Tottenham have endured a disappointing start to the season under Thomas Frank, and former midfielder Jamie O'Hara has made a damning assessment of the manager's reign
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara has suggested Thomas Frank may be out of his depth at the club after a difficult start to his reign in North London. The ex-Brentford manager replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer but has struggled to make his mark.
Spurs have managed just five victories, three draws and five losses from their first 13 Premier League fixtures. Sunday's 2-1 home defeat to Fulham marked their third loss in seven days, after setbacks against Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
The way Frank's team collapsed against the Cottagers was particularly concerning. They shipped two goals in the opening 10 minutes through glaring defensive mistakes, and could have conceded far more.
Mohammed Kudus gave Spurs brief hope in the second period with a stunning strike to pull one back. However, it proved insufficient to rescue a point, as the visitors managed to cling on for victory.
Taking to social media platform X following the defeat, O'Hara questioned whether the manager is equipped for such a demanding role. He also identified three key issues behind the team's poor form.
"I'm starting to think the job is too big for Thomas Frank," he posted. "But our recruitment has been so bad; these players just aren't good enough and most of them are way off it. Big problems."
In a bid to bolster their squad, the club secured permanent deals for Xavi Simons, Kudus, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso and Kota Takai, while Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani were brought in on loan.
However, the failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Ebere Eze was a significant setback for the club's top brass. Both players seemed set to join at various points over the summer, but the deals fell through at the last minute due to different issues.
Nottingham Forest were left disgruntled when Gibbs-White's release clause was activated, with the England international eventually renewing his contract at the City Ground. The attempt to sign Eze was thwarted at the eleventh hour by fierce rivals Arsenal.
Now, Frank's team are bracing themselves for another challenging series of matches in the run-up to Christmas. They're set to face Newcastle United midweek before the gaffer squares off against his old club Brentford for the first time.
Following games against Slavia Prague and Nottingham Forest, they'll also be hosting Liverpool next month. With their Premier League form inconsistent, and the Champions League posing a difficult challenge, Frank's hope of winning a trophy this season may lie entirely in the FA Cup.
Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle. Premier League teams will enter the FA Cup in the third round draw.