Inside Frank’s downfall after eight-month struggle at Spurs

Tottenham‘s decision to sack Thomas Frank was made almost immediately after Tuesday night’s loss to Newcastle.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, in conjunction with sporting director Johan Lange, made the call – one the club had been reluctant to make.

But the sorry state of Tottenham’s season meant not even Frank’s biggest advocate could disagree with the decision.

Early on Wednesday morning, Venkatesham made the recommendation to the Lewis family – the club’s ownership – to dispense with Frank.

In recent weeks a furious fanbase have directed their ire towards the Lewises amid a widely held belief that supporters’ views about Frank were not being listened to.

According to conversations with those closely connected with the ownership, that was not the case – and the Lewis family were attuned to the widespread discontent from Spurs fans.

Of course, it would have been harder not to notice given the ferocity of ill feeling towards the Dane in recent weeks.

But given they effectively handed the running of the club to Venkatesham when appointing him chief executive last summer, it is fair to say the ownership have not sought to intervene – feeling a decision should be made ‘on the ground’.

So, when the recommendation from Venkatesham to terminate Frank’s employment arrived in the hours after the loss to Newcastle it was accepted immediately by the ownership board, who formally approved the decision.

All that was left was for Frank to be officially informed of his departure – a formality that took place on Wednesday morning in a meeting between the manager, Venkatesham and Lange.

Frank’s appointment in June was welcomed at the time as a shrewd move.

He had done a superb job at Brentford to, firstly, earn promotion from the Championship and then, crucially, consolidate their position as a Premier League club.

But he lasted just eight months at Spurs amid player indiscipline, a split executive team and doubts over his tactical approach.

Frank was intent on implementing a positive culture at Tottenham – having done so at Brentford – which was one of the factors behind the decision to appoint him as Ange Postecoglou’s successor.

There have been instances, however, when Frank’s efforts to build respectful working conditions for his players and staff were tested.

Towards the start of his reign, Frank dropped a player from Tottenham’s starting XI after the squad member reported late for a pre-match meeting and then did not apologise for the indiscretion.

However, after being removed from the team the player did later apologise.

The way Frank handled apparent threats to his authority ultimately impressed some players, who liked the fact there were consequences for below-par behaviour.

An example came when Yves Bissouma was left in London for August’s Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain because of persistent lateness.

In recent days, meanwhile, Frank had no intention of stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy despite the defender’s social media outbursts against the club or his red card against Manchester United.

Romero is said to be more difficult to manage around the club’s training centre, and it is claimed some players felt the Argentine has been afforded preferential treatment.

When Micky van der Ven and Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake Frank’s hand after the home loss to Chelsea, the manager defused the situation by insisting the players were simply «frustrated» before later revealing they had apologised.

There was always a sense Frank put his players before his own agendas. Certain members of the squad certainly appreciated that.

But that is not to say he left a positive impression on all of them.

In the opening weeks of his reign, some players are believed to have found Frank indecisive.

They were used to Postecoglou’s big personality – although the Australian had become increasingly isolated during his final months in charge.

There were consistent reservations about Frank’s tactical approach, too: concerns he was not assertive enough in matches and was too focused on adapting to the opposition rather than imposing Spurs’ own strengths.

That image of Frank will do little to dispel the narrative the Tottenham job was simply too big for him.

Concerns over Frank’s appointment have been lingering for months.

One leading executive recommended the Dane should be sacked after the 2-1 home defeat by Fulham on 29 November – Tottenham’s third-straight loss after reversals to Arsenal and PSG.

Former Brighton head coach Roberto de Zerbi – who was managing Marseille at the time – was also pushed as a potential replacement.

But that recommendation was rejected with the club continuing to put their faith in Frank.

It is interesting that the club’s leadership group, led by Venkatesham, stuck with Frank for as long as they did.

The Dane’s appointment was ultimately led by Daniel Levy – Tottenham’s divisive former executive chairman who unexpectedly departed after 24 years in September.

While Venkatesham was involved in the execution of the deal that took Frank across London, the groundwork was completed in advance of the CEO joining last summer.

With Levy gone, it appeared the easiest decision for Venkatesham would be to sack Frank given the increasing vitriol towards the head coach from fans.

But for Venkatesham, it was not as simple as that, despite the fact he knew it could increase his popularity.

For starters, Lange – who played a key role in Frank’s identification as a leading candidate – was a close ally of his Danish compatriot.

However, it is also true to say Tottenham’s former co-sporting director Fabio Paratici, who has since joined Fiorentina, was not overly convinced Frank was the best man for the job.

But there is also a sense during the post-Levy era at Spurs that after years of chopping and changing managers they would benefit from a period of stability.

Venkatesham saw first-hand at Arsenal what sticking with a manager when there are calls for his head can do for a club in Mikel Arteta, who has since established the Gunners as one of the best teams in Europe.

Likewise, there was a belief from within Tottenham’s hierarchy that Frank had been dealt a rough hand given the campaign has been disrupted by injuries to key players.

There is also recognition that the squad needs repair work – particularly considering the departures of their two main sources of goals in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson has also left – although that was down to Frank deeming the Wales attacker was no longer part of his plans.

There is also a sense Tottenham’s squad is lacking in leadership. It was why they signed England midfielder Conor Gallagher and tried to land Andy Robertson – both of whom have vast Premier League experience.

Ultimately, the foundations of Tottenham’s faith in Frank were irreparably shaken after the home loss to relegation-threatened West Ham on 17 January.

Sources have suggested Spurs were close to ending Frank’s reign after that defeat, which was attended by members of the Lewis family – Vivienne Lewis was confronted by an irate fan after the match.

Champions League victories over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt bought Frank some time – but the loss to Newcastle extended Tottenham’s winless league run to eight matches and proved to be the Dane’s last.

Venkatesham and the club’s new leadership team will now be tasked with making their first appointment.

It remains to be seen whether they seek an interim manager with a view to appointing a permanent boss in the summer, or want a full-time choice immediately.

There is certainly consideration behind the scenes to the interim option given how drastically the managerial landscape will change in the summer.

One option until the end of the season could be John Heitinga, who joined Tottenham as an assistant coach last month. The former Netherlands defender managed Ajax this season and was part of Arne Slot’s Premier League title-winning coaching staff at Liverpool.

For the long term, the most obvious development will be the potential availability of Mauricio Pochettino after the World Cup.

The USA head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to Tottenham one day – and supporters have made no secret of their wishes for him to return.

It seems like a perfect match. But Spurs will have to wait until after the World Cup to appoint Pochettino.

Even if it is not Pochettino, the likes of Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva will be available for nothing in the summer.

Other World Cup coaches including Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann may also be obtainable.

So there is sense in buying time until the summer. Equally, however, the recent availability of De Zerbi, who left Marseille on Tuesday night, may interest Spurs.

De Zerbi is viewed as someone who can hit the ground running, a trait Tottenham could do with given their spiral towards the relegation zone.

Yes, he can be combustible. But if Spurs are looking for an instant impact, the Italian could fit the bill.

Sources are indicating Tottenham want an appointment in place by the time the players arrive back on Monday after a pre-planned five-day break.

Amid on-field troubles, there have also been off-field rumours for the club’s hierarchy to deal with – amid persistent rumblings Spurs could be sold.

This is despite it being reinforced to staff that Tottenham are not for sale. That correlates with public messaging despite industry rumours the Lewis family are open to selling.

Former Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley has been heavily linked with a continued interest in Tottenham despite a statement in September that she does not intend to make a formal offer for the club.

Other consortiums, including groups from the USA, have also been linked with an interest in purchasing Spurs, while there were reports last week that Levy was looking at selling his stake in Tottenham after his departure.

Combined with the results on the pitch and the changes off it, it has been an uncertain time.

For now though, all the attention is on the dugout and how Tottenham replace Frank.