Tottenham Hotspur have discussed alternative options to Thomas Frank, as the club’s hierarchy consider whether to sack their head coach.
Frank is still hoping to be in charge of Tottenham’s next game, at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but his position is under serious threat after the 2-1 defeat at home by West Ham United on Saturday.
Frank is due to take training on Monday, which will be open to the media for 15 minutes from 2.15pm, and then attend his usual pre-match press conference with a player at 3.30pm.
But club sources would not confirm on Sunday evening whether Frank would be fulfilling those duties at their Hotspur Way training ground, and even if the 52-year-old Dane is given the game against Dortmund, his future will still be in doubt. Tottenham’s next match after that is away to Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
The lack of clear alternatives to replace Frank mid-season is believed to be part of the club’s dilemma, especially as there is a danger the wrong appointment could push Spurs closer to the relegation zone. They are 14th, ten points above 18th-placed West Ham after the defeat on Saturday, and interim appointments at the club have not gone well in recent seasons.
Ryan Mason lost three of his seven matches in charge as caretaker manager in the 2020-21 season, including the League Cup final defeat by Manchester City. His second stint in the role, in the 2022-23 season after Antonio Conte’s departure, was not much better and followed Cristian Stellini’s brief interim tenure, which was cut short after a 6-1 defeat by Newcastle United.
John Heitinga would be a possible candidate to take over temporarily but the 42-year-old, who has managed Ajax and was an assistant to Arne Slot at Liverpool last season, was only brought in as Frank’s assistant last week. Frank helped choose Heitinga after being impressed by his record working with individual players, including Mohammed Kudus at Ajax.
Heitinga joined as Frank’s assistant last week. The West Ham defeat was his first game on the Spurs bench
ALEX MORTON/SHUTTERSTOCK
In terms of permanent replacements, some of the more attractive options will not be on the market until the summer.
Xabi Alonso is keen on a move to the Premier League but the recently sacked Real Madrid head coach is understood to want a rest and will consider any offers from June. Mauricio Pochettino has made no secret of his desire to return to Tottenham but will be in charge of the USA at the World Cup. Andoni Iraola has always tried to see through his contracts and his Bournemouth deal expires in the summer.
Spurs have been determined to give Frank time and the club are sympathetic to some of the factors making his job more difficult, such as a lack of leadership and experience in the squad, injuries to attacking players and upheaval in key positions off the pitch.
But Tottenham’s poor results and the anger directed at Frank by supporters has left him under huge pressure, less than seven months after he was appointed as Ange Postecoglou’s successor.
Spurs have won only three of their past 15 games while Frank’s 1.2 points taken per game is the worst record of any permanent Tottenham manager since Christian Gross, who was sacked in 1998.
Alonso is available but unlikely to jump straight into a new job after his departure from Real Madrid
GSI/ICON SPORT VIA GETTY IMAGES
Tottenham fans turned on Frank after the final whistle on Saturday with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, while Frank was also booed whenever he became clearly visible on the pitch. It felt pointed that Spurs supporters chose to applaud the players at the end of the game.
One fan was also videoed confronting Vivienne Lewis, Tottenham’s managing director, from the Lewis Family Trust, which owns the club, after the match. The fan appeared to say: “Viv, sell up, you’re not investing in the team. The squad’s rubbish, the manager is rubbish.” Lewis briefly seemed to engage with the fan before walking away.
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Lewis was sitting in the stands during the game, next to Vinai Venkatesham, Spurs’ chief executive. Venkatesham has been patient with Frank, although he issued a message to supporters before the game against West Ham, with Frank mentioned only once, when he referenced the addition of Heitinga to his staff.
On the team’s performances, Venkatesham said: “We all feel the gap between where we are and where we want to be, and while we know progress takes time, we share your impatience to close it. Our supporters want wins and performances to be proud of, and we know the men’s first team has fallen short of where we want to be so far this season.”