaps, in time, even the most romantic fans will learn to love that.