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Manager Thomas Frank

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Are you Frank Out or In?


  • Total voters
    623
Few things to come back at this

Ange didn't get fired cos 5th wasn't enough. He got fired because after the first 10 games our form got worse and worse and yea we won a trophy but we finished 17th and lost 22 league games in the season.
Fans need something to believe in. What is there to believe in with what we have seen so far with Frank?!
If you like stats then we have had 2 of the 5 worst xg performances under him since they started to calculate it.
If you don't like stats and go on eye test then tell me even in last 2 games where we have collected 4 points as to what there is to be happy about other than getting lucky palace didn't score and then both sides doing nothing last night.
We have consistently been outplayed, Monaco, bodo fucking glint, Chelsea, Woolwich, fulham, forest, pool etc
The Chelsea and Woolwich performances alone would be enough to get a manager the sack.

The atmosphere is toxic and that's not all on Frank given the football mismanagement over the last 7-8 years but he has shown nothing in his time here that he deserves more time.
I don't actually disagree, I literally said the football isn't the best to watch.

Clearly Frank has improved our away form, yet all we hear is how bad we are. How that not showing anything? The home form rot set in a long time ago, way before Frank.

He's been here six months, he has players out, the club hasn't had a transfer window without Levy involved. Frank wasn't the reason we didn't sign Gibbs-White or Eze.

You sack Thomas Frank and believe me it won't get any better in the short term. No manager in this moment will get us playing any better consistently, yes you might get a bounce but there are too many issues that need resolving first.
 
I dont think Ive stated "Tactics" will have us with free flowing attacking football.

Ive not once denied the squad has issues.

All Ive said is - it can be doing better than it is now.

We could be functional in attack, instead of completely absent.

Any manager, at this point, could be trying to embed their principles in the team. How they want to play. Yes, it could be compromised, but its still progress. And if we get to a point where we can make the ball stick in their half, move up the pitch as a team, and offer some actual threat - Id call that real progress. (6 month now and theres no sign of it)

Good coaches get lesser teams/players looking far more coherent than we do all the time. Often pretty quickly too.

We have nothing even looking like those kind of ideas right now.

So yes, drop in better quality players - unless theyre just going to wing it with more reliabilty than we do now what will they have? No support, no runners, and an expectation theyll beat 3 men and put a cross in / win a set piece / throw / corner.

Maddison will be dropping deeper and deeper just to see the ball, at which point there will be a gaping hole where you would want him to actually be affecting the game.

Kulu will be getting the exact same criticism Kudus is now - because we'll be firing the ball up the wing to him, with 2-3 players to beat and no one to pass to.

Solanke will be just as starved as Richarlison is now.

Without us being coached into an attacking unit - with any players available/wished for - its the same shite we're seeing now.

I'm not sure the reality.

We've currently got the 7th best defence in the league and have 6 clean sheets, which includes goals that Vicario and Romero have practically given away.

You could argue that outperforming xG is a sign of good attacking coaching in terms of putting away chances, versus creating a lot and scoring none. If we kept that up, it would basically mean a small amount of improvement in our chance creation would equal a big upturn in results. It seems like the holy grail to be a side that only needs half a chance to get a goal, versus one that can have 10 shots on target and never look like scoring.

I don't think we can fairly judge any of our attack until our actual first-choice (likely) players are available - it's the same thing people were saying about our defence this time last year
 
Understand your points but if all players are playing shit then that's on the manager. If internationals can't pass a ball 5 yards (and let's face it they haven't been able to for last few months) then we need to ask why. Is it that they turn shit as soon as put on our jersey or because the manager hasn't instilled the necessary confidence in them to play their game.
I personally would gladly get rid of most of them but if the manager can't get them to play even basic football then he isn't doing his job.
I can’t agree with that.

They don’t need someone cheering them on to make a simple 5 yard pass.

It should be ingrained in them and muscle memory by the time they’re a professional.
 
Thomas Frank is so Risk Averse he wears Arm bands in the bath!
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This opinion pre-dates Frank, so not a dig entirely at him.
A lot of our players, of not all, look like they don't practice.
What do they do in training these days?

In the late stages last night, a decent ball was played through to Richarlison. His initial touch was fine, he maintained the attack.
He didn't have much of an outlet with RKM on the opposite side of the pitch.
What followed was what looked like a player who'd never been in that situation before. A pathetic "cross" that went straight to the keeper.
Why aren't the attackers doing that in drills. Over and over and over. Attack Vs Defence. Do it all day until the attackers start to learn how to beat a fucking man ffs.

Firstly, for me, this has to come to coaching.
Then, leadership of the team.
Then, leadership above that.

I think we need a manager that actually drives the team, rather than just asks them nicely. Coaches them, sets high expectations of them, and is willing to drop those who dont meet the standard.

If a manager has a clear strategy/style, knows what he wants and how to impart that on players - then he also needs that leadership quality to really implement it.

Thereafter, the board/exec/whatever need to be aligned with what that manager is doing.

They need to share the vision of style (for continuity and recruitment purposes).

They need to back the manager over the players when it comes to setting the culture and discipline.

Right now, I am 100% sure that is not Frank.

And about 80% sure that is not the Lewis/Vinai/Lange and co.

I would hope they make a change of manager, luck into someone proper, and let them shape things from here on.
 
Blindly defending the keeper isn't the same as tactical instructions though.

It was exactly the same when Lloris would do stupid things, but there was clearly never a tactical instruction for him to be trying to nutmeg players in a world cup final
He defended the Keeper as he instructs them to play these kind of passes............... which was in reply to your question of

"Tbh I don' think it's safe to think Vicario wouldn't do that unless instructed"

If he wasn't instructed to do that, then why would he defend him for it , while throwing Gray under the Bus
 
Wake up Spurs.

Thomas Frank's highest league finish with Brentford was 9th.

Thomas Frank is doing a great job of turning Spurs into Brentford.

It's clear as daylight to me that the protests against the ownership have led to a situation where the ownership are trying to get rid of the so called 'legacy supporters' before the legacy supporters get rid of the ownership.

It's all about the money.

Those who have defended the previous chairman need to accept this as a fact.

By the end of this window Spurs need at least 3 top notch players added to this squad and a new coach.

Thomas Frank is taking Spurs to Hell.

:levyeyes:
 
The bit I can’t quite comprehend is how a previously much lauded coach has suddenly become crap and it seems devoid of ideas when he’s been here six months.

I watched the boring debacle last night, but I don’t see how coaching prevents players being able to make simple 5-10 yard passes. How many times do we see possession given up cheaply by absolutely brain dead passing?

Thomas Frank may not be the long term answer, but I also don’t see things magically improving by dropping a new sucker into the hot seat with this group of mediocre players who seem to lack the backbone to fight and dig in.

Very depressing state of affairs!
Agree! My take on this is I think Frank is over thinking things, making the players over think things. I imagine he spends a lot of time talking about the opposition and how they are likely to set-up, play etc which they don't like and as a result it eradicates their instinct/flair and puts them off their natural game?
 
Starting to get bored of this narrative of not having many attacking players. Sure we are missing 3 of our better players but I’d bet if you said to any spurs fans we are going to bring in Xavi for madders, kudus for Kulu and Muani for Dom they all would have taken that (All 3 of the injured attackers have suffered a boat load of abuse from our fans over the last few years) you can’t surely believe that with those 3 back that Frank suddenly starts to find attacking patterns and a positive style of football? It’ll be more of the same
 
I'm not sure the reality.

We've currently got the 7th best defence in the league and have 6 clean sheets, which includes goals that Vicario and Romero have practically given away.

You could argue that outperforming xG is a sign of good attacking coaching in terms of putting away chances, versus creating a lot and scoring none. If we kept that up, it would basically mean a small amount of improvement in our chance creation would equal a big upturn in results. It seems like the holy grail to be a side that only needs half a chance to get a goal, versus one that can have 10 shots on target and never look like scoring.

I don't think we can fairly judge any of our attack until our actual first-choice (likely) players are available - it's the same thing people were saying about our defence this time last year

The defensive record has improved, but has the defence?

(not a trick question)

Think about it, if we're playing everyone behind the ball low block clean sheet mentality football - surely our defensive record should be better.

But does that mean our defense has improved? Its come at the cost of our attack, we've no balance to our team, so it feels somewhat skewed to me.

And as you say, we've still got Romero/Vicario fucking up. We're still allowing teams to waltz through the centre of the pitch and take shots...


Similarly, Xg, if we take so few shots - and score a few - is that a sign of an overperforming attack? Or a weird statistical signal because of such small volumes?

I mean, both of these examples are just showing what a % manager Frank is. Only take a shot if its in the magic part of the box, wheres the room for creativity? Defend defend defend - wheres the room to build attacks?

Give him better players, and I think you just get a slightly better version of what we're already seeing. And for me that negates the whole "wait until he has players" line, because I dont want more of the same.
 
Agree! My take on this is I think Frank is over thinking things, making the players over think things. I imagine he spends a lot of time talking about the opposition and how they are likely to set-up, play etc which they don't like and as a result it eradicates their instinct/flair and puts them off their natural game?

You see it often with new managers.

Theyre trying to establish their structure/patterns etc - so players are taking that half a second to think of what they must do on the ball and consequently losing it/rushing it/looking off the standard.

After a time, after some coaching, these things become natural and suddenly the team looks like its gone up a gear.

Its been a preseason and half a season with Frank, for me we should be seeing that extra gear (or more) by now - and yet they dont even look coached to me which is a worrying sign
 
Firstly, for me, this has to come to coaching.
Then, leadership of the team.
Then, leadership above that.

I think we need a manager that actually drives the team, rather than just asks them nicely. Coaches them, sets high expectations of them, and is willing to drop those who dont meet the standard.

If a manager has a clear strategy/style, knows what he wants and how to impart that on players - then he also needs that leadership quality to really implement it.

Thereafter, the board/exec/whatever need to be aligned with what that manager is doing.

They need to share the vision of style (for continuity and recruitment purposes).

They need to back the manager over the players when it comes to setting the culture and discipline.

Right now, I am 100% sure that is not Frank.

And about 80% sure that is not the Lewis/Vinai/Lange and co.

I would hope they make a change of manager, luck into someone proper, and let them shape things from here on.

The issue is, are there any coaches doing it? Are any of them looking at the mistakes players are making and thinking "we can work on that in training and raise their game?"

Ange blatantly never did anything close to it. Not at all.
It doesn't look like Frank is, either.
Are the idiots at football clubs that hire managers even aware of that being a thing?
Do the regulators of coaching badges even think it's a thing?
I'm just blown away at how poor some "elite" players look sometimes.
 
The bit I can’t quite comprehend is how a previously much lauded coach has suddenly become crap

If Thomas Frank was any good he wouldn't be here.

The previous chairman could no longer attract decent managers to the club.

Nobody decent wanted to work with the previous chairman by the time he was forced to appoint Ange.

It's obvious that is the real reason Thomas Frank was hired.

Spurs, under Levy, could not attract any other top coach.

Thomas Frank is going to get sacked for lots of reasons.

The most pressing one is that Spurs are not going to be able to sell tickets to watch this crap.

Daniel Levy has been reacting to his own mistakes since he sacked Paul Mitchell.

Daniel Levy has sacked every member of the staff who ever did a good job for Spurs and sold every single top quality player Spurs either developed or bought.

To solve the problem there needs to be a consensus of agreement on how Spurs got here if resolving it is the desired outcome.

Levy had been continually crashing the train since 2019 when he sacked Pochettino.

Thomas Frank is not a Spurs manager.

Thomas Frank is the best manager Daniel Levy could attract to the club by the time the Lewis family were forced to sack Daniel Levy.

It's the same situation with the players.

There is no top quality on the pitch because Daniel was no longer capable of hiring the right people or closing deals for the best players Spurs could get.

Daniel burned his bridges with everyone in pursuit of profit.

Consider this while you are listening to opposition supporters singing 'Tottenham get battered everywhere they go'.

Levy was allowed to stay too long.

Some of us warned you.
 
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