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Manager Thomas Frank

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

Are you Frank Out or In?

  • Total voters
    623
postbox said:
Well the decision to sack Levy hardly looked premeditated, did it?

And in our grand new dawn - they can very easily spin it to the guy they sackeds fault...
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Whilst I get where you're going Vinia has already claimed that Frank was his man, it's all him.

Levy rarely did PR pieces before and to go on record and say that they chose Frank out of how many candidates, that's all Vinai's doing.
 
Shadydan said:
Whilst I get where you're going Vinia has already claimed that Frank was his man, it's all him.

Levy rarely did PR pieces before and to go on record and say that they chose Frank out of how many candidates, that's all Vinai's doing.
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What actually happened* and what they say happened dont have to be the same.

Could be very easy to sell as a show of strength for Vinai, just as it would be easy to sell it as more a Levy thing in the first place


*Vinai was barely through the door. Personal opinion, it was all Levy with Vinai nodding along
 
postbox said:
He claims inside info, presents as telling us "whats really going on", Id hope to learn something new in all that waffle



100% - been saying it all season. The squad is better than the football it plays right now.

The Gaslighter has everyone believing their lies though




It is moronic, and to give them credit - lets assume they know that.

What else can be happening?

Ive been listening to a lot of podcasts etc on us recently, and one thing thats becoming clear is Levy leaving is a big issue.

While most celebrated him going - what is clear is he leaves a huge vacuum behind him. He ran the club as his own, and as we know was too involved in everything that happened.

He's gone now, and the club are now just finding everything they need in his absence.

I think its quite possible Vinai is being relied upon to just keep the show on the road, while they take the necessary time to organise the hierachy/structure to actually operate properly as a club.

Im beginning to think by the summer we'll have our board/directorship/structure sorted, and THEN we'll start our post Levy brave new world. Frank will go, new guy will come in, and we'll hopefully be settled/coherent/successful.

Makes sense to persist with Frank all the while we arent getting relegated. We dont have the tools to adequately replace him yet, we dont have the structure for a new manager to step into, any new manager we get now might not suit that new structure...

I hate the dissarray, I hate that Levys sacking seems spontaneous and the "plan" is only now being worked out, but I think there is something to this.

So unless Frank shits the bed entirely, I think he is here for the next 128 days. And if he really does shit the bed then Heitinga gets the shop window temp management role.
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Sorry i must be missing where he claimed inside info?

Sources close to Venkatesham believe that experience has been helpful to him in terms of the job he faces at Tottenham

and

Some of those who have knowledge of the inner workings of Spurs, however, do not believe that would be a wise move for either party (re poch)

Do not indicate anything to do with what is actually happening at spurs - it is a pure unadulterated opinion piece and reading it as anything but is naeive

Its a pure click bait speculation
 
postbox said:
Matt Law article in Telegraph

Why Thomas Frank has not been sacked by Tottenham​

Danish head coach does not have two games to save his job but defeats could potentially create an untenable situation

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood this week described the London derby between his old club and West Ham United as “El Sackico” in reference to the pressure on both head coaches.

But while some on the outside, such as Sherwood, believe that Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank must be on the brink of the sack, the Lewis family and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham have remained supportive of the Dane.

A defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham on Saturday afternoon is unthinkable to supporters, particularly those who have booed Frank and his team. But while it would undoubtedly place him under pressure, the Spurs head coach has been given no reason to think that only a win will see him keep his job.

Here, Telegraph Sport examines why Frank has not been sacked by Tottenham already, the reasons why the West Ham game may not be make or break for him and the caveat that could yet place him in danger.

Vinai’s Woolwich roots​

Venkatesham’s Woolwich past may be something Tottenham prefer to sweep under the carpet, but it has certainly come in handy for Frank. Venkatesham spent almost 15 years at Spurs’ North London rivals in a variety of jobs. He was managing director at Woolwich when the club appointed Mikel Arteta as manager and had moved to chief executive by the time the Spaniard was under pressure from a section of the club’s own fans.

Just as Tottenham are going through a period of huge change, there was massive upheaval at Woolwich during the post-Arsene Wenger era and after the dismissal of Unai Emery. But Venkatesham and the Gunners held their nerve over Arteta and the decision proved to be correct. Sources close to Venkatesham believe that experience has been helpful to him in terms of the job he faces at Tottenham, where there has been a mass overhaul of staff over the past six months and since the departure of former chairman Daniel Levy.

Just this week, Spurs confirmed the exit of co-sporting director Fabio Paratici at the end of this month’s transfer window and announced the appointment of Carlos Raphael Moerson as director of football operations.

It may be the Lewis family who are in ultimate control at Tottenham, but it is Venkatesham who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the club and, for now at least, he has been trusted to shape the football operation which has included supporting Frank.

Perception versus reality​

Former head coach Mauricio Pochettino would often highlight the differences between perception, expectation and reality during his time at Tottenham and it is relevant again for Frank.

Winning the Europa League meant Spurs are in this season’s Champions League, but they are not currently a Champions League-ready club or squad. There has also been a sense that the club’s £1billion stadium and state-of-the-art training facilities should somehow guarantee Tottenham a level of success.

In fact, Tottenham’s home form has been terrible for more than a year now and there are those at the club who believe the stadium and training facilities are all a bit “too shiny” and contribute to players perhaps feeling a little too comfortable in their surroundings.

The Lodge, where Spurs players can stay after games and where Frank and Co can hold meetings, is like a high-end luxury spa retreat while the surroundings have been compared to an idyllic Japanese garden that would provide a perfect couples getaway. Whether that translates to keeping players focussed, hungry and motivated is questionable.

Fortunately for Frank, those above him also know the reality which is that he inherited a squad that is a long way from being Champions League-ready and that the club has a number of internal issues to solve – particularly culturally.

Frank arrived at Tottenham with a “no d---heads” policy he cultivated at Brentford, but that is taking longer to implement at Spurs than he may have anticipated.

Breaking the vicious circle​

Let’s say Tottenham did sack Frank after the derby against West Ham. What then? Supporters may joke that Ryan Mason, who was put in interim charge on two occasions by Levy, is free after being sacked by West Bromwich Albion. But bringing Mason back in for a third spell in temporary charge would be embarrassing and pointless.

When Levy quickly had enough of Nuno Espirito Santo, who is in charge of Saturday’s opponents West Ham, Antonio Conte was kicking his heels and ready to accept a challenge he later regretted ever considering. Anybody who believes Xabi Alonso may be attainable for Tottenham right now needs a reality check.

Tottenham got stuck in a vicious circle of sacking managers and head coaches at the drop of a hat under Levy and turning back to the likes of Mason and Sherwood as a sticking plaster to place over much bigger issues.

Sherwood was the man who warmed the hotseat for Pochettino and many Tottenham fans would like the Argentine back after the World Cup. Some of those who have knowledge of the inner workings of Spurs, however, do not believe that would be a wise move for either party.

The younger generation of the Lewis family have made it clear they want to do things differently than Levy and this is the chance for them to mark out exactly what type of owners they want to be. Time will tell whether or not they get it right, but trying to break a familiar cycle seems preferable to making the same mistakes over and over again.

Window dressing​

Despite Frank arriving in time for last summer’s transfer window, the Lewis family are treating January as their first with him. Levy may have left the club as soon as the last window shut, but he was still heavily involved in the summer transfers, doing much of the negotiating and driving deals.

Now it is the Lewis family, Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and Frank in charge, and January has been seen internally as the chance to start afresh in terms of rebuilding the squad.

It is significant that, despite the team’s poor run and his own struggles, Frank was trusted to convince Conor Gallagher to join the club this week and the speed at which that deal was completed showed that all parties have been working closely together.

Frank would also like an attacking player who can play off the left if possible this month or in the summer, while the club had been looking at ball-playing midfielders before completing the signing of Gallagher.

There has also been a backroom staff arrival this month, with John Heitinga replacing Matt Wells in Frank’s set-up. The pair were pictured together in the club’s official announcement, which was another nod to Tottenham planning with Frank, rather than without him.

Conspiracy theorists have pointed to the fact Heitinga was head coach at Ajax as supposed evidence he could act as an interim manager at Spurs if Frank is sacked. But the appointment was actually driven by Frank, who interviewed Heitinga for the post himself before Christmas.

The caveat​

Of course, there is always a caveat in football and Frank will be well aware that these are an important few weeks coming up for him – whether or not his job is on the line.

Despite the support and backing he has been receiving, it’s hard to imagine Tottenham being able to maintain their stance on Frank if his team were to lose their next two Premier League games to West Ham and Burnley.

It is not viewed as being the case that Frank has two games to save his job or is two games from the sack, but losing back-to-back matches to teams in the relegation zone would make life very uncomfortable indeed and potentially create an untenable situation.

Spurs have a very difficult four-game run in which they face Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and north London rivals Woolwich, directly after the West Ham and Burnley matches, which means Frank could do with some points on the board.


Nothing ground breaking here

- Vinai wants to stick with him because it worked with Arteta. Completley flawed, IMO, but we've all seen it
- Club are still actively supporting Frank
- The stuff about being too comfortable because luxury is nonsense, but being to comfortable is definitely a thing (I think its cultural from the top)
- I am worried about our squad building, ESPECIALLY if its with Frank in mind
- Of course things can become untenable. Part of me thinks the club is waiting for that, so they can react to it - rather than make an actual decision.
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Thought this bit interesting. Wonder if it is why they got rid of Johnson sharpish? He laways seemed to be dicking about and being immature in Maddison's recovery videos.

Frank arrived at Tottenham with a “no d---heads” policy he cultivated at Brentford, but that is taking longer to implement at Spurs than he may have anticipated.
 
dudu said:
Sorry i must be missing where he claimed inside info?

Sources close to Venkatesham believe that experience has been helpful to him in terms of the job he faces at Tottenham

and

Some of those who have knowledge of the inner workings of Spurs, however, do not believe that would be a wise move for either party (re poch)

Do not indicate anything to do with what is actually happening at spurs - it is a pure unadulterated opinion piece and reading it as anything but is naeive

Its a pure click bait speculation
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He writes thousands of words detailing the inner workings within the club, citing sources as you say, but its naive to think he might have something informative to say?
 
postbox said:
I dont think its facilities, at all - complete red herring

If anything, the incredible facilities mean they have no excuses

Its leadership, or lackthereof, that has them "comfortable"

And thats not only the manager, but from above the manager as well
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If you are a consummate professional yes. If you are a player who's pinnacle is THFC and now you are here you think you've made it, then no.

I've maintained for years we attract the latter.
 
Aphex said:
They looked like they had an identity though.
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not really, they didnt.

this is aquote form an article in Aug 2021 - 88 games after he first started

'After 88 games with Arteta on the job, patience is beginning to run out. The return of fans to the Emirates on Sunday meant the return of booing—and the nature of modern football being what it is, that discontent will soon be directed to Arteta. The problem is, there is so much going wrong at Woolwich that working out who is to blame and what might bring an improvement is almost impossible.;

https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/24/Woolwich-struggles-mikel-arteta-transfers-outlook
 
postbox said:
He writes thousands of words detailing the inner workings within the club, citing sources as you say, but its naive to think he might have something informative to say?
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The sources he cited were specifically, and only in regards to Venkatesham beliving that experience has been helpful to him in terms of the job he faces at Tottenham, and that a return of Poch would be a bad idea.

That is it.

no other sources cited for anything - if you can find any please let me know
 
Brian Fantana said:
Thought this bit interesting. Wonder if it is why they got rid of Johnson sharpish? He laways seemed to be dicking about and being immature in Maddison's recovery videos.

Frank arrived at Tottenham with a “no d---heads” policy he cultivated at Brentford, but that is taking longer to implement at Spurs than he may have anticipated.
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Absolutely no idea mate, to be fair

He barely had a sniff all year, despite Frank supposedly being a fan from Brentford

Club seemed very keen to cash in

And havent actually replaced him...

Something seems funny, but Ive no idea if its Johnson is a bad egg or if its just the board trying to prove they arent Levy
 
postbox said:
Read it as you will, thats how I saw it
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Fair enough man - pieces like this are designed to sound like they know something but really i have read nearly every single thing written in there in here the last couple of weeks.

No sources actually in the club are giving out any info other than stuff that is common sense - leaks are gone.

Levy leaving without anyone hearing a peep beforehand should tell you all you need to know about how much info comes out of the club nowadays.
 
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