Tottenham Hotspur have announced the departure of Thomas Frank, with the club already assembling a shortlist of potential successors.
The Danish manager was sent packing following Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United, marking Tottenham’s 11th Premier League defeat of the season.
That result left Spurs rotting in 16th position on the log, just five points above the bottom three. Keen to avoid getting drawn into a relegation battle, Tottenham have decided to switch things up in the dugout.
The decision was recommended by chief executive Vinai Venkatesham shortly after the final whistle. He spoke with the club’s majority owners, the Lewis family, and the move was approved.
Tottenham were previously willing to give Frank time to turn things around, particularly with the club dealing with an alarming injury crisis.
Spurs had up to 12 players unavailable for the Newcastle clash due to injury and suspension.
There was an understanding that the situation made Frank’s job more difficult, but the club still felt that performances on the pitch had not improved enough.
With results worsening and confidence dropping, they believed it was time to act.
John Heitinga among the options being considered to replace Frank
Frank still believed he wasn’t in danger of losing his job even after the Newcastle defeat.
“I’m convinced I will be,” he said when asked if he would still be in position for the upcoming North London derby against Arsenal.
“I understand the question and I understand it’s easy to point on me but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone.”
He also claimed to be “1,000% sure” he had what it took to turn things around despite having the worst win rate of any Tottenham manager since Mauricio Pochettino.
However, Tottenham have now decided to move in a different direction, and former Ajax manager John Heitinga is among the options being considered to replace Frank.
The Dutchman was brought in as assistant coach last month and took first-team training on Tuesday morning. Tottenham could decide to give him the job on an interim basis.