Thomas Frank insisted he was “one thousand per cent” the right man for the job.
Less than two weeks later, Tottenham Hotspur have sacked him.
The decision follows a damaging 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle — Frank’s 15th loss of his Spurs tenure and the result that left the club 16th in the Premier League, just five points above the relegation zone. The numbers were brutal: a 26.9% league win rate, the lowest of any Spurs manager in the Premier League era.
For a club that started the season talking about European qualification, the slide towards a relegation scrap proved untenable.
The Newcastle Breaking Point
The atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had already turned toxic before kick-off. Frank was booed when his name was read out and chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” echoed around the ground as Newcastle sealed victory.
Spurs’ performance summed up their season. Passive first half. Defensive anxiety. Brief hope at 1-1. Then another concession — symbolic, as Frank himself admitted, of a campaign that never found stability.
When you are defending deep at home, with Dominic Solanke collecting the ball near his own box, something is structurally wrong.
Injuries — But Not Enough
Frank consistently pointed to an injury list stretching into double figures. Rivals, including Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, publicly backed him and acknowledged the scale of the absences.
But Tottenham’s hierarchy ultimately decided results had to trump context.
Eleven league defeats this season. A slide to 16th. Confidence draining from the squad. Fan unrest intensifying weekly. The optics were spiralling, and the Arsenal fixture looming on February 22 threatened to amplify the crisis further.
A Project That Never Took Off
Frank arrived in North London with a reputation built on structure, clarity and collective discipline from his time at Brentford. Spurs believed he could deliver long-term stability after years of managerial churn.
Instead, the identity never fully formed.
The team oscillated between passive and chaotic. Defensive shape wavered. Transitions lacked cohesion. And the emotional disconnect between supporters and coach widened with each defeat.
Tottenham once again find themselves at a crossroads — caught between long-term planning and short-term panic.
What Now?
The next five fixtures include Arsenal, Fulham and Liverpool. Spurs sit closer to the drop zone than Europe. The board have decided a change is necessary to arrest the slide immediately.
For Thomas Frank, this will sting. Publicly defiant, privately under immense pressure, he believed he could turn it around. The data suggests the club no longer shared that conviction.
Another managerial reset begins in North London.
And the clock, as always at Tottenham, starts ticking immediately.
