![\"Thomas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_GettyImages-2255002125.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPressure is mounting on Thomas Frank after Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa, with his team playing poorly in a number of games this season – is it time for the club to move on?<\/p>\n
Thomas Frank during Tottenham’s FA Cup loss against Aston Villa(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It’s safe to say that things have not been going well for Tottenham <\/a>or Thomas Frank<\/a> since the former Brentford manager took over in the summer.<\/p>\n The 52-year-old replaced the popular but polarising Ange Postecoglou<\/a> after the Australian won the Europa League title for Spurs – but also steered the team to the club’s worst season in Premier League<\/a> history as they finished 17th.<\/p>\n While expectations were mixed for Frank when he took over, the league table has not made favourable reading so far. Spurs sit 14th in the league with more than half of the Premier League gone, and have been knocked out of both the Carabao Cup<\/a> and FA Cup.<\/a><\/p>\n They do look likely to make the knockout stages of the Champions League<\/a>, sitting just a point behind the automatic places with two games remaining. Clashes against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt will not prove simple, but there will be hope that Spurs can qualify for the next stage.<\/p>\n But the football has been pretty poor across the board. The fans are not happy, making their feelings clear with boos at half-time of the home defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Elsewhere at the club, Fabio Paratici is on the brink of an exit,<\/a> with the sporting director set to join Fiorentina in February.<\/p>\n With so much instability at the club, the pressure is mounting on Frank, but should Tottenham<\/a> relieve the manager of his duties? And if so, who should replace him? football.london<\/strong> writers give their point of view below…<\/p>\n Patrick Austen-Hardy<\/p>\n The knives are already out for Frank, but I think Spurs fans should be careful what they wish for. Firstly, let’s not forget, they finished 17th last year and while the Europa League triumph brings great memories, the only notable European giants they faced were Galatasaray (a 3-2 defeat) and a poor Manchester United team in the final.<\/p>\n The picture may look grim, but with only nine points between 15th and 4th, a run of good run results could propel Spurs back into the top four conversation. Newcastle United, Brentford and Aston Villa are proof this can be done, while Crystal Palace and Bournemouth’s sudden plummets are more so.<\/p>\n With 17 matches to go, Tottenham are six points away from fifth and one point off the automatic qualification places for the Champions League. There are no obvious permanent replacements for Frank and potential targets like Andoni Iraola would surely not consider a mid-season exit.<\/p>\n When it comes to managers, there is a path of destruction which will only make the next appointment even harder. Jose Mourinho was sacked before a League Cup final, Antonio Conte was driven mad and Ange Postecoglou was sacked after winning a trophy. Yes, there are wider contextual factors behind all of these, but prospective managers won’t care to look into those details when they are contemplating a move to north London.<\/p>\n Ending Frank’s reign this early would only make the prospect of managing the club less attractive, unless they want to dig into their pockets and aim to tempt managers by making them one of the highest paid on the planet.<\/p>\n Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Saturday(Image: Photo by Glyn KIRK \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Isaac Seelochan<\/p>\n When a manager comes under as much pressure as Frank – it’s hard to see how they survive – particularly at a ‘big six’ club. The club’s huge fanbase mixed with the media speculation over their position often makes a manager’s job untenable at some stage – particularly when you’re one of the top clubs.<\/p>\n Therefore, it’s hard to see how Frank comes back from this. He’s not a well-known name with a proven track record that supporters can rely on.<\/p>\n And the style of football is pretty bad – a recipe for disaster for any under-pressure boss. You do need to give managers time to get their ideas across, but over six months in, it’s hard to see how Spurs will get any better under Frank.<\/p>\n It’s for that reason that sticking with a manager blindly could do more harm and good so Spurs should consider making a change and hiring an interim until the summer.<\/p>\n Joe Doyle<\/p>\n I think the only things really working in Frank’s favour at the moment are the lack of available alternatives currently and just how bad it would look for the board to sack another manager less than a year after relieving Ange Postecoglou of his duties.<\/p>\n I still feel he could work his way out of danger with a few good results, and he deserves some more time to try and right the ship. But it’s more the performances that are worrying in recent weeks – the squad looks devoid of ideas.<\/p>\n Managers can justify good performances and mixed results, or good results and poor performances, for a certain amount of time. You can’t have poor performances with mixed results.<\/p>\n Postecoglou bought himself time because fans could see the team were playing at full throttle and the football was enthralling, regardless of the result. Frank will not have that luxury, and has to turn things around soon.<\/p>\n Kieran King<\/p>\n I think Tottenham should sack Thomas Frank. Yes, I do believe the issues are deeper than the manager, but Spurs can’t continue playing and performing as they are; a change is needed.<\/p>\n One win in seven and just three in 14 is not good enough for a club the size of Tottenham and I feel that Frank is not getting the best out of the group of players at his disposal. While it’s not the strongest squad Spurs have ever had, there is still some real quality in there, especially in forward areas.<\/p>\n But Frank is not getting a tune out of them right now and Tottenham would be best to relieve the ex-Brentford boss from his position as manager and appoint a more attack-minded coach. Frank’s set-up and tactics, for me, do not suit Spurs and therefore they should look elsewhere.<\/p>\n I would see if Ruben Amorim fancies a quick return to management, as, despite struggling during his time at Manchester United, his style could really fit well with the Tottenham players in the building.<\/p>\n Matt Maltby<\/p>\n It’s a tough one. Right now, who is available to replace Frank if Spurs chiefs decide to sack him? It’s probably worth holding out until the end of the summer, with five big names potentially available.<\/p>\n Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola will all, as it stands, be out of contract at the end of the season, so that could save the club money when it comes to compensation packages.<\/p>\n England’s Thomas Tuchel and USA’s Mauricio Pochettino (remember him?) could also be available, with both currently only tied to the nations until the end of this summer’s World Cup.<\/p>\n That’s all based on speculation though, and what’s the point of thinking about the summer when things are a mess right now? It’s been a disastrous winter period for Frank, with a run of two wins in 12 Premier League matches leaving Spurs down in 14th in the table.<\/p>\n Results have not been good enough for Frank, who has won only five of his last 20 matches and lost seven of his last 13 in all competitions.<\/p>\n I like him as a manager, he worked wonders at Brentford and laid the foundations for Keith Andrews to be able to carry on the great work in west London.<\/p>\n With four massive games coming up this month against West Ham, Borussia Dortmund, Burnley and Frankfurt, I’d give him until the end of the month.<\/p>\n We’ve launched a new podcast ‘Talking Tottenham’ with Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor.<\/p>\n Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Thomas Frank’s side every step of the way. We’ll bring you the latest news, analysis and a laugh too as Spurs look to follow up on last season’s Europa League triumph.<\/p>\n And, given it’s Spurs, there will be plenty of drama and big talking points – with Frank enduring an action-packed start to his tenure in north London.<\/p>\n Selection decisions that backfire. VAR controversy. Unsung heroes. Miserable home form. Transfer dilemmas. The next wonderkid. We’ll have it all covered on ‘Talking Tottenham’.<\/p>\n![\"Tottenham](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_OW.jpg\")
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Welcome to ‘Talking Tottenham’ – our new Spurs podcast<\/p>\n