Talk is growing about Thomas Frank’s future at Tottenham Hotspur. Recent games suggest the relationship between the manager and his squad is falling apart. Mick Brown, a former senior scout for both Tottenham and Manchester United, spoke exclusively to Football Insider.
Thomas Frank Faces Increasing Pressure at Tottenham Amidst Player Unrest
He revealed that key players in the Spurs dressing room don’t back their manager’s ideas right now. This gap was clear to see during Tottenham’s recent 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. That result came right after a disappointing exit from the FA Cup in the third round.
Brown still has plenty of contacts inside the game. He saw that Spurs managed to pull a goal back in the second half against Villa. Even so, the overall performance showed deep-seated problems. He pointed out that the club originally sacked Ange Postecoglou to fix a leaky defence.
However, the squad is now struggling to deal with Frank’s organised, no-nonsense style. According to Brown, the players should take most of the blame. They simply aren’t showing up when it counts. He argues that blaming the manager is the easy way out.
The truth is that the big stars just aren’t performing. Unless the players buy into Frank’s methods right away, Brown believes their lack of effort will force the board to fire him.
“I saw the game against Aston Villa, who were top-class in the first half.”
“In the second half, Tottenham worked their way back into the game and got a goal back, but Villa ultimately were able to see it through.
“But it did highlight a few issues Tottenham are having, and particularly with Thomas Frank.
“They got rid of Postecoglou because defensively they weren’t good enough and the tactics were borderline suicide, so they went and got Frank, who is the opposite.
“He likes his teams to be organised, methodical and pragmatic, but for that to work, you need all the players to buy into the manager and his style. I don’t think that’s happened.
“There are some big players in that side who aren’t giving consistent performances and aren’t stepping up when called upon in the tough periods. They’re not playing for Frank.
“If you want to blame somebody, it’s easy, point the finger at the manager. It’s the players who aren’t performing to the level that’s expected of them.
“Some of them have directly contributed to Tottenham’s issues, and if they’re not performing for the manager, things are never going to click.
“If the players don’t step up, for whatever reason, that may be if they’re not happy playing this way or whatever it is, that’s what will get him sacked.”
Who is to be blamed?
This whole situation shows that the club’s identity just doesn’t fit the manager’s tactics. Tottenham Hotspur fans always want attacking flair. However, the board hired Thomas Frank to bring order to the chaos left behind by Postecoglou. So, the tension we see now comes straight from the squad itself.
The club built this group for risky, attacking football. Now, they are trying to play a rigid, structured system. Frank clearly knows his tactics. Still, his playing style holds back the creative instincts of the players. These guys loved the freedom they had under the old boss.
So, the players deserve heat for their lack of professionalism. The recruitment strategy also deserves a look for putting together a group that doesn’t fit what Frank wants. If the stars keep giving up or looking bored on the pitch, they are ruining the club’s season.
Spurs as a board, don’t put up with long slumps. They care more about the value of their players than the manager’s job. History shows that the bosses act fast to protect their investment when a manager loses the dressing room.
Basically, Frank needs to spark a sudden and massive change in results and attitude. If he doesn’t, his time in North London will end early. This would leave Spurs looking for yet another coach who can fix the defence without making the football boring to watch.