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| “If you don’t teach players to win, don’t be surprised when they don’t.” — Trophy Series | Tottenham Hotspur Blog News |
Good morning folks, welcome to Part 6 of 8 of The Tottenham Hotspur Trophy Series.
Spurs fans love a big name.
Especially in the transfer window.
It’s the limit of some people’s vision.
When things go wrong, the default answer is: spend more. Sign someone proven. Splash £60 million.
But what if the problem isn’t the player?
What if it’s what happens to him after he gets here?
Because we’ve spent the money.
We’ve brought in names.
And it hasn’t worked.
Not because they weren’t good enough.
But because Spurs didn’t know how to make the most of them.
“We’re Not a Club That Elevates Players — We Absorb Them”
Watch what happens when top players join Spurs.
They don’t elevate the squad — the squad dilutes them.
You can feel it:
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Cristian Romero walks in with a trophy-winning pedigree.
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He plays like a warrior. Wins duels, lifts the back line.
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But over time, even he starts to show signs of… regression.
Why?
Because he’s surrounded by players who haven’t felt winning.
Who haven’t lived it.
And if the culture isn’t strong enough, it doesn’t pull them up — it brings him down.
That’s how elite players lose their edge at Spurs.
And it’s been happening for years.
We Thought the Problem Was the Squad — But It Was the Environment
Think back to the players fans said weren’t good enough.
Ndombele. Lo Celso. Bergwijn.
Doherty. Emerson. Reguilón.
Some left and looked better.
Some were clearly miscast.
But the core truth is this:
Spurs never gave them the mental training, expectation, or environment to thrive.
And when they failed to shine?
We didn’t ask: What did we do wrong?
We said: Get better players.
It’s not just lazy — it’s expensive.
And worse… it hides the real issue.
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| “If you don’t teach players to win, don’t be surprised when they don’t.” — Trophy Series | Tottenham Hotspur Blog News |
Postecoglou Proved It — Coaching Can Turn Players Into Winners
Look at the leap under Ange.
Same players.
New manager.
New belief.
Spurs won the Europa League in 2025 not by buying a new squad — but by getting more out of the one they had.
Postecoglou didn’t wave a wand.
He created an environment of belief, standards, and conviction.
That changes how a player walks. Talks. Thinks. Leads.
Romero was always elite.
But Romero with belief is a leader. A force. A winner.
And now — he might be sold.
The Cycle Will Repeat Until the Club Changes Its Mindset
Let’s say Son and Romero leave.
Let’s say we reinvest £90 million.
If we don’t change the environment — we’ll break the next batch too.
The fans will say they weren’t good enough.
But we’ll know the truth:
The club wastes players.
Not deliberately.
Not maliciously.
But by failing to teach what winning looks like, feels like, demands.
The Fans Want a £60M Signing — What We Actually Need Is a £60M Culture
Until Spurs become a place that creates winners…
Not just signs them…
We’ll stay in the nearly zone.
Because winners don’t thrive in chaos.
They thrive in systems. In cultures. In clubs that expect them to lead — and equip them to do so.
That’s what Klopp did.
That’s what Ange started.
That’s what Frank must continue — or risk falling back to square one.
🔚 THBN The Final Word
Tottenham fans think the problem is personnel.
But personnel are only half the picture.
The truth is simpler — and more brutal:
Spurs don’t develop mentalities.
They recruit ability, then hope.
It’s time to stop hoping.
It’s time to train players to win — not just hope they arrive that way.
Because we’re not losing finals anymore due to bad luck.
We’re losing them because we didn’t create enough leaders.
And if Thomas Frank can’t change that — Spurs will keep replacing players.
But never changing the outcome.
COYS
The Tottenham Hotspur Trophy Series
