Thomas Frank and the Tottenham carousel that just won’t stop spinning
In today’s Football Daily: Thomas Frank is out, baby
TO DARE IS TO DO ONE
“The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men’s head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” droned a club statement posted at 10.17am on Wednesday, confirming that Frank had been sacked in the morning. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary. Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Frank leaves Spurs only five points above the relegation zone and in the not-entirely-implausible scenario that Nottingham Forest beat Wolves by 12 clear goals later, they will go into their next league defeat – at the hands of Arsenal – positioned just one place above the trapdoor. In his final TV appearance as head coach of the club, he signed off a post-match interview with TNT Sports by treating his dogged inquisitor to a side-eye glare of such withering disdain and scorn, it’s a wonder the reporter didn’t melt on the spot like the evil Major Toht at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Spurs are now hunting for their seventh permanent manager since Frank first walked through the doors at Brentford in 2018. It is a carousel that shows no sign of slowing, even if the music has stopped playing. While the club are no strangers to an interim appointment, the precariousness of their Premier League position means they can’t afford to coast until season’s end. The Ryan Mason bat-insignia seems unlikely to be beamed into the night sky over north London following his unsuccessful spell at West Brom-in-crisis, while romantics pining for the temporary return of the vibesman that is Harry Redknapp are likely to be disappointed because Tottenham’s next Bigger Cup match clashes with the Cheltenham Festival, where the 78-year-old will have several nags runnin’ abaht.
Despite being left scarred by the last volatile Italian they employed on a full-time basis, Spurs are currently being linked with the former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi who – as luck would have it – has just consciously uncoupled from Marseille. A one-time contender for the gig who apparently didn’t fancy working with the now departed chief suit Daniel Levy, employing the Italian would constitute a risky punt for a club hierarchy muddying their spats in the field of recruiting a head coach for the first time. Ideally, they might prefer to wait and see who’s available come the inevitable end-of-season and post-Geopolitics World Cup managerial churn. In the meantime, one suspects Vinai Venkatesham could put the club mascot Chirpy The Cockerel in charge of the first team and the reception he’d receive would be less hostile than that recently afforded to Frank.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Sarah Rendell at 5.45pm (all times GMT) for Women’s Bigger Cup updates on Leuven 0-2 Arsenal, then Tim de Lisle will be on hand at 7.30pm for a Premier League clockwatch, with Scott Murray bringing you updates on Sunderland 1-2 Liverpool at 8.15pm.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We think the baby will hopefully come before the weekend. He’s a young man, over here with his partner, it’s been a big upheaval for him, but he showed such a maturity and scored another important goal for us. He’s done ever so well for us and is a bit unfortunate not to be starting the games. It’s a busy time in his life, an important period in his life, and he’s going to become a dad, which is brilliant for him” – Derek McInnes showers Tómas Magnússon with praise after the Hearts midfielder jumped off the bench to score a late title-race-boosting winner against Hibs despite dealing with the distraction of impending paternity leave.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
In these inclement times few clubs have been as badly hit as Dundee United, with the condition of their Tannadice Stadium pitch having caused several postponements to matches due to waterlogging and flooding. (Cue the traditional jokes about the Dundee United captain after the coin toss for ends at the start of a match, ‘We’ll start with the deep end’.) The most recent announcement on the club’s website about further possible delays to today’s fixture against Aberdeen includes the puckish sentiment (hopefully as a knowing pun): ‘While there is currently no plan for a pitch inspection, this remains a fluid situation ...’ Well, what else indeed?” – Ken Muir.
Max Maxwell’s letter (yesterday’s Football Daily) was a wonderful read but I kept waiting, in vain as it turned out, for ‘jumpers for goalposts’. Wasn’t it?” – Andy Stiff.
Re: the Manchester United fan growing his hair – should he just pray for going bald? And if that does happen, will he follow his club’s greatest player Bobby Charlton with the combover to end all combovers?” – Darren Leathley.
So yesterday my team, Leicester City, heaped more misery on us beleagured fans by somehow contriving to snatch defeat from the jaws of a three-nil lead against Southampton, going down 3-4. I don’t normally condone meltdowns by characters such as Ian Holloway, Frank Doberman (aka Harry Enfield, referenced in yesterday’s edition) and historically, one Sir Alex Ferguson. But in this instance I’m tempted to request that all three gentlemen attend the next Foxes training session, fully armed with telephones, pot plants, irons and other assorted household items. These to be bombarded at the hapless team, before unleashing a large portion of expletive-laden vitriol. It would make me feel better, at least” – Rod de Lisle.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Rod de Lisle. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
It’s Max Rushden and the pod squad on the sorry Spurs spiral.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Revealed: Spurs paid £6.7m to bring Thomas Frank and his staff from Brentford. Oof!
Pep Guardiola has insisted Erling Haaland – who has scored more than 40 goals for club and country this season! – should not put too much pressure on himself to constantly score for Manchester City.
As mentioned above, Roberto De Zerbi has been mutually consented through the Marseille door marked Faites-en Un in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing by PSG.
Stop all the clippers, don’t cut off the barnet: Manchester United’s winning run is over.
Cristiano Ronaldo was again absent from the Al-Nassr squad for their AFC Champions League Two clash at Arkadag in Turkmenistan, but was pictured training in Riyadh, so make of that what you will.
Liam Rosenior was a bit miffed after Chelsea let a two-goal lead slip at home to Leeds. “Six minutes of switching off,” roared Rosenior. “We have to make sure we are switched on for 90 minutes. As simple as that.”
And if you thought Rosenior was angry after Chelsea let a two-goal lead slip, here’s how interim Leicester boss Andy King felt about that 4-3 home defeat by Southampton (mentioned above) after being three up at the break. “It was one of the worst halves I’ve seen in the history of football,” he fumed. “How can you lose 4-3 when you are 3-0 up at half-time?”
SUPER NEWS
Would the last member of the European Super League please turn out the light? After Barcelona pulled the plug last week, that duty was left to Real Madrid. Florentino Pérez perhaps considered the concept of pitting Los Galácticos against each other or even finding a Washington Generals to his Harlem Globetrotters. Instead, the jig is up. “Uefa, the European Football Clubs [EFC, the sole, independent body representing football clubs within Europe] and Real Madrid CF reach an agreement for the good of European club football,” droned a joint-statement from Real Madrid and Uefa. That closes the prospect of a $4bn legal action, and puts the whole, sorry spectacle to its deserved end. Until next time …
STILL WANT MORE?
Where did it all go wrong for Thomas Frank? And why did it go so wrong so quickly? David Hytner has the answers.
Barney Ronay says Benjamin Sesko’s sidled finish to save Manchester United at West Ham was a further good sign for Michael Carrick at the wheel.
And the Knowledge this week includes the lesser-spotted perfect hat-trick of assists, and the highest combined value substitutions. May include Real Madrid content.
MEMORY LANE
10 May 1986: A fan gives her thumbs up for Everton despite carrying a Liverpool-supporting teddy bear around with her before the Merseyside derby FA Cup final. The cuddly friend went home happiest, with Liverpool winning 3-1.