Premier League: Frank in a perilous position at Spurs

Now that the October and November Premier League managers of the month have been fired from their positions at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, the December winner Unai Emery must surely believe/hope that the award curse trend ends now.

Now, Ruben Amorim and Enzo Maresca falling on their swords had more to do with behind-the-scenes disagreements rather than their form in the league, so it can’t be ruled out that third-place Emery could follow suit, however unlikely it seems now.

Realistically, the favourite now to win the 2026 sack race is Thomas Frank, the latest incumbent with the poison chalice role that is being the manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

How things change. When Frank left Brentford at the end of last season his star was rising high. Indeed, the fear for the future was firmly focussed on Frank’s replacement, Irishman Keith Andrews. Frank had made his reputation for bringing the unfashionable West London club into the bright lights of the Premier League and flourishing with the glamorous sides of the topflight. No, the real fear, nay, the expectations were that Andrews would struggle to maintain the high standards set by his Danish predecessor.

What unfolded was the direct opposite. Andrews, with the help of his fellow Irish players Nathan Collins and Cork goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, have thrived in their new positions in the Premier League heading into this weekend’s matches lying fifth in the table, just two points outside of the Champions League qualification spots.

To be Frank 

For Frank, the promise of the bright lights at the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a job in a ‘big club’ is starting to dim significantly. Spurs, by comparison, enter the weekend league action in 14th place, after winning just one of their last seven matches and are also coming off a disheartening home exit in the FA Cup third round at the hands of Aston Villa. An earlier exit from the Carabao Cup means that the North London giants are now only really playing for Premier League respectability and the very outside hope of winning the Champions League.

To add to the pressure he’s under, Frank has not been blessed with much good fortune, with striker Richarlison suffering a hamstring injury in the Villa game. While in the past week, Spurs have also lost Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, and Rodrigo Bentancur to muscle issues.

In such a situation, it may not be surprising that rumours are starting to circulate that the Spurs board are looking for Frank’s replacement. But on Match of the Day, after the Villa defeat, Frank believed he still has the club's backing.

Indeed, the arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for £35m can be seen that the board are still backing the Frank project (for now at least) with the signing of such a high-profile player to shore up their midfield.

Frank now has four games which will surely shape his future – first at home to struggling West Ham and at Burnley in the Premier League before hosting Borussia Dortmund and then heading away for a testing trip to Eintracht Frankfurt in the now very vital Champions’ League group games.

Who's next

If he fails in this endeavour, well the names for his replacement are already circulating. Among those mentioned are some of the usual suspects and a couple of interesting prospects.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has his name regularly tossed into the mix whenever there’s speculation at a bigger club. The Spaniard has without question done wonders on the tight budget of The Cherries drawing attention from elsewhere, but one wonders is Bournemouth his level and Spurs may just be too big to digest?

Of course, the aforementioned recently fired coaches of Ruben Amorim and Enzo Maresca are now in the mix and I’m sure they would love the challenge and revenge of making Spurs a successful operation. Maybe it comes too soon for either man, but it would be interesting to see.

Xavi has been named to fill the roles at Chelsea and Man United already and will no doubt pop up at Spurs if Frank departs. The former Barcelona coach has been out of work since leaving Barcelona at the end of the 23/24 season and said he’d be interested in a Premier League option. Spurs might suit perfectly.

Former Spurs legend Robbie Keane is also in the mix. Success at his roles in Israel and Hungary have raised his managerial profile but is it enough to take the big step into the Premier League management?

Some of the favoured names among the bookies are Marco Silva at Fulham and Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, who look like they reached the pinnacle of what they can do at their current clubs and may wish to take on the much bigger challenge. Glasner it was announced (yesterday)  leaves at the end of the season but that may be more for the Man United job than Spurs.

Out of nowhere the new favourite is Xabi Alonso. Recently departed from Real Madrid he certainly would be a big-name acquisition for the North London job. He knows the Premier League and still has his reputation after the short but damaging stint at Real. But would Alonso maybe hold out for the job that would certainly be closer to his heart at Anfield. But an Arne Slot revival may make that a desire too long to wait for making Spurs a more inviting prospect.

It's all academic anyway until Frank is really gone at Spurs, but those testing Champions League games may just hasten events dramatically.