The 1-2 home defeat to Newcastle, an opponent that has not won in the last 5 matches, became the last straw for Tottenham. Spurs continue to be empty-handed in the Premier League this year.
Spurs were booed by fans themselves both during halftime and after the match, accompanied by shouts of "dismissal tomorrow morning" and "we want Frank to leave" aimed directly at the head coach.
Frank joined Tottenham in the summer of 2025 to replace Ange Postecoglou after a successful period at Brentford. But why did he not make his mark at Spurs?
Playing style that makes fans turn their backs
The style of the "Roosters" under Frank became a major topic of controversy. Postecoglou's high-intensity attacking philosophy may be risky, but at least "Angeball" brings a sense of entertainment and is the kind of football that fans cling to. The same did not appear under Frank.
The Danish captain affirmed that the ultimate goal is to help Spurs play an attractive attack, but most fans hardly see that. Ball control, passing coordination and total attack levels all decreased sharply. Instead of putting pressure and forcing opponents to make mistakes, Spurs tended to retreat deeper, endure pressure and react more than be proactive.
In terms of style, Tottenham has many similarities to Frank's Brentford, prioritizing long balls and aerial duels. He values defensive solidity, but the effectiveness is not commensurate and the attack is affected. In the two defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal in November last year, Spurs only created a total of 0.17 expected goals.
Frank has a plus point when improving the set play. Spurs scored more from set plays than the whole previous season combined. However, the lack of decisiveness in opening balls is very unacceptable, especially for a club that is associated with an attacking tradition.
Frank also emphasized the personnel issue, and that is somewhat reasonable. But Spurs' lack of sharpness is still an alarming sign, especially when he often prioritizes the diligent midfield duo Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, making fans even more disappointed. Notably, Spurs are the team that makes the fewest cross-line passes in the Premier League this season.
Home field obsession
Frank's start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was quite bright, with a 3-0 victory over Burnley in his first Premier League match in August last year, after an energetic performance at the European Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.
But after 6 months, Spurs only won one more victory in the Premier League in 13 home matches. Their home record is the third worst in the league, with the appearance of a team in the dangerous group. The times the public stands turned their backs also made Frank unable to build a bond with the fans. And that is part of the reason he had to leave.
Consecutive injuries erode the squad
Frank is also at a disadvantage due to a series of factors out of control, especially injuries, mainly concentrated in the front line. In his short time leading, he has never been able to use James Maddison or Dejan Kulusevski. Dominic Solanke is absent for most of the season. When Solanke just returned, Spurs lost Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus.
Wilson Odobert is the latest name to leave the field in the defeat to Newcastle. The absence list is also extended with Cristian Romero being suspended along with injuries such as Pedro Porro, Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies.
Spurs are the team with the third most injuries in the Premier League this season, but top in terms of total days of absence. This makes Frank's task even more difficult.
Incidents and discipline issues
The story of Frank being caught drinking water from a cup with an Arsenal badge is not the reason for his job loss, but it is clear that it also does not help him. In the context of the biggest rival being on the rise while Spurs are plummeting, that incident became particularly sensitive, and was further amplified when Tottenham lost to Bournemouth immediately afterwards.
From another perspective, Romero's discipline issue is also a headache. Spurs captain can create key moments, such as a double against Newcastle or an equalizing goal against Burnley, but comes with troubles. Frank has had to speak out many times to defend Romero, handle all internal matters and refuse to strip him of the captain's armband.
