Football365

And so the Tottenham hierarchy bring an end to everyone’s fun by putting Thomas Frank out of his misery.

The former Brentford boss has been sacked after a disastrous eight months in charge. Tottenham are 16th. That’s the Tottenham who have a 60,000 seater stadium. That’s the Tottenham who have the seventh-highest wage bill in the Premier League. That’s the Tottenham who not too long ago were considered amongst the challengers for the actual Premier League.

You did not have to have Derren Brown-esque levels of mind-reading to see this decision coming. But why now?

Tottenham have been awful for ages. They are winless in the last seven. In the past 17 league matches, Tottenham have won just two. In the statement announcing his exit, Spurs said they were determined to ‘give him the time and support needed to build for the future’ but surely they had realised long ago they were backing the wrong horse.

In many ways, Frank just seemed completely unsuited to a job of this level. Results that might have been ignored as a Brentford boss were now being dissected in front of an international audience.

He also never seemed to grasp what it means to be a manager at a ‘big’ club and him drinking from an Arsenal cup then dismissing it as nothing sums up how his logical thinking failed to match the often illogical thinking of fans of elite clubs.

Frank will likely land on his feet somewhere, either at another mid-size Premier League club or on the continent, but he is not the only one to blame for this mess.

He left the security of a well-run club like Brentford to the absolute bonfire that is modern Tottenham. The club had just won a European trophy but were on the other side of an existential crisis as to whether they should sack the man who guided them there.

Some Tottenham fans’ love for Ange Postecoglou meant Frank joined a club where some were not welcoming of a new man in charge, and he did very little to ever get them on his side.

The Tottenham squad is also incredibly average. Who would realistically be picked by one the top clubs in the league? Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven are perhaps the only two but even they can go missing.

The top candidate to replace Frank is Mauricio Pochettino after the World Cup which, if appointed, will be an admission of a complete failure from the board to move the club forward.

MORE ON SPURS ON F365

* Who will be next Tottenham manager now Thomas Frank is sacked? Poch? De Zerbi? Xavi?

* Frank sacking means Howe has claimed consecutive Spurs manager scalps

* Thomas Frank is just like Keir Starmer; not bad men but playing a bad hand badly

The Argentine was blessed with the best Tottenham squad in years but that level of quality should have been the standard going forward. Instead, Spurs’ apathy towards progression has resulted in regression. In October 2017, Spurs smashed Liverpool 4-1 at their adopted home of Wembley. In January of the following year, Liverpool purchased Virgil van Dijk while Spurs stood still.

Pochettino’s era ended with a man who looked exhausted. One whose squad had become stale and not rejuvenated by signings.

Having had a philosophy of bringing in exciting young talent, Spurs’ desire for silverware saw them move in a different direction and appoint a trophy-winning specialist in Jose Mourinho but ask any of Chelsea, Inter or Real Madrid and they will tell you that Mourinho only works if he is given the players he wants – something Spurs did not do.

The same can be said of Antonio Conte who eventually replaced Mourinho on the other end of a Nuno Espirito Santo cameo that seems like a dream now. Conte, a man who has won pretty much everywhere he has gone, produced one of the best rants of all-time after a 3-3 draw at Southampton seemed to push him over the edge.

In his place, Spurs needed an injection of optimism so brought in Ange Postecoglou – who did win a trophy – but his gung-ho approach was woefully exposed. They thought Frank would be a smart appointment but he has suffered a similar fate.

None of these managers fit because Tottenham have placed themselves in their own shackles. The well-publicised wage structure that was built on bonuses rather than a base salary simply meant the best players went elsewhere. Tottenham have spent money but none of their signings would be considered the best of the best, players that every top club wanted. Their top summer target of Eberechi Eze would probably have started every game for them but is now stuck on the bench at rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham’s window to kick on came and went with Pochettino. The year they came close to winning the league should have been the year that the board took off the shackles, spent money which they quite clearly had and allowed the club to break into the upper echelons and stay there. Instead, they thought they would survive with what they had and have found that standing still is as bad as stepping backwards.

The last time Tottenham were good was the tail end of the ‘have or have not’ eras in the Premier League. Sure there are some clubs that can spend more than others now but these days, everyone is flush with cash meaning you can no longer just spend your way out of trouble.

So what next for Tottenham? An interim before a Pochettino appointment in the summer seems likely but how will anything be different? The Premier League is too competitive these days to think that a ‘big six’ club can simply return to the top end of the table. Spurs’ chance to become part of the established elite has come and gone.

Tottenham’s stadium and location in London make them like to think of themselves as an elite club, but other than the presumably very nice cheese rooms, what makes them elite? One trophy in the past 17 years is not elite level. Spurs’ inclusion in the proposed European Super League showed just how much of a joke that idea was.

Pochettino may well come, he may well win enough games to convince the board that they were right all along, but things will not change.

It is a club that was left to fester and the rot has well and truly taken hold.

Thomas Frank has been sacked as Tottenham head coach after they lost 2-1 to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening.

Spurs lost for the 11th time this season on Tuesday night as Newcastle United beat them in a largely dominant display from the Magpies in north London.

Tottenham‘s winless run in the Premier League has now been extended to eight with Spurs 16th in the table and in genuine relegation trouble if they keep losing.

Frank’s side have just one win in 11 Premier League fixtures ahead of their biggest game of the season against Arsenal in 11 days time, which they won’t be expected to win.

There were more chants of “sacked in the morning” coming down from the stands against Newcastle with the Tottenham players were booed off at the end.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has revealed that Tottenham ‘have sacked’ Frank and Spurs are now ‘working through a few contingency plans’.

READ: Who will be next Tottenham manager now Thomas Frank is sacked? Poch? De Zerbi? Xavi?

Before Tottenham later confirmed the story in a statement, which read: ‘The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.

‘Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.

‘Throughout his time at the Club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the Club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.’

But Frank told reporters that he wasn’t fearing the sack after losing to Newcastle, he said: “I’m convinced I will be [in the dugout against Arsenal].

“I understand the question, and I understand it’s easy to point on me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone.

“If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows – directors, ownership, and me – what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”

Frank added: “I am also 1000% sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this, with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing.

“But I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.

“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here, not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs, that have lost their head many times.

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* Thomas Frank actually was ‘sacked in the morning’ by rebellious Spurs!

* Premier League sack race: Who’s next after Thomas Frank sack?

* Frank sacking means Howe has claimed consecutive Spurs manager scalps

“You need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together.

“That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We’ve got to get through this.”

The Tottenham boss continued: “We are in a position we don’t want to be in, and we are working very hard day and night to change.

“I also think it is a situation [with injuries] now the club has been in for almost two years, and at the end of last season as well. Clearly it’s a pattern that we struggle to manage Europe and the Premier League.

“It’s something me, the team, the club, the players, we need to learn to do even better physically and mentally to deal with that.

“And part of that, of course, is the 11 injuries or 10 plus a suspension plus another one today [with Wilson Odobert], which of course doesn’t help in a situation like that.

“The injuries need to be massively taken into consideration. I haven’t really said it too much, but everyone can see the impact of things.”

Thomas Frank has now been sacked by Tottenham after poor performance and loss of support; will the same thing happen to Keir Starmer?

Send your mails to theeditor@footbal365.com

Frank must go

The first 45 minutes was probably one of the most horrific I’ve ever watched at home and he’s served up quite a few of them. He has to get the most deserved sack ever.

Dave, Winchester, Spurs

READ: One reason Thomas Frank and other doomed managers won’t be ‘sacked in the morning’

Is Thomas Frank just like Keir Starmer?

Spurs fan here. Watching us lose to Newcastle, I was struck by the similarities between Thomas Frank and Keir Starmer as PM. Both are clearly on their last legs, having lost support of the supporters. Both, for all their faults (and they are many), are not bad men. Both were dealt bad hands which they proceeded to play badly. Both have given the impression of reacting to events rather than ever being leaders in control. Worse options than both wait in the wings, which is not to say their performance has been satisfactory.

And in both cases, the question lingers. Who, given current circumstances and realities, would do a better job?

Sam

Even Newcastle fans not impressed

Good result, but I doubt I’ve ever seen a less satisfying victory. I blame Spurs, who are kinda trash.

Chris C, Toon Army DC

No Big Six anymore…

At what point can the footballing media, analysts and those that drive ‘the narrative’ have the serious conversation about what the Big Six is in the top flight of English football?

As Tottenham Hotspur surely cannot be in that equation any more.

Ali, Ealing

(Big Six is not the top six; it’s the six clubs with by far the biggest revenue and thus power – Ed)

Grift time

Is Immediate Onset Alopecia a thing?

Ant MUFC (incredibly bored of the grift)

READ: Carrick commits sackable offence with absolutely fine Manchester United draw

…Seeing we’ve only drawn and hearing the word “haircut” is like hitting November and finding out LadBaby have come up with another sh*t sausage roll pun…

Lewis, Busby Way

Man Utd should try shooting hard

I have repeatedly stated that teams like Man United should learn to change tactics and strategies during individual matches. This approach has been missing in United’s efforts for some time now.

Outstanding Managers like Sir Alex, Wenger, Ancelotti etc. do it all the time. Some Managers even go further to change formations when the match is in progress. United continue to play the same way even when they are losing and it appears clearly that whatever they are doing is not working.

A case in point is our match against West Ham. West Ham played with a simple, strategic plan. Five defenders strongly protecting their goal area, sitting a bit deep but ready to launch counter attacks when they were able to do so. United style was to try to dribble and pass the ball in and around the opponent’s box, even though the box was packed. Few shots and occasional attacks from the wings were the order of the evening for United.

Unfortunately, no changes in their attacking approach were initiated. For example, United should have delivered strong, powerful, on target shots in and around West Ham’s packed box. Powerful shots have the potential to result in goals in three ways: first, the ball can sail straight into the net. Secondly, it can take a deflection, catch the keeper off guard and yield a goal; and thirdly the goal keeper can fumble and one of our players can tap it in.

It is becoming increasingly imperative for United to amend their style, approach and tactics during matches to neutralise the antics of the opposition. In particular, they must aim to produce powerful shots when the opposition box is congested, instead of trying to walk the ball into the net.

Professor (Dr) David Achanfuo Yeboah

…And just like, all the idiots claiming for Michael Carrick to take charge permanently off the back of a few wins, we’re shut up immediately as his side struggled to break down world beaters West Ham.

We need a manager in the summer who can get this team able to play different teams and not just those who are susceptible on the counter.

Ashmundo

Refereeing inconsistency and all that

Watching the highlights from last night’s games, I thought about refereeing decisions that were made and wondered if the rules for modern football are fit for purpose.

First example was the disallowed goal scored by Casemiro which was correctly (as the law stands) disallowed for being offside. That said, only Casemiro’s kneecap was offside, and you really have to ask whether the offside rule is really fit for purpose in an environment where VAR can check offsides with such precision.

I doubt many people will truly feel that being a kneecap in front of the defender is a serious advantage, so what is the offside rule really trying to achieve? If we don’t want to see Wenger’s Daylight rule introduced, maybe some other way could be found to implement the spirit of offside – to stop goal hanging – that balances the spirit of “level is onside” with intersected toes and kneecaps.

And now to referees. In the Chelsea game Gusto very clearly pulled on Gudmundsson’s shorts. This was looked at and deemed not a penalty despite very clearly being a foul. No doubt Harry Maguire will tug someone’s shorts next game and give away a penalty for exactly the same thing, which is maddening.

Inconsistency aside – and really when VAR is being used to look at events this should be picked up on – there is the cliche that outside of the box this would definitely have been given. So is the problem that penalties are too valuable? This is a large reason why a lot of people think some penalties, like those for the pushes on João Pedro, as ‘soft’.

What we mean when we say soft is that technically it’s a penalty but we think the punishment is too harsh. I suspect there is tacit admission amongst referees in decisions they don’t give where they fail to give penalties for clear fouls because a penalty is nearly a guaranteed goal and the foul was marginal. Like for pulling shorts. In which case, do penalties need to be re-evaluated and the rules changed to make them feel less disproportionate? Just an idea.

Daniel, Cambridge

Slot out

First of all, playing your best midfielder as a defender, shows you do not care about results. There is a lot of defenders on the club’s books, but he keeps on doing it.

Secondly, his excuses or press releases are the same every time and do not provide answers or solutions, only highlighting the issues we are having.

Thirdly, he does not have an idea how to correct what is wrong now and will never have.

Kenneth, YNWA

…The downfall of Liverpool is simple. You don’t need to be a Jamie Carragher or a rocket scientist to figure it out. The whole plan was to move away from what actually made Liverpool champions. Stop using Salah as the main point of all Liverpool attacks, and using Ekitike and Wirtz. Simply watch every single game and, if you have a football brain, you’ll see and notice how blatantly clear it is.

Unfortunately, for that very reason, it is why they won’t sack him. He has sold that bullshit to the hierarchy, and they have bought it hook, line, and sinker. A world-class player like Salah doesn’t become crap overnight, but he too knows his Liverpool days are numbered and has basically thrown in the towel.

Haaland is going through the same crap at City, simply check his numbers for the season but the difference is with the manager. Do you here any rubbish noice about him at city or in the papers?

Unlike Pep, who is taking a methodological approach, Liverpool’s bold piece of crap, whose claim to fame of winning the league basically off the back of Klopp’s team, thinks he has all the answers.

What will save this idiot’s job will not be in the boardroom, but egos and saving face of people in the boardroom. It’s the fans that need to stop acting like fools and start behaving like real fans, and start acting and voicing their displeasure at Anfield. Even if it means revolt.

If you want, I can also tighten it stylistically or make it read more like an article or rant column—but I’ve left it untouched beyond corrections.

Brit Fan

Odd how Liverpool fans have come around…

Interesting mailbox contributions from a few Liverpool fans today.

You have to smile when ardent fans of whoever finally, and inevitably, admit what others have been telling them for months is actually broadly right. This isn’t an “I told you so” smugagram either – I get plenty wrong too, just a gentle suggestion that a few of you probably shouldn’t be quite so blindly invested in/defensive about anything and everything your club does.

It is possible to hold more than one thought/view at the same time. I do find it endlessly fascinating that there is a certain section of support, pretty much exclusively attracted by some, not all, but some, of the bigger clubs, who just will not accept that there are things their club/players/manager do which are dumb/wrong/entirely their fault. Until, if course, it becomes impossible not to do so.

I’m sure some properly qualified people have studied this before, but my guess is it boils down to extreme escapism and the mistaken belief that they are actually part of their club of choice (identity fusion, apparently, along with a large dose of cognitive dissonance). Maybe I have an unhealthy slice of nihilism, but I can’t imagine a world where the fortunes of my club matter enough to get animated about, certainly not to the extent that many of you do here.

Your owners do not give a single shiny shite about you other than as cash dispensers, some of your players are gash, some are ace, refs are pretty much all shite, but bar the exceptions that prove the rule, but they are not plotting against you, etc, and so on. Oh, and calling players by their first names, or worse, nicknames you have assigned them, like they’re your mate from the boozer, is deeply, deeply, weird.

RHT/TS x

Pundit fatigue via Gogglebox

The mail from Tim McKane struck a chord with me. His comment about Gary Neville’s initial presenting style compared to now, 10 years later, reminded me of recently watching an episode of Gogglebox.

I was a fan of the show, but I have not watched it for about 4 years now. What struck me was that it was still more or less the same cast of characters, watching the same shows and making the same jokes. Obviously, it’s not their fault; what they watch on TV is fairly limited, and Channel 4 picked them because they want people who are authentic in their reactions, and you can only react authentically to the same thing so many times without repeating yourself. It’s the same with pundits. Once you’ve been in the job long enough to create your own ass-groove on the sofa, you’re going to start to become repetitive and start reaching for grander hyperbole to elevate your analysis. I don’t include commentators in this; good ones are hard to find, and the best get better with age.

Tottenham have reportedly scheduled crunch talks before the North London Derby as head coach Thomas Frank tells the board not to lose their heads and sack him.

Spurs lost for the 11th time this season on Tuesday night as Newcastle United beat them 2-1 in a largely dominant display from the Magpies in north London.

Tottenham‘s winless run in the Premier League has now been extended to eight with Spurs 16th in the table and in genuine relegation trouble if they keep losing.

Frank’s side have just one win in 11 ahead of their biggest game of the season against Arsenal in 11 days time, which they won’t be expected to win.

And now our friends at TEAMtalk have claimed that Tottenham sources ‘have refused to rule out’ Frank being sacked after their defeat to Newcastle.

A source told the website: “Things are not good, it was toxic tonight. The club do not want to make the change, they really don’t, but you can’t rule it out at this point.”

READ: Worst-ever Spurs manager Frank surely to be sacked, Chelsea let Palmer down, Bournemouth find gem

It is understood that ‘talks are scheduled before the derby with Arsenal’ and Frank’s sacking ‘cannot be ruled out’, although TEAMtalk stressed that it is unlikely at this stage.

There were more chants of “sacked in the morning” coming down from the stands against Newcastle with the Tottenham players booed off at the end.

But Frank isn’t fearing the sack, he told reporters: “I’m convinced I will be [in the dugout against Arsenal].

“I understand the question, and I understand it’s easy to point on me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone.

“If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows – directors, ownership, and me – what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* One reason Thomas Frank and other doomed managers won’t be ‘sacked in the morning’

* Real Madrid ‘decide’ to sign Spurs star as Liverpool man ‘ruled out’; deal hinges on two conditions

* Five next move options for Arne Slot after inevitable Liverpool sack include Spurs, Real Madrid

Frank added: “I am also 1000% sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this, with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing.

“But I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.

“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here, not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs, that have lost their head many times.

“You need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together.

“That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We’ve got to get through this.”

The Tottenham boss continued: “We are in a position we don’t want to be in, and we are working very hard day and night to change.

“I also think it is a situation [with injuries] now the club has been in for almost two years, and at the end of last season as well. Clearly it’s a pattern that we struggle to manage Europe and the Premier League.

“It’s something me, the team, the club, the players, we need to learn to do even better physically and mentally to deal with that.

“And part of that, of course, is the 11 injuries or 10 plus a suspension plus another one today [with Wilson Odobert], which of course doesn’t help in a situation like that.

“The injuries need to be massively taken into consideration. I haven’t really said it too much, but everyone can see the impact of things.”

Tottenham Hotspur sources have refused to rule out Thomas Frank leaving the club before next Sunday’s North London derby with Arsenal, we can reveal, with a plan over the short, medium and long-term direction of the club already being formed

Tottenham placed huge trust in Frank when they appointed him last summer as Ange Postecoglou’s successor, but the Dane is now under severe pressure after a disastrous run of form. Since taking charge, Spurs have won just two of their 13 home games, a record that has alarmed senior figures and left the fanbase increasingly hostile.

The atmosphere reached breaking point on Tuesday night as Spurs were booed off at half‑time and full‑time during a 2–1 defeat to a badly out‑of‑sorts Newcastle United.

One club source present at the game told us: “Things are not good, it was toxic tonight. The club do not want to make the change, they really don’t, but you can’t rule it out at this point.”

Spurs sit only five points above the drop zone, and while insiders insist they do not consider themselves part of a relegation fight, they admit the current situation cannot continue.

As previously revealed by us, CEO Vinai Venkatesham has been Frank’s strongest defender, repeatedly pushing back against calls from elsewhere in the hierarchy to make a change. But even his support is being tested as results worsen and pressure intensifies.

We can now confirm that talks are scheduled before the derby with Arsenal. A change is not expected at this stage, but sources stressed that Frank’s removal cannot be ruled out, especially if discussions reveal a lack of confidence in his ability to steady the team.

The next few days will be critical. Spurs do not want upheaval before facing their fiercest rivals but the situation has deteriorated to the point where every option is now on the table.

Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Thomas Frank responds to sack talk

When asked after the Newcastle game if he will stay in charge, Frank responded: “1000 per cent sure. I am also 1000 per cent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing, but I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.

“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together. That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me, and that is the fans.

“We’ve got to get through this!”

My colleague, Fraser Fletcher, revealed on Monday that the situation has hit ‘breaking point’. If Frank is sacked, assistant boss Johnny Heitinga is a candidate to take over until the end of the season while Spurs search for a permanent replacement.

Sources confirmed to Fletcher last week that Mauricio Pochettino has greenlit a spectacular return to the club.

Roberto De Zerbi is another potential target, especially after his departure from Marseille.

Tottenham news: £52m Germany target; elite star offered

Meanwhile, we revealed in January that Spurs are pursuing Borussia Dortmund star Felix Nmecha, and there has now been an update.

Not only have German newspaper Bild confirmed our reporting, they have also taken the story further.

This is the season of Premier League bosses being told they’re ‘getting sacked in the morning’. Thomas Frank has bucked the recent trend at Spurs.

It is a particularly close-run sack race in mid-February of a season in which six managers have already left their posts.

Under-pressure Brighton manager Hurzeler was told by his own fans he’d be getting “sacked in the morning” over the weekend.

And Frank was treated to a rendition of that particular chorus after another Spurs defeat left them 16th and three points above the relegation zone, before actually being sacked the following morning.

That has gone against recent trends. This is vitally important research which takes into account every coach fired since the start of last season, based on when the club statements confirming their departures landed, to see whether they really were sacked in the morning after all.

Ruben Amorim – sacked in the morning

The decision was probably made around the time of the acerbic meeting held between Amorim and Jason Wilcox the previous Friday, which itself was held after a damaging home draw with Wolves a few days before.

But Amorim was informed of the mutually necessary removal from his Manchester United post during the morning of January 5, which was relayed publicly by the club at 10:08am.

The draw with Leeds at Elland Road looks like a passable result in isolated hindsight; what would transpire over the next few hours from Amorim’s press conference onwards was so unexpected that no-one even sang about his impending morning-based sacking.

Enzo Maresca – NOT sacked in the morning

It took Chelsea 12 hours and 18 minutes of 2026 to dispense with a manager, which is pretty good going even for them.

Maresca was the first ever Premier League coach to be sacked on New Year’s Day, concluding a curious three weeks or so of unexplained cryptic public comments and rising internal tensions.

Having seemingly made it his early resolution to force the collective hand of the Stamford Bridge suits by picking passive-aggressive fights with the medical staff and overseeing a poor run of results and performances, Maresca made it until just after lunchtime of the first day of January.

Vitor Pereira – NOT sacked in the morning

How embarrassed the Wolves supporters who informed Pereira of his dawn departure must be that the confirmation actually arrived at 12:24pm the following day.

They had, to be fair, warned the Portuguese that he would be Sacked In The Morning during the two games immediately before that decisive Fulham defeat in November, when Wolves fell to Burnley and Chelsea at Molineux.

“Two months ago they sang my name, because together with the work we did last season, we are competing in the Premier League and not Championship. Now they sing my name to sack me,” Pereira bristled at the time after seemingly offering some of the fans out.

He cannot have been particularly surprised when they mocked him again as he went over to apologise for a 3-0 thrashing at Craven Cottage in what was ultimately his farewell.

Ange Postecoglou – NOT sacked in the morning

It ranks among the shortest manager sacking statements ever at 39 words, with the shy and retiring Evangelos Marinakis not even quoted as the club decided to ‘make no further comment at this time’.

The call came at 2:42pm, within 20 minutes of a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground to which the travelling support kindly issued a Sacked In The Morning backing track.

Postecoglou must have been used to it by that point. Arsenal fans chanted it in literally his first game and it was ringing around St James’ Park during his seventh.

Hell, by the end of his sixth of eight in charge it was the Forest supporters themselves who called for Postecoglou’s head, which the Australian naturally put down to “just the climate we’re in” rather than him literally proving incapable of winning football matches.

Graham Potter – sacked in the morning

“I didn’t hear anything but I understand the frustrations. People are entitled to their opinion,” Potter pretended after the West Ham fans joined a Sacked In The Morning chorus led by Crystal Palace supporters at the London Stadium during a 2-1 home defeat on September 20.

West Ham did not play another game for nine days but waited seven before bringing to an overdue end the Potter experiment at 10:35am on a Saturday.

Nuno Espirito Santo – sacked in the morning

In perhaps the most Sacked In The Morning a manager has ever been, Nuno was officially relieved of his duties at about quarter past midnight on September 9.

It had been the most open of secrets long before then as Nuno actively took on a ‘furious’ Marinakis and new Global Head of Football Edu to the point he did seem to want to be pushed instead of walking.

His quest to relegate Forest as manager of a resurgent West Ham does not feel like a coincidence.

Ange Postecoglou – NOT sacked in the morning

Having spent most of the second half of an abandoned Premier League season being told by opposition supporters that he would be Sacked In The Morning, Postecoglou rose above it to lift the Europa League trophy come May.

Then he was sacked at 5:05pm on a random Friday just over a fortnight later because Spurs cannot have nice things.

Ivan Juric – NOT sacked in the morning

A day after securing the earliest relegation in Premier League history, Juric was asked to pack his bags and leave the St Mary’s premises. Quite what delayed it until 12:15pm is a mystery.

Sean Dyche – NOT sacked in the morning

With preparations well underway for their FA Cup tie against Peterborough at 7:45pm that evening, Everton allowed Dyche to oversee a morning training session before sending him on his way at 4:34pm.

Leighton Baines had just over three hours to compose himself on “a difficult day” which at least ended with the Toffees beating ‘Fergie’s killjoy nepo baby’.

Julen Lopetegui – NOT sacked in the morning

Lopetegui might have sensed something was up when his pre-match afternoon press conference before an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa was cancelled, even if he did take training in the morning.

The Spaniard was said to be ‘furious’ with how it all played out up to his official departure at 3:15pm; he should arguably have simply won more than six of his 20 Premier League games or not spent £40m on Max Kilman.

Russell Martin – NOT sacked in the morning

“You don’t even get sacked in the morning now, you’ve got to change your song mate!” said Postecoglou a few days after his Spurs side delivered the final blow to Martin at Southampton.

Barely 20 minutes after completing his post-match duties following a 5-0 hammering at home to Postecoglou’s men in December 2024, Martin had met his Saintly demise around 10:15pm.

He was then given the Sacked In The Morning treatment for most of his Rangers reign.

Gary O’Neil – NOT sacked in the morning

It was earlier that same day, around 12:55pm, when the axe finally fell on O’Neil at Wolves after a defeat at home to Ipswich.

O’Neil had declared that “the negative noise is always loudest” after being jeered off following a 4-0 humbling at Goodison Park ten days prior. Being 19th is pretty resounding too.

Steve Cooper – NOT sacked in the morning

There was little sense from anyone outside the executive boardrooms at the King Power Stadium that Cooper would be shown the Leicester door after a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea made it five games without a win.

Yet the news broke at 3:50pm the following afternoon that the manager who had the Foxes in 16th was being let go. For Ruud van Nistelrooy. Then Marti Cifuentes. Then a sustained fall into a Championship relegation fight for which Cooper would have been perfect.

Erik ten Hag – sacked in the morning

The meeting in which Ten Hag learned his Manchester United journey was being brought to a belated end, led by Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth, was said to be cordial, respectful and a direct contrast to the summit that ultimately put Amorim out of his misery.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has insisted that he will remain in charge of the Premier League giants after Tuesday’s loss against Newcastle United.

Spurs are facing the increasingly real threat of relegation from the Premier League as they are 16th in the table and only five points clear of 18th-placed West Ham.

The north London outfit slumped to another defeat on Tuesday night, deservedly losing 2-1 against out-of-form Newcastle United. They are now winless in eight Premier League games.

Therefore, Frank is incredibly fortunate to still be in a job, but he is currently the favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Speaking towards the end of the Newcastle match, Glenn Hoddle insisted Spurs “have to understand” that they are in a relegation battle.

“You’ve got to say what it is and they are in a relegation fight. The players have to understand that and the fans have to understand that,” Hoddle said.

READ: Worst-ever Spurs manager Frank surely to be sacked, Chelsea let Palmer down, Bournemouth find gem

“It is the reality and you have to scrap for every single point.”

Post-match, Frank valiantly insisted that he will “keep going” as he is “convinced” about his future.

“Yeah. I am convinced I will be. I understand the question,” Frank responded when asked whether he thinks he will keep his job after the loss to Newcastle.

“It is easy to point on me but it is never only the head coach, ownership, players or staff. It is everyone.”

He added: “Everyone knows what position we are in and what we need to improve on. That is what we are working hard on.

“I also think there is a lot of studies that show it is not the right thing to do.

“The only thing I am focused on is fighting. We of course understand we are not in a good situation. But with everything in life, you need to stay calm and keep going.”

He continued: “1000 per cent [I expect to remain in charge]. I’m also 1000 per cent sure I didn’t expect us to be in the position we are in with 11-12 injuries.

“There are a few before me up here at Tottenham and many other clubs that have lost their head. I have to stay calm. We have to get through this together.”

Frank also suggested that Tottenham’s injuries, suspensions and “pattern” over two years is behind their ongoing woes.

“I understand the fans’ frustration. It’s a position they don’t want to be in. We are working day and night to try and change,” Frank said on fan boos after ‘sacked in the morning chants’ from home supporters.

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“It’s a position the club have been in the last two years. The pattern is the club are struggling to compete in Europe and the Premier League.

“Part of that is to eliminate injuries and suspensions which doesn’t have. We face a Newcastle team that has struggled a little bit lately. But I think they were more on top first half and then we came back into it well.

“The second goal is a bit symbolic of our season.”

Peter Crouch has predicted the scores as Man Utd take on Tottenham and Liverpool face Man City in the Premier League this weekend.

The Red Devils host Thomas Frank’s Spurs as the Man Utd look to make it four straight wins under new interim head coach Michael Carrick on Saturday.

Man Utd have moved themselves up to fourth in the Premier League table under Carrick as they eye Champions League football next season, while Tottenham are 14th with their last league win coming on December 28.

And Crouch reckons Man Utd will emerge victorious from the Premier League clash at Old Trafford at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

Previewing the match on the That Peter Crouch Podcast, the former Tottenham striker said: “It’s big for Spurs to have Solanke back but I’m not sure if he’s injured for this game.

“Regardless of whether Solanke is in or not… if he’s in, it makes it a lot better because I think Tottenham are a better side with someone up top like that.

READ: Pep Guardiola makes NINE ‘hopeful’ demands as third Eddie Howe ‘sack decision’ made

“The Tottenham fans haven’t been over the moon with how it’s going at home have they, let’s be honest.

“Michael Carrick has got the bounce at the moment and that’s why I think it will be a Manchester United win, personally.”

When asked for his prediction, Crouch replied: “I’m going to go with 2-0 to United.”

Liverpool have been having a poor season in the Premier League with Arne Slot’s side currently sixth after winning their first match in six league matches last week.

On their match against second-placed Man City on Sunday, Crouch predicted: “This is always a tough one, isn’t it? I’d like to go for 2-2 because it’s been working for me and I can just see it.”

He added: “I’m going to go with Hugo Ekitike to score first.”

On Liverpool in general, Crouch continued: “I thought Liverpool did well on the weekend [against Newcastle]. Florian Wirtz looked sharp and Ekitike.

“Do you know what Ekitike’s second goal reminded me of? It reminded me of peak Fernando Torres at Anfield, where he slows people down and then bursts.

READ: Are Man Utd being fooled by Elliot Anderson’s energy over excellence?

“I remember Torres doing that to Rio [Ferdinand] a couple of times, where he slowed him down and then bang, gone with the pace, outside the right foot. It reminded me of him.”

On facing Man City, Liverpool boss Arne Slot said in a press conference on Thursday: “Well, I mean [what] you remember is that a game we played over there in the first half we were completely outplayed for large parts, not for a complete 45 minutes, but for large parts. It’s another moment for us to see where we are in the development of this team.

“That, of course, being said, we also know the importance of a result on Sunday but that goes for all the 20 teams that are playing this weekend in the Premier League.

“It’s the end phase of the season so results matter more and more. [They are] a very good team that were even able to win yesterday against the team [Newcastle United] that we beat during the weekend not even with their starters.

“That tells you combined with the game we played against them what a force City still is and always will be.”

The comeback against Manchester City over the weekend showed the Tottenham players “are still playing” for Thomas Frank amid pressure on his job, according to former Everton CEO Keith Wyness.

Spurs have been in good form in the Champions League with three wins in their last three matches, including a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt last week, to secure their qualification for the last 16.

However, it has not been the same story in the Premier League with two wins in their last 15 matches in the league and Frank’s side find themselves 14th in the table.

Despite failing to win at the weekend against Man City, Tottenham showed fight to come from two goals down to grab a point against the Citizens, thanks to two goals from Dominic Solanke.

And Wyness thinks the character they showed to come from two goals down shows that the Tottenham players are still fighting for Frank, who is under pressure.

Wyness told Football Insider: “I don’t think they’re out of getting a European place by any means yet. I think they could still challenge for that and that would be acceptable, I think, to the Spurs fans, and they see some growth coming back.

READ: Five players with Prem experience who can be signed now, including ‘wonderful’ forward Klopp ‘lied to’

“But Frank got that second half out of them and that did surprise me. I mean, like everybody, I was writing them off at 2-0 down, but the comeback certainly showed me that the players are still playing for Frank, and so I think, look, it’ll settle down at Spurs. We’ve got to, I hate using the excuse of injuries, but in this case, it is such a long list.

“It is unique in terms of that depth that I’ve seen for many clubs. So I give them the benefit of that and I understand a bit more why they haven’t gone further in the transfer window. I think the kid from Hearts is one for the future. He may be a young talent, but I don’t expect him to get much time.

“Still, look, Spurs, I think, are going to be OK as the players come back. But we’ve got to look at the timings of that, and then I think that everybody will start to ease off and things will calm down at Spurs.”

READ: Are Man Utd being fooled by Elliot Anderson’s energy over excellence?

Former Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood can’t see Frank losing his job before the end of the season as Spurs would have “sacked him by now”.

Sherwood said on Sky Sports: “If they haven’t sacked him by now, they won’t.

“They don’t want to sack Frank. They’ll give him to the end of the season, and who knows?”

New Tottenham Hotspur forward James Wilson has been told that he deserved “better” than a move to the Premier League side in January.

One of the more surprising deals in the winter transfer window came as 18-year-old Wilson left Scottish side Hearts to join Spurs. This is a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer.

The teenage striker is regarded as a big talent for the future and has already been capped at senior level for Scotland. He has eight goals and three assists in his 45 appearances for boyhood club Hearts.

On deadline day, Arsenal were the first Premier League club to register their interest in landing Wilson, though he ended up at Spurs after they moved to the front of the queue for his signature.

Now, Hearts manager Derek McInnes has explained why he thinks Wilson was wrong to choose to join Spurs.

“James wanted to go, that has to be said. So you don’t want to keep a player who then becomes unhappy,” McInnes said.

READ: Ranking £138.4m worth of January signings by how excited we are for their debuts

“His head was turned with the Tottenham thing. First of all it was Arsenal, then Arsenal went quiet and then all of a sudden Tottenham came to the table yesterday [Monday] afternoon.

“I don’t think it’s the right move for him. Ultimately, it’s academy football and I think he’s better than that, but it was something James wanted to do.

“I couldn’t guarantee him minutes, such is the way it’s been. I told him and his agent knew that our preference was for him to stay, fight for your place, be part of something.

“Get a loan in Scotland if need be, if you need to top your minutes up, and we can maybe recall you so you still get the best of both worlds.

“He made the decision and I hope it goes well for him because he’s a great kid and we’ll see how it plays out.”

Tottenham’s only other signings in January were Conor Gallagher and Souza, though they were heavily linked with Raheem Sterling, who is a free agent after leaving Chelsea.

Pundit Paul Merson has explained why he thinks Spurs need to sign Sterling on a free transfer.

“They need players in. Thomas Frank and Tottenham have been unlucky with Solanke, Kulusevski and Maddison all out,” Merson told Sky Sports.

“I would bring Sterling in. I think it’s a no-brainer on a free transfer. I really do.

“You don’t want to start bringing every Tom, Dick and Harry in to try and stay up.

“They just need one or two players in and get their players fit.”