Spurs have a potentially obvious interim manager eyeing up the job should Thomas Frank lose against Newcastle United.
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Tottenham Hotspur face another big week of football action with a huge decision to be made should the club fall to another Premier League defeat against Newcastle United on Tuesday night.
Spurs host Eddie Howe’s side in front of a home crowd as they look to bounce back from the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. The North London outfit sit just six points above the relegation zone in 15th place and could fall to 16th by the end of Tuesday, should the Magpies win and Leeds United get a positive result at Chelsea.
Thomas Frank has been under pressure for weeks with murmurs of a potential sacking never truly going away. The team’s Premier League form is a real worry as teams beneath them pick up momentum and there is now further cause for concern off the pitch.
Cristian Romero red card points to worrying Tottenham Hotspur problems under Thomas Frank
Club captain Cristian Romero attacked the club’s fitness problems publicly on social media last week. Frank tried to play that down prior to facing Manchester United, wanting to quash the problem by telling reports it had been solved ‘internally’.
The centre-back then lost his head and lunged into a tackle on Manchester United star Casemiro on Saturday, receiving a red card for the reckless challenge. It’s the latest moment that points to a potential lack of respect towards Frank from the players.
It’s a crunch time in the season and, should Tottenham Hotspur lose to Newcastle United, the potential of a serious relegation dogfight cannot be laughed at. Leeds United are regularly getting results, Sean Dyche has lost just one of his last six at Nottingham Forest and West Ham have turned the corner under Nuno Espirito Santo.
A midweek defeat to Newcastle United would be enough reason to part ways would Frank. Should Spurs do that, the appointment of an interim manager seems blindingly obvious.
Spurs must take inspiration from Michael Carrick uplift at Manchester United
Manchester United had seen the morale uplift that can come with a young, ambitious boss who knows the club well in Michael Carrick. Spurs have the same opportunity with Robbie Keane.
The 45-year-old is currently in charge of Hungarian club Ferencváros. Keane won the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024 and followed it up with a Hungarian league title in 2025.
While those achievements may not be comparable to the Premier League, it does show a manager capable of getting the best from a group of players at his disposal and an ability to do that quickly. Ferencváros have also punched above their financial weight in the Europa League under Keane.
It’s a promising budding management CV and, combine that with 306 Spurs appearances, it’s a prospect that offers much reason for excitement - a feeling hard to find at Tottenham right now.
What’s more, it seems certain that Keane would accept the job. The former striker was asked about potential Spurs interest last week and, while he did the respectable thing of re-affirming his commitment to Ferencváros, the Irishman spoke in detail about his love for the club.
Robbie Keane responds to Tottenham Hotspur links
The Spurs legend said: “I think it’s impossible to not be aware of anything these days, to be honest, especially when you have two kids who are Tottenham fans. Thomas Frank is a very, very good manager. He has just started there. A lot of stuff gets written, even when I was a player about going somewhere, going to different places. It goes over my head. I’m concentrating on what I’m doing.
“I think it’s nice that your name is there. Who puts it there? I have no clue. I think it shows you that I’m doing okay. To be even put there, again, I don’t even know, is it just the bookmakers? I have no clue how it works. I’m obviously aware of it, but I’m happy here.
“I mean, you can’t be at a club for that long if it doesn’t. That’s natural. It’s a fantastic club, unbelievable training ground and stadium. It’s amazing, of course, as we all know. And really good players, good squad of players. Yes, we’ve got a lot of injuries, but it’s certainly a place that I always look out for.
“As I said, my two boys are Tottenham fans. They’re always watching, and of course, like me, I watch every game anyway, regardless of Tottenham or anyone. It’s a wonderful football club, and I’m sure there’s no doubt that they’ll be back to where they belong.”
Keane even used the word ‘we’ when referring to Spurs’ injury problems. While he may be committed to his current cause, the chance to boost his reputation in an interim Premier League role just like Carrick would surely be too big an opportunity to turn down.
In other news, Next Tottenham Manager Odds: Ex Man Utd, Chelsea and Brighton bosses could succeed Thomas Frank.