As bad as Tottenham Hotspur performed in Sunday’s North London Derby, Thomas Frank remains secure in his job... for now.
The Dane was appointed as Ange Postecoglou’s successor three weeks on from Spurs’ Europa League final success over Manchester United, which ended the club’s 17-year wait for a piece of major silverware.
Frank, who previously garnered interest from Chelsea and Man Utd, earned the job off the back of a mightily successful spell at Brentford, guiding them into the Premier League in 2021 before consolidating the Bees as a mid-table side in the top-flight.
He took over a team in high spirits from Bilbao and the subsequent celebration, but Spurs’ triumph in Europe papered over their worst-ever Premier League performance, eventually slumping to 17th.
There hasn’t been an expectation for Frank to immediately have Spurs competing towards the very top of the table, but a fanbase seemingly obsessed with style hasn’t been too enamoured with what they’ve seen from their new manager so far.
Spurs Giving Frank Time Despite Dismal Performances
Things came to a head in November, with Spurs falling flat on their faces in two of the biggest domestic outings of the season. According to Opta, the Lilywhites recorded the two lowest expected goals hauls of the Premier League season so far in their dismal defeats to Chelsea (0.1) and Arsenal (0.07).
Boos rang out inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the hosts failed to lay a glove on Enzo Maresca’s Blues, and the emotion of derby day meant there have been some calls for Frank’s job in the aftermath of Sunday’s 4–1 loss to the Gunners.
However, a report from the Telegraph suggests Spurs aren’t preparing a hasty guillotine for Frank. While some inside the club believe the manager has contributed to their attacking woes by consistently tinkering with personnel, they’re willing to give the Dane time to put things right.
Frank’s players, meanwhile, would like to see less emphasis placed on nullifying opponents and greater empowerment of their own strengths. Against Arsenal, Spurs set up with the sole intention of disrupting the league leaders’ rhythm and had little chance of getting back into the game after falling behind to Leandro Trossard’s clever finish in the opening period.
They were simply outclassed on the pitch, with Frank outmanoeuvred by Mikel Arteta on the touchline. Eberechi Eze‘s hat-trick meant the defeat stung just that little bit more for Tottenham supporters.
Wednesday’s trip to Paris Saint-Germain represents a free hit for Frank in terms of result, but a braver performance is a necessity ahead of a suddenly significant Premier League clash with Fulham on Saturday. Should Spurs’ woes on home soil continue this weekend, then Frank may already find himself in serious trouble.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Is Thomas Frank Already on the Hot Seat at Tottenham?.
