Thomas Frank’s tenure at Tottenham ends in just eight months.
Tuesday night’s 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, winless in their last five games, was the final straw. Spurs have not won in the Premier League this year.
Spurs were booed at both half-time and full-time of their defeat to the Magpies, with chants of “He’s fired this morning” and “I want Frank sent off” directed at the head coach.
Frank replaced the popular Ange Postecoglou in the summer after seven successful years in charge at Brentford. Why didn’t it work out for Spurs?
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Spurs fans complained at the full-time whistle against Newcastle
fans reject the style of play
Tottenham’s style of play was a major point of contention under Frank. The high-intensity, attacking mentality of previous manager Postecoglou may have been flawed, but at least he could give the supporters something. “Enji Ball” was interesting.
The same cannot be said about Frank’s approach.
The Dane insisted that Spurs’ ultimate goal was to play free football, but fans saw little evidence of that on the pitch.
Possession, passing sequences, and build-up attack numbers all plummeted. Frank’s Spurs seemed content to stay calm and absorb pressure rather than pressure their opponents and force high turnovers. It all felt reactive rather than proactive.
Stylistically, Spurs were similar to Frank’s Brentford, with an emphasis on long passing and aerials. He prioritized defensive solidity, but had little success, and the offense suffered. In defeats to rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in November, Spurs produced just 0.17 total expected goals.
Frank has managed to change the set-piece threat. Spurs have already scored more goals from dead balls than they did all of last season. However, given the club’s attacking tradition, the apparent lack of intent from open play was unacceptable to fans.
Frank pointed out the availability issue with some validity. However, the lack of depth was worrying, with Franck often favoring a journeyman midfield pairing of Joao Parinha and Rodrygo Bentancur, which frustrated the club’s fans.
Unfortunately, he leaves Spurs having attempted fewer through passes than any other team in the Premier League this season.
discomfort in the home
It all started very well for Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
His first Premier League game in charge, a 3-0 win over Burnley in August, followed on from his energetic performance in the European Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. It gave us early encouragement on what was going to happen under the new head coach.
However, six months on, Spurs have only added one more Premier League win in a total of 13 games in front of fans. Their home record is the third-worst in the division. Frank tried to avoid the R-word, but it’s a form of demotion.
Their struggles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with fans outwardly criticizing Frank on numerous occasions, made it impossible for him to form a connection with those in the stands and ultimately paved the way for his departure.
In fact, Spurs’ home form ranks among the worst in the Premier League compared to their away form, with Spurs winning 0.69 fewer points per game when playing in front of fans than away.
injury problem
Frank was not helped by certain factors beyond his control. The Spurs have been plagued by injuries, especially on offense.
Frank was never able to call on James Madison or Dejan Kulusevski during his short tenure. Dominic Solanke also sat out most of the campaign. And when the striker finally returned, Spurs lost Richarlison and Mohamed Kudus.
Wilson Odbert became the latest player to fall, forced to be sent off in Tuesday’s defeat to Newcastle.
The current list of absentees has grown into double digits and includes the suspended Cristian Romero, injured Pedro Polo, Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Jed Spence, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies, in addition to the names already mentioned.
The numbers are astonishing. Spurs have had the third-highest number of injuries in the Premier League this season, with a total of 43, behind only Chelsea and Arsenal.
However, it is at the top when it comes to days lost. Spurs players have missed a total of 1,302 game days this season. All of this combined to make Frank’s mission even more difficult.
that arsenal cup
Did being photographed holding an Arsenal cup have any effect on whether Frank lost his job? No, it was a simple mistake. However, that didn’t help his chances of building a relationship with Spurs supporters.
Thomas Frank was spotted drinking an Arsenal cup before the match against Bournemouth
It was an embarrassing incident at a sensitive time for the Spurs manager to drink from a cup emblazoned with the badge of his arch-rivals, who were climbing to the top of the league while his team struggled. Combined with the fact that Spurs went on to lose games against Bournemouth, it meant an unnecessary hurdle for Frank to jump over.
Of course, it was an unfortunate accident. But it increased the noise around his positions, giving his detractors more ammunition.
romero discipline
If you have a player who knows he’s going to be in the starting lineup, that can do more harm than good. For Frank, that sums up the story of Tottenham captain Romero.
The Argentine player produced many big moments. It’s a game-saving, and possibly job-saving, moment. His crucial double against Newcastle and the equalizer against Burnley added to why he is an integral part of the game at both ends of the pitch.
But every time Frank had him thanked, he also became a headache to deal with. Romero hides his heart, which too often causes problems for Dane.
Frank publicly supported his captain on numerous occasions, despite question marks over his future and whether he had the right mentality to wear the armband. Any issues were handled in-house. What is indisputable is that Frank protected his players.
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Frank defends captain Cristian Romero despite receiving a red card against Man United
How was he repaid? In his final weeks in charge, Romero had to respond to comments on social media that described the state of Tottenham’s injury-plagued and “nervous” squad as shameful. Again he defended the player. refused to strip him of his captaincy.
A reckless red card against Manchester United a few days later ruled Frank out for the remainder of his term. A leader who doesn’t stand up with his teammates. Instead, he decides to let them fight without him.
Perhaps Romero’s words and actions reflected how the Spurs players felt as a team. In that case, it was always difficult for Frank to turn things around. But leading leadership points that do more harm than good is something every manager would rather avoid.
