Tottenham Hotspur Sack Another Manager

In the same week that Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties as Tottenham Hotspur men’s manager, Robert Vilahamn has also been dismissed as women’s head coach.

This decision comes after the team endured a very tough 24/25 WSL campaign that saw them fail to reach anywhere close to the levels that they hit in their first season under the reign of Vilahamn.

The Swede’s departure saw his contract extension, which would have ensured he remained at the club until 2027, cut short.

Much like their men’s team, the club will now have the task of finding a new manager ahead of next season’s WSL, which they will be hoping has more similarities to his first season rather than his last.

Vilahamn’s time as Tottenham Women’s Manager:
Vilahamn joined Tottenham in July of 2023, arriving from Swedish side BK Hacken and got off to a reasonably successful start as the head coach of the club.

In the 42-year-old’s first season in charge, he led his side to a sixth-place finish in the WSL, only one point less than the club’s best-ever finish in the competition, which came in the 21/22 season when they finished in 5th place.

His team also reached the Women’s FA Cup final for the first time in the club’s history, which they lost 4-0 in a dominant display from Manchester United.

The top scorer in the WSL for Tottenham in Vilahamn’s first season was Martha Thomas, who ended the season with seven goals. In the 24/25 season, however, she did not manage to score a single WSL goal.

The first season saw steps in the right direction for his Tottenham, who would have been hoping to build on these successes in the next season; this would be far from the case.

What Went Wrong at Tottenham Hotspur?
The Swede’s follow-up season as the head coach saw his team take steps backwards from what they achieved the previous year. Almost every statistic read poorly for Vilahamn’s side.

Tottenham finished in 11th place, one place off the relegation zone. However, they were never threatened by relegation as Crystal Palace were considerably worse off on both points total and goal difference.

The only improvement on the prior season was an individual feat rather than a team one, as Beth England ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer in the WSL with eight goals, an improvement on Martha Thomas’ seven goals.

Despite this achievement from Beth England, Tottenham’s average goals scored per game in the 24/25 WSL season was 1.2, a slight drop from 1.4 in the previous season.

On the other hand, Tottenham’s average goals conceded increased from 1.6 in the 23/24 WSL season up to 2.0 in Vilahamn’s second season.

Consequently, their goal difference also went in the wrong direction, dropping from minus five to minus 18, showing the difference in both attacking and defensive performance from the prior season.

Failure to Replace Key Player Proves Fatal:
There is no denying that Tottenham did experience some big losses in the summer ahead of Vilahamn’s second campaign, none larger than that of Grace Clinton.

Clinton, who arrived at Tottenham on loan from Manchester United, was key to the success his first season, recording eight goal involvements from midfield.

Clinton’s quality has shown once again this season as she has scored 8 goals in 21 WSL appearances for Manchester United and has become a key player for her side.

Celin Bizet has also proved a heavy loss for Spurs. Bezit made a £60,000 move to Manchester United in the summer to reunite with Clinton. Her first season with the club has also been a success.

There is no doubt that these are two players that Robert Vilahamn would have wished he had at his disposal this season.

Tottenham did make nine signings in the summer, but none could effectively fill the void left by the departures, and this consequently has led to the dismissal.

Similar to the men’s side, Tottenham will now be on the hunt for their new head coach ahead of the 25/26 season.

Thedeck.news