Thomas Frank was unlucky but had to go - now there's only man to be next Tottenham manager

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If Thomas Frank wanted confirmation his Spurs race was over even before the announcement was made, he just needed to look at social media where there was a swell of opinion that wanted a 78-year-old owner of a fancied Cheltenham Gold Cup runner to take his job.

Yes, in some quarters, there appeared to be serious suggestions that Harry Redknapp should come into Tottenham Hotspur for the rest of the season, after Frank’s misery was ended. Redknapp has not managed a Premier League game in over ELEVEN years. Redknapp won only nine of his last 48 matches as a Premier League manager.

Redknapp last won a Premier League game as manager in December, 2014. Those Redknapp suggestions - and even some ex-players joined in - had to be a joke.

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Redknapp last won a Premier League game as manager in December, 2014. Those Redknapp suggestions - and even some ex-players joined in - had to be a joke.

But Frank would not have been laughing. The bottom line is that the domestic performances and returns of his Tottenham team pretty much demanded the Dane be sacked.

In the history of the Premier League, no Spurs manager - with more than five games at the helm - had averaged fewer than Frank’s 1.12 points per game (29 from 26). And the form was getting worse, having failed to win a Premier League game in 2026, and having won only two of their last 17.

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But while it has been clear for some time that Frank and the Spurs fanbase were not going to hit it off, he can point to factors beyond his control as playing a part in his failure to last the season. From the moment James Maddison ruptured his ACL in a pre-season game against Newcastle United, Frank has had to deal with a procession of injuries to key players.

The cumulative number of games missed by important performers has been freakish. And it is fair to say fortune has not always fortuned Frank.

There have been shocking spells of Premier League form, which have been hard to excuse. Four draws and four defeats in the eight Premier League games of 2026 tells its own story.

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But look behind the scores. The losing goals in the defeats to Bournemouth and West Ham were both conceded in the 90th minute. For half an hour of the loss at Old Trafford, Spurs were the better side and then Cristian Romero did what Cristian Romero does. After his dismissal, they lost 2-0.

In the 2-2 draw at Burnley, they were by far the better side but home keeper Martin Dubravka was inspired. They battled back to draw 2-2 with Manchester City and even before this dismal period of results, Frank experienced games when the players were in self-destruct mode.

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