Thomas Frank is “under intense pressure and facing growing calls for his sacking” at Tottenham following his recent comments.
According to former Tottenham and Manchester United senior scout Mick Brown – who remains closely connected to both clubs – patience with Thomas Frank is rapidly fading. Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Brown said supporters are growing increasingly frustrated after Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, which further intensified scrutiny on the manager’s job, especially with many fans angered by his tactical approach.
After the loss, Frank referenced the short time he has been in charge and last season’s 17th-place finish as explanations for the current struggles, but those comments have not convinced many. Even though Ange Postecoglou’s side endured a disastrous Premier League campaign last year, using that as justification for today’s poor form has been poorly received.
Brown previously told Football Insider that a significant portion of the fanbase has turned on Frank, viewing it as a worrying sign for his long-term prospects. With extensive experience working alongside top-level managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Brown stressed that Frank must start taking responsibility for Tottenham’s recent issues.
“He hasn’t helped himself,” Brown said. “At some point, he needs to accept accountability. He can’t keep avoiding the problems by blaming what happened last season. That’s over now – the focus has to be on the present.”
He added that supporters were particularly upset with the nature of the defeat to Arsenal, insisting that the team’s failure to compete was down to the manager’s setup rather than last season’s shortcomings. Brown warned that comments like Frank’s only increase pressure and risk alienating the fans, which would make his situation even more difficult. Still, he believes there is time for Frank to turn things around if he focuses on the immediate challenges.
Despite rising frustration in the stands, Football Insider reported on 13 November that Frank continues to have the backing of the Tottenham board. The club intends to remain patient and allow him more time to implement his ideas after only a few months in the job since arriving in the summer. A separate update on 11 November stated that Spurs remain confident he can reverse their poor form.
Frank is currently balancing Champions League commitments with expectations to keep Spurs near the top end of the Premier League table, and the pressure is on him to deliver.
Frank has to adopt a system of play that will bring out the best in his players. That we have not seen so far. Richarlison is clumsy, but a good target man in the box. However, there has been a dearth of inviting crosses for him to attack. What surprises me is that many of the players are not moving into open spaces or dragging their opponents away and thus creating gaps in the opponents defence, when we are in possession. Hence you see very few forward passes and we are unable to make headway into the opponents defence.