‘I fear for him’ – Thomas Frank future in doubt amid behind-scenes update at Tottenham
Thomas Frank’s future at Tottenham is increasingly uncertain due to the impending exit of Fabio Paratici, according to Simon Jordan.
The Tottenham sporting director Paritici appears set to leave for Fiorentina just two months after returning to his Spurs role in an official capacity. That came following his return from a FIFA-imposed ban over his role in the previous accounting scandal at Juventus.
In the mean time it was believed Paritici was operating in an advisory capacity towards Daniel Levy, who himself was then suddenly removed as Tottenham‘s executive chairman in September.
Jordan has cast doubt on the suitability of the current set up at Spurs, with Johan Lange as co-sporting director alongside Paratici at present and Vinai Venkatesham as CEO, claiming the situation constitutes “the blind leading the deaf”.
Meanwhile, Frank‘s job has repeatedly been called into question amid struggles on the pitch, with Tottenham’s defeat at home to Liverpool last week leaving the club 14th in the Premier League table.
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Simon Jordan doubts Thomas Frank future at Tottenham
Speaking live on talkSPORT in reaction to the news over Paratici’s potential departure back to Serie A the former Crystal Palace owner, and friend of Levy, Jordan expressed his fears for Frank.
He suggested the Dane would be have brought in from Brentford in the summer based on the decision-making of Levy and Paratici, so with both soon to be gone and what he sees as an unsuitable leadership structure left behind it could spell future issues for the manager.
Jordan said: “Whatever people think of Daniel, and I think quite highly of him, he was a leader. There were definite structures in place under his guidance.
“I feel a bit sorry for Thomas Frank. I think Thomas Frank would have been brought in under the auspices of Daniel and Paratici, and they’re both no longer gonna be there, I suspect. I think Paratici is most likely to go, and then I think you’ve got a series of number twos in terms of the abilities to run businesses…
“It creates an unstable environment and I think it’s not ideal for Thomas Frank to be in that environment.
“Not because I think he should be given a pass because I think top managers are gonna have to learn to stand on their own two feet.
“But I don’t think it’s the environment and the support structure that is ideal for him, and I fear for him in that environment because I’m not entirely sure that the new thinking is as appropriate for the wellbeing of Tottenham as people would like to believe it is.”
Frank sack could become inevitable
Frank still has the time to turn things around at Spurs as three or four positive results on the spin would settle matters on the pitch for him.
The team itself is at least ostensibly within his control, even if he does seem to be in a one step forward, two steps back situation.
For every apparent bit of progress, be it Xavi Simons shining in the win over Brentford, or Cristian Romero delivering a genuine captain’s performance in the draw at Newcastle, there are soon set-backs that tip the side back into trouble – for instance, both were sent off in defeat against Liverpool and will be suspended.
Back-office concerns are out of Frank’s hands, however, and while the club and the Lewis family appear to have been making all the right noises about giving him time to build that will always be finite.
It only takes a run of form to get a bit too ugly, or the clashes with the fanbase a bit too toxic, and the powers-that-be could soon decide the Dane was the decision of characters that are already gone so he might as well follow.