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The Brazilian has added his goodbyes to the Dane after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday morning

Richarlison has thanked Thomas Frank for their time together at Tottenham after the Dane was sacked by the club on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old was relieved of his duties in the aftermath of Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle at home that ensured Spurs have only won two games in their past 17 in the Premier League and are hovering just five points above 18th-placed West Ham United in the table.

"The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men’s head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today," read a statement from Tottenham the following morning. "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."

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Richarlison enjoyed one of the longest stretches of availability in his injury-hit Tottenham career under Frank before succumbing to a hamstring issue last month.

The Brazilian posted on Instagram on Thursday the simple message: "Thanks mister for everything!!!"

His message follows on from other posts by Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha in the aftermath of Frank's departure from the club this week.

Porro posted an Instagram story that said: "Thank you very much and the best for your career boss! A pleasure."

Palhinha added in his story: "Thank you for everything coach!"

Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou gave his reaction to Frank's sacking while recording an episode of The Overlap podcast this week.

"Having been in that position now twice in the last six months, it's tough and you know that he can't be the only issue at the club, right? And that's probably for every manager but ultimately that's what we get judged on. But you know, it goes back to me, it's a curious club Tottenham, you know," he said.

"It's made a major pivot at the end of last year, not just with me but with Daniel [Levy] leaving as well and you've created this whole sort of environment of uncertainty, because there are no guarantees no matter which manager you bring in. I mean they've had world-class managers there that haven't had that success. And for what reason? You know, what was the reason for such a major pivot?

"So Thomas is walking in and what's his objective? What's the club's objective? At the start of the year they said 'compete on all fronts'. Well, the club hasn't competed on all fronts for a very long time.

"And the most influential person at the club for the last 20 years is also going. So if you're going to do such a major pivot, then you've got to understand there's going to be some instability there. Now, did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don't know. And it's a fair departure [in style] from me. I mean anyone who kind of studies the game will know that it wasn't like it was a progression for me.

"I built that squad for want of a better term, to play a certain way over the last couple of years and he's coming in. So it's a curious club Tottenham."

Ange Postecoglou has spoken out against Tottenham Hotspur in the aftermath of Thomas Frank being sacked by the club on Wednesday morning - and the Australian former head coach held nothing back.

Ange Postecoglou has highlighted an ongoing issue within Tottenham Hotspur by claiming that the club fail to follow their 'dare to do' ethos.

The 60-year-old lasted just two years with the Lilywhites before he was handed his P45 in June following a dismal 17th-place finish in the Premier League in 2024/2025. Despite a Europa League trophy landing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a month prior saving face in an otherwise dismal season, it wasn't enough to save Postecoglou's job.

Thomas Frank was appointed as the Australian's successor almost immediately, with hopes of replicating success from west London with Brentford in the north with Spurs. However, what followed was a lacklustre eight-month tenure which drew to a close on Wednesday - as Tottenham went eight league matches without a win with a 2-1 loss on home turf to Newcastle United.

In the wake of Frank's sacking, Postecoglou has spoken publicly about Spurs, highlighting exactly where things are going wrong for the once Premier League challengers who are currently caught up in a relegation battle.

Speaking on Stick To Football, Postecoglou said: "When you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is; 'To dare is to do'. It's everywhere.

"And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. Right. In terms of they, and, you know, whether you like or dislike them, give credit to Daniel [Levy] because that path has got a new stadium, new facilities, but taking a safe path.

"I think what they didn't realise that to actually win, you've got to take some risks at some point. And that's the DNA of the club."

When asked who exactly isn't taking the risks, Postecoglou bluntly added: "I never got that high up, mate. I don't know. I never had these conversations."

Elsewhere, Postecoglou also claimed that Spurs aren't acting like the 'big boys' that they are perceived as in terms of transfers at present, highlighting how their most bitter rivals in Arsenal are leaps and bounds ahead. he added: "I still felt like, you know, Tottenham as a club was saying, 'We're one of the big boys.'

"And the reality is, I don't think they are in terms of my experience over those last two years, of how they act. And you know, when Arsenal need players, they'll spend a hundred million on Declan Rice. I don't see Tottenham doing that."

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In a scathing recollection, Postecoglou also claimed that Spurs were reluctant to dig into their pockets and do business with established players. He added: "It's a real curiosity in terms of understanding what are they trying to build?

"Obviously, they've built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly, you know, their wages structure, they're not a big club. I saw that because when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players.

"Not a big club in terms of the wages that they pay. You know, I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said; 'If we're going to go from fifth to there, that's what other big clubs would do in that moment.'"

Tottenham are on the hunt for their next manager, with both interim and permanent hires being suggested, with former striker Robbie Keane among those listed as a potential target.

Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has said that he cannot help links with the managerial job at his old club, before walking out of an interview. The 45-year-old has been rumoured as a potential option to replace Thomas Frank, following his sacking by Spurs this week.

Keane is currently in charge of Hungarian giants Ferencvaros, who he joined in January 2025 as part of his next step into management after his playing career. That coaching career so far has included stints as an assistant for the Republic of Ireland, Middlesbrough and Leeds United, before taking the main head coach role at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

While he seems to be impressing in his stint at Ferencvaros so far, the possibility of a switch to Tottenham is one that may be looming large. Despite that, Keane moved quickly to dismiss rumours with a short and sharp answer when asked about the possibility of returning to N17.

A reporter asked: "Would you expect their invitation for you to become their manager?" Keane responded: "I can't help speculation," while shrugging his shoulders before walking away from the interview.

While it doesn't suggest he is interested in the job, the former Republic of Ireland international didn't take the time to totally rule himself out of the running by making a statement. For now, links surrounding Keane and the Tottenham job remain as one of a few options available to Spurs.

The former striker played over 300 games for the club over his playing career, scoring 122 goals with 43 assists in that time too. His move into management afterwards has had some early success, with a return to Tottenham offering a chance for someone who knows the club to stamp their identity on the team.

Regardless of Keane's position, it remains to be seen which route the Tottenham hierarchy are likely to take in their next appointment, however, with one of two strategies available ahead of them. The long-term option to replace Frank would be to find an interim manager willing to steer the team towards calmer waters to reassess the managerial landscape in the summer.

The other option surrounds a quicker appointment, with Roberto De Zerbi one of those currently out of work, while the club may be able to tempt a hire out of work they have elsewhere - such as Keane or Kieran McKenna. Fortunately for those at the top drawing up those plans, there is a bit of time on their hands.

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Tottenham aren't back in action for over a week, due to the team's early exit from the FA Cup opening a free weekend for the squad. It means they won't be featuring again until Sunday, February 22, when they have the tough task of taking on Arsenal in the North London Derby.

The immediate task of the next management team for this season will be to stop the winless run and to help turn things around. The gap to the bottom three sits at just five points, and that could have been worse if it were not for a late Manchester United equaliser against West Ham in midweek.

According to the BBC, Tottenham Hotspur would be open to an interim managerial appointment until the end of the season to help achieve that. Jonny Heitinga could be among the names considered for the role, following his recent arrival as part of the backroom team at the club.

However, it remains to be seen if he is the preferred candidate for that route, given his struggles at Ajax earlier on this season as the head coach.

Ange Postecoglou has delivered his reaction to Tottenham's decision to sack Thomas Frank with the club sitting just five points off the Premier League relegation zone

Ange Postecoglou has claimed he isn't surprised that Tottenham have made the decision to sack Thomas Frank and believes it's a "fair departure".

Spurs confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that Frank has been relieved of his duties following a drab run of just TWO wins in 17 matches in the Premier League.

Tuesday's 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United proved to be Frank's final game in charge, with the club sitting down in 16th in the table and just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Now, Postecoglou, who was sacked by Tottenham at the end of last season, has delivered his instant reaction to Frank's exit from north London. "It's always, having been in that position twice in the last six months, it's tough, it's tough," Postecoglou told The Overlap.

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"You know that he can't be the only issue at the club and that's probably every manager but ultimately that's what we get judged on. But it goes back to me, it's a curious club Tottenham.

"It's made a major pivot at the end of last year, not just with me but with Daniel [Levy] leaving as well and you've created a whole sort of environment of uncertainty because there's no guarantees no matter which managers you bring in because they've had world-class managers there and not had success and for what reason?

"What was the reason for such a major pivot, you know Thomas was walking in, what's his objective? What's the club's objective? At the start of the year, obviously to compete on all fronts but the club hasn't competed on all fronts for a long time. And also the most influential person at the club for the last 20 years is also going so if you're going to do such a major pivot, you have to understand there is going to be some instability there.

"Did Thomas know he was walking into that, I don't know. It's a fair departure from me, anyone who studies the game, it wasn't like it was a progression from me.

"I built that sort of squad for want of a better word to play a certain way for a number of years and he's sort of coming in and like we said, it's a curious club Tottenham."

Frank was appointed as Tottenham's new head coach last June after Postecoglou was axed despite ending the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

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Although Frank made an impressive start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winning four of his first six matches at the helm, the club's form has nosedived in recent months.

Since beating Everton 3-0 in late October, Spurs have won just two in 17 in the Premier League. It's a run that has seen them fall down in the table and with a genuine chance of dropping into the Championship.

Spurs sit five points clear of 18th-place West Ham, who sit in the final relegation place. Their most recent league win came in a 1-0 success against Crystal Palace on Sunday, December 28, eight games and 46 days ago.

The former Tottenham boss has been reflecting on his time at the north London club and his chat with the ex-chairman in Bilbao

Ange Postecoglou has opened up on the conversation he had with former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy just before the Europa League final triumph.

The 60-year-old head coach led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years and their first piece of European silverware in four decades before being sacked by the north London club last summer after taking his focus off the Premier League to win the Europa League and the club finished 17th, albeit 13 points off the drop zone.

Postecoglou's successor Thomas Frank was sacked on Wednesday with Tottenham 16th in the table and just five points above 18th-placed West Ham.

In an appearance on The Overlap podcast, Postecoglou explained that the 'Spursy' mentality does exist within the club and his conversation with former chairman Levy ahead of the Europa League final in Bilbao summed up for him the feeling that ran through the organisation.

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"It is 'Spursy', you can use 'Spursy'. Yeah [that is a thing]. 100% there is. Yeah, absolutely and that was the thing I was trying to break," said the Greek-born Australian. "And my whole statement about winning things in the second year, I was doing that for the club because no one internally would dare say that because they were just scared. They'd been close a few times.

"Even I remember the day of the Europa Final, and by that stage, the players were brilliant and I knew we'd win that day. I was just convinced the path we'd taken and everyone in the hotel was really calm.

"And I remember it was one of the few times actually Daniel came in and we had a coffee in the morning and he said 'everyone's really relaxed'. Even he was. And the only thing he said to me, which was bizarre as a motivational point, he said something like 'oh, you know what? I've been in seven finals or seven finals and we haven't won one'.

"But I know why he said that, because of that. So that's what I'm saying. So you've got that and that does exist. Absolutely. And I think and then you break that by winning something and what do you do? You tear it all up and you go again.

"Like we had the Super Cup final and I'll back myself to win that. We've could have had two trophies in the space of two months and then all of a sudden that's out the window, that they can't win a big game. You've done that. You've broken that. So that's what I mean. That's the curiosity in me of understanding why, and it's not because it's me, because at the end of the day, I've done what I've done."

Postecoglou believes that a walk through the corridors of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium helped him cement what would happen in Bilbao in the minds of his players.

"I was there for two years. But what are you trying to achieve? The biggest thing hanging over you was this 'Spursy' tag and I'm sure you all thought, you know what? Come the final, Man United will win because they just know how to win. And that exists there," he said.

"There isn't a Tottenham supporter that I see now that doesn't want to hug me, because they just never thought it would happen. They've been close so many times. They had world-class managers, world-class players. They've made finals, semi-finals.

"To be honest, the reason I was convinced we'd win was because that's what I sold to the players. Outside the Tottenham dressing room at the home ground, there's all the photos, but it's only of the teams that have won things. I walked them through that and I just said 'have a look at those walls. What do you notice?'. I said 'most of them are in black and white because that's how long ago it was'.

"And I go, 'who's not on these walls? Harry's not on these walls'. I said 'Sonny, you're not on these walls, only one way we get on these walls, boys'. So that was a big driving force for me. I used it.

"That's why I was convinced, get to the final, that we would win, because I think when it got tough and it was going to get tough, I think we had more to win than Man U on the night. I said 'Man U, they've always got something to lead them to the crunch of success'.

"This was a chance for this group of players. That's the story I sold them. 'Mate, you guys have got a chance to elevate yourself above all the other players that have come in the last 40 years'."

Postecoglou admitted that he knew he was going to get sacked regardless of the result in Bilbao and had believed it months before that triumph.

"I knew I was gone. I knew I was gone probably around, I think, the end of January, early February. I knew I was gone," he said. "And I said to the coaches, look, it's quite obvious. At the time, we weren't in a relegation battle. We were, I think, 16 points away from relegation.

"I said 'look, we're in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. I think we can win it, and that means not just winning a trophy, you know how that is, but that also means Champions League football'.

"I said 'but the reality is, get your helmets on because every week we're going to be copping it, but I'll take that, don't worry. I'll take the responsibility for that'.

"But also, if we get knocked out of any stage of the Europa League, I said I'm pretty much sure it's over. So I knew I was gone because you get a sense of that with the conversations you have about people. No-one was talking to me about the transfer window or pre-season so you kind of know. And that was fine. I didn't understand it, but I'm thinking, you know what? Again, I didn't want to get distracted. I was so laser-focused.

"Even for myself, it's taken me 30 years to get here. What a unique opportunity to win a European trophy at a club that hasn't had success for such a long time. I know I'll remember. So I wasn't going to let that distract me, but yeah, I knew I was gone."

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has been talking about his time at the club and what he wanted to happen in the transfer window

Ange Postecoglou does not believe that Tottenham are a big club because of their wage structure and has named four transfers he wanted that could not happen.

The 60-year-old took Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his first season at the club before concentrating his injury-hit squad on the Europa League and winning that in his second year. However, the team's 17th-place finish in the Premier League resulted in the Greek-born Australian being sacked at the end of the campaign.

Now his successor Thomas Frank has also been shown the door just seven months into his tenure with Tottenham languishing 16th and five points above the drop zone.

Postecoglou believes his second season could have been very different had the north London club pushed on with the signings he wanted which would have meant adjusting their strict wage structure. Instead they signed teenagers like Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, alongside striker Dominic Solanke, rather than the more ready-made names the head coach had pushed for.

"You look at that list of names [of managers at the club] and there isn't really a common thread through there as to what they're trying to do. And I do think part of Tottenham's DNA, for want of a better word, is they do like their team to play a certain way," Postecoglou said in an interview with The Overlap podcast.

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"And I think it's fair to say with Mauricio [Pochettino] they were going down that path. Although at the same time, I think people have been too dismissive of Harry [Kane's] influence through that period. He's an unbelievable player. If I had Harry the last two years, that first year we finished fifth, I'm convinced we would have finished in Champions League spots. So even him leaving, you can't plug that hole. It's just impossible.

"So when you look at those managers, like I said, they've gone from, you know, Mauricio played a certain way and sort of I think fit the DNA, then the big thing was, well, they haven't won anything. We need winners. So let's go for Jose [Mourinho]. Jose gets them to a cup final and they sack him the week before the cup.

"So you're going, if you're talking about winners, well, in a one-off game, I wouldn't mind Jose being my manager at my club just for a one-off game. What happens beyond that is... And then, you know, then it was Antonio [Conte] because, again, he's another winner, you know, and then Antonio goes and I sort of come in.

"They say, well, we want the football, you know. With Antonio, we made Champions League, but we didn't have the football. So we want the football and you've got the football, even though my DNA is I'll win as well.

"So then we go down that path. So that's what I mean. It's a real curious in terms of understanding what are they trying to build? You know, what are they? Obviously, they've built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly, you know, their wages structure, they're not a big club."

He added: "I saw that because when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players. There's certain players that we... I mean, at the end of my first year, when we finished fifth, for me, okay, how do you go from fifth to really challenging? Well, we had to sign Premier League-ready players.

"But finishing fifth that year didn't get us Champions League, we didn't have the money. So we ended up signing Dom Solanke, who was absolutely... I was really keen on him, I really like him, and three teenagers.

"You know, I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said we need, if we're going to go from fifth to there, that's what the other big clubs would do in that moment. And those three teenagers are outstanding young players and I think they'll be great players for Tottenham, but they're not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third.

"But what was coming out from the club was that 'no, we're a club that can compete on all fronts'. So when you say, you've obviously got great experience as a manager, you've managed it all over the world at certain clubs. Is Tottenham different to those other clubs in terms of getting what you want onto the pitch or looking to take the club forward? Well, they're all unique, they're all different.

"But, you know, when you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is 'to dare is to do'. It's everywhere. And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that.

"Whether you like or dislike him, give credit to Daniel [Levy] because that path has got a new stadium, new facilities, but taking a safe path, I think what they didn't realise that to actually win, you've got to take some risks at some point. And that's the DNA of the club."

Postecoglou maintains that Spurs would never has splashed £100million on a player like Arsenal did with Declan Rice during his time in N17.

"I still felt like, you know, Tottenham as a club was saying 'we're one of the big boys' and the reality is I don't think they are in terms of my experience over the last two years of how they act," he said.

"When Arsenal need players, they'll spend a hundred million on Declan Rice. I don't see Tottenham doing that. Maybe now, I don't know. But not, not in, not just my history, even predating me.

"And a lot of that was, okay, they were building a stadium, so obviously finances were a challenge. I guess the bit I didn't realise was just how much Champions League football makes a difference and I think that's why there was always this desperation, because that provided the kitty, you know.

"So that means my first year, they finished eighth the year before. We lost Harry two days before we played Brentford in the first game. I've got to try and that's a tall order. It's a tough one. We almost got there. I mean, if it was fifth any other year, that probably would have been [enough].

"And if we did, maybe last year, we wouldn't have bought three teenagers. But I still don't think, it's not the transfer fee, the wages to really attract. I mean, when was the last time Tottenham really signed somebody and you go 'wow'."

When Roy Keane suggested Paul Gascoigne, Postecoglou said: "Yeah. And you know what, Roy, they talk about that period and they weren't overly successful there, but they did win FA Cups. They did have exciting players.

"And I think the supporters, when I speak to them, they speak fondly of that era. Even though they weren't playing maybe in the Champions League or winning the league, because they did, they had those star players.

"And I think people underestimate the role Harry played over the last 10 years. He's unbelievable. I only worked with him for a couple of months. He's the best player I've ever witnessed close up in my whole career.

"And, alright I haven't been at the highest level, but just watching him at training. Yeah. I mean, we played the last friendly game, like before and I was still hoping, against hope he would stay. And he scored four goals. We played Shakhtar.

"And the next week we were playing Brentford and I know he's not going to be there. So that masked, I think, a lot of things. But it's not like Harry leaves and then you go sign Erling Haaland. That doesn't happen."

Tottenham Hotspur made the decision to part ways with Thomas Frank on Wednesday morning as the search for a new head coach rolls on, and a number of fans and players will benefit from the move

Thomas Frank's time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has come to an end after just eight months, with the club showing the 52-year-old head coach the door on Wednesday morning.

After a 2-1 midweek loss to Newcastle United on home soil marked an eighth Premier League match without a win, the top brass of Spurs have made the decision to move in a different direction without Frank. An official statement from the club 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."

While a number of players will be sad to see the back of the Dane, others could potentially benefit under his successor. Here, football.london breaks down the biggest winners and losers from Frank's departure...

Winners

The fans

The writing has been on the wall for Frank for a number of months if fan-reaction is anything to go off, actively directing chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning," towards their own head coach as a result of lacklustre form. Elsewhere, loud jeers have also been heard from the home support at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after each match, as the Dane failed to inspire performances from the sidelines.

After months of begging for Frank's exit on social media, Spurs fans have now seen their wish granted - with the club scouring the market to appoint a suitable successor. Whoever steps up to the table next will do well to start bright and win over a fan base who have grown understandably frustrated with the club and its owners as of recent.

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Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel found himself axed from Tottenham's Champions League squad for a second time in January, with Frank instead putting his faith in Dominic Solanke for the team's 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. Speaking about his decision at the time, the head coach said: "Yeah, I made the decision.

"It was not a nice decision to have to make. Unfortunately that’s football, you have to make a decision. With the way the rules are, the only option was it was either Dom or Mathys in the squad.

"I chose Dom because… I think Mathys has done very well in the last couple of games and that’s the crazy thing, if I could pick from all the players that are fit, then he would start tomorrow. But I can only pick between the two of them and now he is out of the squad. That’s of course a tough one to take for Mathys."

With Frank now out of the picture, and Spurs thriving in Europe, Tel may have the opportunity to put himself back in the running for the remainder of the Lilywhites' Champions League campaign.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma has managed just five Premier League appearances this season thus far, omitted from Frank's squad as a result of disciplinary matters. Frank claimed that the 29-year-old had a track record of turning up late for training sessions early in 2025/26, and that there had to be consequences as a result.

Now that Frank has been given the boot, Bissouma will have a chance at a fresh start under Spurs' next head coach, and has the opportunity to revitalise an otherwise turbulent tenure in north London.

Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou was sacked last summer as a result of leading the Lilywhites to a 17th-place finish in the Premier League in 2024/25. That's despite achieving silverware in the form of the Europa League just a month earlier.

After watching Frank's catastrophic run with Spurs this season, the 60-year-old may feel as though his own credibility has been slightly restored, and that there are bigger underlying issues at Spurs away from the coaching department.

Losers

Cristian Romero

Despite problems with his discipline on the field - currently serving a three-match ban as a result of a late challenge on Casemiro earlier this month in Spurs' clash with Manchester United and racking up a whopping eight yellow cards this season alone - Cristian Romero has seen his captaincy in north London safe for the duration of Frank's reign.

However, a new head coach could highlight a better leader than Romero, who is capable of leading by example and guiding the team back to greatness on the pitch.

Conor Gallagher and Souza

Given that Frank may have played a major part in securing the services of both Conor Gallagher and Souza in the January transfer window, the Spurs stars may now be forced to buy into tactics that they don't believe in under a new head coach. Frank will also have had a key plan in place with regards to utilising both talents, but his successor may see things different.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to have someone in charge to replace the Dane soon after Tuesday's decision by the board

Tottenham are looking to have a new head coach in place by Monday after sacking Thomas Frank.

The north London outfit gave Frank his marching orders yesterday when it became clear he had lost both the support of the fans and the confidence of the dressing room with the threat of relegation looming.

Now Spurs are weighing up potential replacements for the 52-year-old and whether to move for a permanent appointment now or install an interim option until the summer in order to dip into a wider managerial market.

Tottenham's qualification for the Champions League last 16 earned the players a few days off so the club have time to get someone in place before the squad returns to training on Monday ahead of the north London derby on February 22.

Internal interim options include former Ajax boss John Heitinga, who Frank only brought in as one of his assistant coaches last month, and among other external candidates former Spurs striker Robbie Keane has impressed at Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

Tottenham have also previously shown interest in Roberto De Zerbi, who left Marseille on Tuesday. Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who is believed to have been on last summer's shortlist of four with Frank, comes to the end of his contract this summer as does Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.

A popular appointment would be ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino, who the fans sang for yet again throughout the defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday night. The Argentine is set to lead USA in their home World Cup this summer so Spurs may have to wait.

Frank was brought in from Brentford last summer after an exhaustive managerial search initially involving 30 candidates, but he lasted just seven months in the Spurs hotseat as the Premier League results fell off a cliff.

With the defeat to Newcastle making it just two wins in 17 league matches, the Dane still insisted his job was safe on Tuesday night only to later be informed by CEO Vinai Venkatesham that the club were going to make a change.

Frank had guided Spurs through in the Champions League and despite crashing out of both domestic cups, the board had wanted to give him as much time as possible to turn things around in the Premier League, particularly with a huge injury list of 11 players.

However, with 18th-placed West Ham closing to within five points of their north London rivals, the prospect of a disastrous relegation moved ever closer and the fear became too much that Frank might not steer Spurs away from danger.

Roberto De Zerbi has emerged as a candidate for the Tottenham manager role after Thomas Frank's departure

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed Roberto De Zerbi's view on the vacant managerial role following Thomas Frank's departure. Frank was dismissed following a poor run of just two victories in 17 Premier League fixtures, leaving the north London outfit dangerously close to the relegation zone - merely five points ahead of West Ham.

De Zerbi, meanwhile, is one of the potential candidates for the role and is reportedly keen to accept the managerial vacancy, despite featuring 'high' on Manchester United's shortlist, claims the i Paper. The Italian boss departed Marseille by mutual agreement this week after a two-year tenure.

His exit followed a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and elimination from the Champions League after losing 3-0 to Club Brugge.

Talk of a Premier League comeback has intensified given his successful period at Brighton between 2022 and 2024.

The i paper reports that the Italian manager sees the Spurs position as the 'next logical step' in his managerial journey, even though he features 'high' on United's shortlist.

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De Zerbi's enterprising style of play at Brighton earned widespread praise, whilst his track record of steadying troubled squads could prove attractive to Tottenham.

United, by contrast, are expected to assess managerial options in the summer, with Michael Carrick serving only as interim boss despite a promising beginning.

De Zerbi is among the potential candidates being considered for the managerial role at Old Trafford, although there's no rush to replace Ruben Amorim given Carrick's impressive start.

For Spurs, the search for a new manager continues ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Steven Gerrard has given his verdict after Thomas Frank was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday morning after just eight months in charge

Steven Gerrard has told Tottenham Hotspur’s players that they must take a big responsibility for Thomas Frank’s sacking. Frank was sacked on Wednesday morning just hours after Spurs had been beaten 2-1 at home to Newcastle United.

The latest tumultuous result of Frank’s dismal reign resulted in Tottenham falling to 16th in the Premier League and made it two wins in 17 league fixtures. But Gerrard believes not all the blame can be placed at the door of the Dane, and Tottenham’s underperforming players not only have to take some responsibility, but some of them should be feeling guilty about how things have played out.

“I think it was a good appointment at the time, and I think he deserved the opportunity, as I thought he was outstanding at Brentford," he told TNT Sports.

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“It is a very different job, having said that, in terms of expectation and pressure. With all due respect, Brentford were new to the Premier League about survival and picking up enough wins to stay in the league, but I think they have evolved more than that under their new manager.

"But when you are manager of Tottenham, you are expected to win. You are following in the footsteps of (Jose) Mourinho and (Antonio) Conte and it is a different level of job.

“I just think they are not aligned as a club and I think the players have got to take big responsibility for this sacking.

“If I was a player now in the Tottenham dressing room sitting at home, I would feel guilty because I think from the off the players probably haven’t given Thomas Frank a chance collectively and consistently.

“And it is happening too many times now where the manager in these situations gets the blame and it is quite clear to me that there are a few underperforming, and he has had injuries, but there are a few in that Tottenham dressing room who need to have a long hard look at themselves, in my opinion.”

Asked why Frank might not have been given a chance, the former Liverpool captain replied: “Maybe he wasn’t a huge name, if you like. A name that comes with instant box office if you like, like your (Thomas) Tuchels, Mourinhos or Contes – all these types of names.

"But as a player, he deserved that opportunity to be the Tottenham manager and I think collectively they have let him down."

John Heitinga, Robbie Keane and Roberto De Zerbi have all been mentioned as potential replacements, and Gerrard believes Spurs need to hire a manager who will get instant respect from the players.

He said: “They need someone who is going to get instant respect from the players and from the top of the club; they need to give this manager time and the chance to build something that is going to be competitive at the top end of the league.

“If they keep swapping and changing, it is impossible for the players to get into any rhythm. What is the DNA? What is the project? Where is it going?

“Because if it keeps changing all the time, managers have different ideas and different ways of playing. As a player, you don’t know if you are coming or going.”