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Xabi Alonso to Tottenham latest as ‘shock’ Thomas Frank sack latest confirmed

Thomas Frank is on the verge of the sack at Tottenham.

After inexplicably losing to a rotten Bournemouth last week, Spurs somehow went one worse with a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Saturday.

Frank was told by many that he would be sacked within hours of that result, but the Dane has kept his job, for now, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Borussia Dortmund next in the Champions League on Tuesday, it would be no surprise to see a temporary team in the dugout, rather than Frank.

That is after the latest news on Xabi Alonso.

Xabi Alonso immediately reacts to Tottenham links

Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid this week, and was immediately placed among the favourites to replace Frank in North London.

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According to Miguel Delaney, Tottenham are set for crunch talks over Frank’s future on Sunday, with the defeat to West Ham labelled a “shock”.

It is said that the hierarchy was split on sacking their manager before the defeat, but things are said to have truly turned toxic over the weekend.

With Alonso now available, it is reported that the Spaniard would appeal and has been raised as an option within Tottenham.

Unfortunately, he believes he will have better options in the coming months.

Could Ange Postecoglou return instead?

Joe Lewis has been urged to call Ange Postecoglou over a possible return, and that’s how you know that rock bottom has firmly been hit again.

Postecoglou may have delivered the Europa League last season, but he was actually performing even worse in the Premier League than Frank.

Oliver Glasner is another option, too, after his shock reveal that he will be leaving Crystal Palace in the summer.

Despite that, the possibility of the Manchester United job also becoming available again means that the Austrian is also an unlikely hire.

Frank is still in place, for now, but with crunch talks coming within hours on Sunday, there could be massive changes to come within hours.

Everything Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney said about Tottenham loss vs West Ham on MOTD

Tottenham somehow fell to a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Saturday, with fans finally turning.

Thomas Frank is on the verge of being sacked as Spurs lost their ninth league game of the season.

Crysencio Summerville gave the Hammers the lead in the first half before Cristian Romero levelled the scoreline with a powerful header.

However, it was Callum Wilson who scored the winning goal from close range after Guglielmo Vicario once again flapped at an in-swinging corner in the 93rd minute.

Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney were far from impressed with the players and aren’t optimistic about Frank’s future.

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Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney highlight Tottenham’s goalscoring woes

The result leaves Spurs 14th in the Premier League, nine points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

Speaking on Match of the Day on 17 January, neither pundit was impressed with the result, and Shearer was particularly critical of the attackers.

Rooney said: “It’s not a nice feeling for Frank because you just want the ground to swallow you up.”

Shearer added: “The players are not giving enough, but I don’t see a plan, and they look lost.

“I know they have [James] Maddison, [Dejan] Kulusevski, [Dominic] Solanke injured, but the attacking returns this season have been so poor.

“Paris Saint-Germain spent £76.4million for Randal Kolo Muani, and I’m looking at him thinking he has to give more.”

Tottenham‘s top scorer in the league is Richarlison with seven goals, and the fact that he is out injured until March is incredibly worrying for Frank.

Tottenham desperately need attacking reinforcements in January

The decision to sell Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35m is looking increasingly poor, given their struggles in the final third.

Mathys Tel wants to leave Tottenham, yet he was afforded a start due to the lack of alternative options.

Often this season, there has been an overreliance on Romero and Micky van de Ven to score the goals that could get them out of trouble.

It’s far from good enough, and the likes of Kolo Muani and Tel need to prove to the Spurs fans why the club brought them in over the summer.

Tottenham’s loss to West Ham was another low point in an already woeful season, and there seems to be no way back for Frank.

If he is to recover the dreadful situation, he’ll need help in the transfer market, as this current crop of attackers are far too inconsistent.

Thomas Frank is surely facing the sack after Tottenham’s defeat to West Ham.

Frank was already under huge pressure at Spurs ahead of Saturday’s London derby clash with West Ham, as his side entered the game with one win from their previous seven in all competitions.

You can make that eight now too, as West Ham ran out 2-1 winners over Tottenham on Saturday, as boos rang round the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time.

Crysencio Summerville gave the visitors the lead after just 15 minutes, before Cristian Romero equalised with 25 minutes to play.

However, a controversial added time winner from Callum Wilson handed the Hammers all three points, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side now 10 points behind Tottenham in 18th.

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Thomas Frank surely won’t survive West Ham embarrassment

Tim Sherwood believes Frank will now be sacked following the loss to West Ham, and there won’t be too many out there who disagree with him.

It’s a huge shame too, as Frank‘s appointment back in June last year was met with genuine excitement and optimism from a lot of Spurs fans given what he’d achieved with Brentford.

The Dane had taken the Bees from a mid-table Championship team all the way to being on the fringes of European football in the Premier League in just a few years.

He’d built a reputation for being a brilliant coach when it comes to the tactical aspect of the game, whilst also proving he could work with one of the top flight’s smallest budgets and still find top-class players.

Unfortunately, we’ve just not seen much of that during his first seven months in charge of Tottenham, and losing at home to West Ham given their current situation is unacceptable.

Tottenham should swallow Ange Postecoglou pride and make the call

Given Tottenham’s current predicament, should Frank indeed be sacked following the West Ham loss, then there may not be a huge queue of coaches lining up for the vacancy.

And, as poor as Tottenham’s 17th-placed finish was last season, Ange Postecoglou did bring long-awaited silverware to the club with their Europa League win.

When you compare Ange and Frank’s Tottenham records too, it paints an even better picture on the job he was doing.

As per Sofascore, Ange was averaged 1.52 points per game during his Tottenham tenure, whilst Frank is currently averaging a mere 1.28.

Therefore, it’s fair to say that Tottenham could do a lot worse than bringing Ange back, and he is no doubt still loved by large sections of the fanbase too who would surely be prepared to back him once more.

So, if Joe Lewis does sack Frank, then Ange should be his first port of call.

Thomas Frank’s future at Tottenham may have been decided by a VAR howler.

Spurs lost 2-1 to West Ham on Saturday in a Premier League showdown which had a great deal of significance for managers of either side.

Nuno Espirito Santo was the one to walk away with a smile on his face, though, as Callum Wilson profited upon Tottenham‘s horrific defensive setup to poke home a stoppage-time winner.

Boos rang around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time, as Frank is under increasing pressure to turn things around at N17.

However, a lack of professionalism by the officials on VAR may be the true reason why the Lewis Family may sack Frank.

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Keith Hackett claims Tottenham should have been awarded late penalty vs West Ham

One positive that Tottenham have had under Frank is scoring goals through set-pieces, as Cristian Romero’s second-half header gave the Lilywhites hope.

But at the end of the day, Spurs’ defending from opposition set-pieces proved to be Frank’s kryptonite once more.

But before Wilson’s winner, Tottenham had a penalty shout after Conor Gallagher’s surging run was cut off by the hand of West Ham’s Ollie Scarles inside the Hammers’ penalty box.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett offered insight into his thoughts on the incident, claiming that VAR should have allowed Jarred Gillett to review the handball.

Hackett said: “Well, the hand of the player who has made contact with the ball cannot possibly be defined as being in a natural position.

“He appears to reach out for it, and VAR should have determined that by not awarding a penalty kick. The referee has made a clear and obvious error.

“VAR should have intervened to allow the referee to visit the monitor to make the call. Handballs do have a great deal of subjectivity, so let the referee decide, not someone in front of a screen, making an important and, in my opinion, wrong decision.”

Key possession stat shows Thomas Frank’s flaws at Tottenham

It goes without saying, but Frank is now in troubled waters at Tottenham.

Nuno rocked back up to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under pressure just like the Spurs boss, but kept his cool and delivered for West Ham.

For all of Spurs’ 62 per cent possession against West Ham, they struggled to create clear-cut chances, and were trumped by the Hammers’ expected goals tally of 2.69

There isn’t enough intent from the Lilywhites at the moment, and that ultimately falls back on Frank.

The problems have shown from day one, but now it looks like the Tottenham players don’t know what to do on the field, which is telling on Frank’s future at N17.

Tottenham are figuring out plans to sanction sales this month as well as incomings for Thomas Frank.

The Lewis family have a large transfer kitty for Frank to spend this month, with reports suggesting that an expenditure of £150million is possible.

Tottenham recently signed Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in a permanent deal worth £35million that will add to the Lilywhites’ midfield options.

However, Frank is also after attackers this month, but as much as Spurs want to spend, they will have to make room for new signings at the same time.

Although currently on loan, Alejo Veliz appears to be one avenue that Tottenham are exploring to bring in extra funds.

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Tottenham to sign off on Alejo Veliz sale

Tottenham loaned Veliz out in the summer to Rosario Central, where the striker has been performing well in his homeland of Argentina.

The Lilywhites initially signed Veliz from Rosario back in 2023, but have since tried to develop the 22-year-old’s overall game with loan spells at Sevilla and Espanyol.

However, there may still be internal concerns that the Argentine isn’t going to make it in the Premier League.

According to the Argentine outlet La Capital, Tottenham have received an offer of £8.6million for Veliz from Brazilian side North Esporte Clube.

The Lilywhites are seriously considering terminating the number nine’s loan stay with Rosario ahead of sanctioning a sale to Esporte Clube.

The news is said to have shaken Veliz’s current side, given his goalscoring form.

The £8.6m offer could also have an extra fee on top of it to ease the compensation that Tottenham would owe Rosario for terminating Veliz’s deal early.

How much will Tottenham lose from Veliz sale?

Many of Spurs’ recent transfer signings have been criticised, with some suggesting that the club have spent too much on a couple in particular.

No doubt Gallagher’s move will now come under the microscope, as many may look for the first opportunity to blame Tottenham’s recruitment if the Englishman doesn’t hit the ground running.

However, the truth is that Spurs are set to lose over £4million from the potential sale of Veliz.

Tottenham need to reconsider their plans when it comes to signing youngsters, as loaning talent out while expecting them to shine in multiple different countries and environments doesn’t always work.

Tottenham’s loss to West Ham on Saturday simply has to be the final straw for Thomas Frank.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium directed justified anger at Frank at full time, as Spurs fell to a late 2-1 defeat to West Ham.

Cristian Romero scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out Crysencio Summerville’s opener for the visitors, only for Callum Wilson to score and win the game for Nuno Espirito Santo in stoppage time.

Frank has been under increasing pressure at Spurs, with many criticising his attacking philosophy in particular.

However, findings from the showdown at N17 prove that it’s much more than just an issue in the final third under the Dane.

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West Ham had their best away xG tally since August in 45 minutes

The Lewis Family are said to have money available for Frank to spend in the January transfer window; however, recent results may make them change their minds.

Tottenham have remained in 14th with Bournemouth behind them, who are yet to play, and the Lilywhites are just two points off Leeds United, who are deemed relegation candidates.

West Ham have been struggling to score goals, let alone win games, with their victory over Spurs the Hammers’ first in 10 Premier League matches.

Not only that, but Nuno cut deeper into Tottenham’s wounds when he guided West Ham to record an expected goals tally of 1.34 xG, which was the Irons’ highest amount away from home since August.

Tottenham’s defensive setup was all wrong against West Ham, and there’s truly nowhere left for Frank to hide.

Could Ange Postecoglou return be on for Tottenham?

There’s a need for patience in football, but the cracks have been there all along under Frank. Performances are now a result of the former Brentford head coach losing the dressing room.

Much was said about Ange Postecoglou’s low Premier League finish with the Lilywhites, but at least he delivered smiles every other week.

Under Frank things are just bleak, and even when Spurs have been winning, there’s been no connection from the manager to the fans.

Joe Lewis has a major opportunity to give “big Ange” a call, with the Australian still out of a job since departing from Nottingham Forest’s circus back in October.

The Lilywhites are now at serious risk of completely preventing any chances of success this season, whether that be by qualifying for Europe, or winning trophies.

Frank’s done enough harm – he needs to go.

Thomas Frank will be sacked by Tottenham before the end of Saturday, according to former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara.

Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier on Saturday in a new low for Frank’s Spurs tenure.

Too many Tottenham players underperformed against a side seemingly heading for relegation, with debutant Conor Gallagher struggling to make much of an impact.

Speaking on Sky Sports News during the match, Tim Sherwood said he expects Frank to be sacked by Tottenham.

And those views were echoed by O’Hara, who can see Spurs chiefs pulling the plug before the day is over.

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Jamie O’Hara explains why Thomas Frank has to go

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was toxic with fans protesting ahead of the game, with the mood certainly not helped by Crysencio Summerville’s first-half opener.

Cristian Romero levelled up for Spurs, but substitute Callum Wilson popped up in the 93rd minute to win all three points for West Ham.

O’Hara was furious as he reacted to the result soon after the full-time whistle live on talkSPORT.

“What a bad day. He has to go,” O’Hara said. “I’m done with Thomas Frank. This is one of the worst Tottenham teams I’ve seen in the Premier League.

“Thomas Frank can’t get a tune out of these players and it’s time for him to go. You can’t lose at home to one of the worst West Ham teams we’ve ever seen in the Premier League.

“It’s over for Thomas Frank. He’s going tonight.“

Pressed on who should replace Frank, O’Hara replied: “I don’t care who comes in. I don’t care. I cannot watch another performance at home like this.”

Cristian Romero gets it spot on with comments after West Ham loss

Romero’s goal had Spurs in the ascendency, but they were unable to push on and in the end even a point was too much.

The Argentina international admitted after the game that what Tottenham are going through right now is simply not on.

“In this moment we need to stay together, work hard, come back tomorrow to the training ground. It’s a disaster in this moment for us,” he told BBC Sport.

“Thank you to the fans for always staying with us. Tomorrow we will train in silence, work hard again, midweek we have another big match.

“At this moment this is a disaster for us. We played sometimes good, sometimes bad. We must work hard and go again. It’s a difficult moment for us. We are not the best on the pitch.”

Romero can always be relied upon to give an honest verdict, and he’s pretty spot on with what he had to say.

However, there is only so much that can be said. Spurs fans were already done with Frank before this loss, with the defeat to a fierce rival just strengthening those calls for him to be ousted.

Hopefully that decision is taken before the Borussia Dortmund clash in midweek.

Mathys Tel came under fire as Tottenham fell to defeat against West Ham on Saturday.

West Ham secured a 2-1 win away at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Callum Wilson netting a last-gasp winner.

Guglielmo Vicario was poor once again for Tottenham as he claimed for a foul that wasn’t there as the Englishman smashed home a strike to make it 2-1.

The Italian wasn’t alone in costing the Lilywhites, with Pedro Porro allowing Crysencio Summerville inside before he netted the opener.

One man who couldn’t be criticised for his work rate is Tel, but that didn’t stop Tim Sherwood from giving a negative review of the forward.

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Tim Sherwood unimpressed by Mathys Tel reaction vs West Ham

Sherwood thinks Thomas Frank could be sacked by Tottenham, and for good reason.

There was a period against the Hammers where the hosts were on top, but outside of that, the performance was hugely frustrating again.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side dominated for the majority of the first half and were good value for their lead going in at the interval.

The only plus point of the first 45 minutes and the opening exchanges of the second came off the back of good work from Tel.

He started on the flank and was consistently trying to get on the ball, but was hooked on 62 minutes, much to the surprise of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Fans booed the decision, and the Frenchman couldn’t quite believe it himself, but Sherwood was frustrated by his reaction live on Sky Sports News.

He said: “Solanke is on for Tel. He’s not happy, Tel – you’ve been terrible mate, get off the pitch.“

Sherwood totally wrong for slamming Tel

Frank is on the brink of the sack and needs to trust his best players to get on the ball and make things happen for him.

No one else was really doing that against the Hammers, but Tel wanted to be taken accountable and was looking to make a difference.

Sherwood wasn’t impressed, but the boos towards Frank for taking him off sum up the opinion of the Lilywhites’ fanbase.

Tel was heavily involved going forward and looked dangerous whether he was going for goal or looking to set up his teammates.

The former Bayern Munich man was also excellent in the duel and refused to be bullied by a physical West Ham backline.

For him to be described as “terrible” is totally wide of the mark and is exactly what is wrong with the discourse surrounding Spurs right now.

Tim Sherwood expects Thomas Frank to be sacked by Tottenham after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham United.

Cristian Romero scored in the 64th minute to cancel out Crysencio Summerville’s first-half opener for the out-of-form visitors.

Tottenham improved after a terrible first half, but they were undone by a 93rd-minute winner from Callum Wilson.

Frank has been under immense sack pressure at Tottenham and it may well be that Spurs’ loss to West Ham proves to be the final straw.

Tim Sherwood expects Thomas Frank sack after West Ham loss

Frank only arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer, but already his time in North London may be up.

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While it is true Spurs did improve in the second half, too many players once again underperformed and there can be no more excuses for Frank after a dismal defeat – arguably the worst of the lot.

Speaking on Sky Sports News late in the first half, Sherwood said anything other than a win for Spurs would likely spell the end for the ex-Brentford boss – let alone a defeat.

“If Spurs play like this in the second half they will get beat and he will get sacked, in my opinion,” Sherwood said.

“It’s just too difficult for him to keep his job if they don’t win this game today.”

All eyes will now be on whether Spurs do indeed pull the trigger or stand by Frank for the midweek Champions League clash at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Who will replace Frank as next Tottenham manager?

Spurs really cannot afford to delay the inevitable any longer. Frank needs to go – and he needs to go before that Dortmund game.

Oliver Glasner is considered the favourite to succeed Frank in North London, with the German confirming he will leave Crystal Palace in the summer.

Other names mentioned for the Spurs just are Mauricio Pochettino, Xabi Alonso, Marco Silva and Enzo Maresca.

Each of those would do a better job than Frank; in the case of Pochettino, he has already been there and done it.

The 2025-26 is already effectively a write-off for Spurs as there is no hope of doing anything in Europe and the other competitions are dead.

What was supposed to be an exciting appointment has in fact proved to be the exact opposite.

Thomas Frank could face the sack at Tottenham very shortly.

Frank is under increasing pressure in North London, as his reign in the dugout has not gone as expected.

The ex-Brentford boss was expected to turn the club around after a dismal 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last season under Ange Postecoglou.

However, that has not been the case and they currently find themselves sitting 14th in the table after 21 matches.

When could Thomas Frank be sacked by Tottenham?

John Wenham believes that Frank is coming towards the end of his tenure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, if results do not pick up fast.

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Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “When I spoke to you last week, I was saying the one thing that he had left was that he didn’t have James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke.

“However, the performance in the first-half against Aston Villa was unacceptable, it now means it is three wins in the last 13 games, very few wins all season, and that includes wins against the likes of Burnley, Everton, Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Doncaster.

“I think you have to consider now that he started the job in June, he has had well over six months at Tottenham, there is no style of play, no identity, the team mix and matches each week, there is no sort of plan as to how we are trying to proceed and what the intention of Thomas Frank’s Tottenham looks like.

“I think on that basis, when there is no identity and plan, and you add in the horrendous results, for a club of Tottenham’s standings, we have to be up there challenging for the top four of the Premier League.

“When he was brought in, it was made clear that Ange Postecoglou was replaced because Spurs needed to compete on four fronts, we are out of the Carabao Cup, out of the FA Cup, and sitting 14th in the Premier League.

“It is not acceptable, but by any standards, to where now, I think Tottenham maybe would be better holding off their money, and rolling it over to the next permanent appointment.

“I cannot see Thomas Frank remaining at Tottenham much longer, huge match coming up against West Ham on Saturday, then Dortmund in the Champions League then Burnley away.

“If there are not positive results against West Ham and Burnley, there needs to be two wins in both of those games, otherwise, I cannot see a basis for people saying he should stay at the club.”

Does Frank deserve more time at Tottenham?

Unfortunately for the Dane, the answer is a complicated one.

The principle of allowing a manager time to build his own team and put his own stamp on things is all well and good in theory.

However, when results on the pitch are not going the right way, and the Lilywhites are sitting towards the bottom end of the league, with no realistic chance to win a trophy, it is hard to change perceptions.

Ultimately, as Wenham states, his time may be up, if they cannot secure all three points against both the Hammers and Burnley.