The appointment of Venkatesham as the novel CEO of Tottenham Hotspur in April 2025 sparked considerable surprise, given his 14-year tenure at their arch-rivals, Arsenal. Less than a year into the role, a growing number of Spurs supporters are questioning the decision, citing Venkatesham’s background at the Emirates Stadium as a significant misstep.
Former chairman Daniel Levy, who recently concluded a 24-year spell at the helm, faced increasing criticism in his final years. He maintained a hands-on approach, overseeing all aspects of the club, and ultimately shouldered the responsibility for both successes and failures. “Daniel Levy, get out of our club” became a common chant from fans between 2023 and his departure in September 2025, and Venkatesham now appears to be facing a similar level of scrutiny.
Sporting director Lange, appointed in November 2023, has also drawn fire from fans due to a perceived lack of success in the transfer market. During his time with the club, the following senior players have been recruited: Timo Werner, Radu Dragusin, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert, Yang Min-Hyeok, Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel, Kota Takai, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Mason Melia, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Conor Gallagher, and Souza.
Lange’s stated aim was to establish Tottenham as a prime destination for young talent, but he has often been accused of neglecting the immediate needs of the first team. He recently defended his decision not to pursue any January signings, despite a significant injury crisis and a downturn in results.
“As a club, it’s important to remain disciplined and ensure we only recruit players who can help the team now or in the future,” Lange told the club’s official channels after the transfer window closed. “It’s important not to force any hasty purchases, as that rarely ends well for anyone.”
Now, fans are growing increasingly concerned that the lack of investment could lead to relegation this season.
Head coach Frank addressed the issue in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, emphasizing that responsibility at Spurs should be shared, not solely attributed to Lange.
“I think, as with me, it’s never just one person. I understand that the head coach is often the one who takes the most blame when things aren’t going well and maybe gets a little credit when things are going well. That’s part of the job, so I know that,” said Frank.
“The way I’ve seen it, I can’t speak about what happened before, of course I inherited a squad and some players. But I think, and the way we do it now, we do it together. So, in the September [summer] transfer window, there was Fabio [Paratici] as a consultant, Johan, Vinai, Daniel, and myself. Now in this transfer window, there’s the Lewis family, Vinai, Johan, Fabio, and myself. That’s always been the way we’ve done it, so we do it together.”
Frank’s support, and the reciprocal sentiment, was intended to convey a sense of alignment within the club, suggesting that this season is a transitional one and poor results are to be expected. However, some observers believe this narrative doesn’t fully reflect the situation.
Jamie Carragher once questioned the meaning of ‘freedom’ on the football pitch, asking, “Is it doing silly things and losing the ball?” In a similar vein, what does ‘transitional season’ actually mean? Is it simply accepting a string of defeats and insisting that things are fine because they couldn’t possibly get any worse?
