Tottenham’s decision to part ways with Thomas Frank was finalized shortly after Tuesday’s defeat to Newcastle.
Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, alongside sporting director Johan Lange, made the call—a move the club had been hesitant to take. However, the dire state of Tottenham’s season meant even Frank’s strongest supporters could not argue against the decision. Early Wednesday morning, Venkatesham recommended to the Lewis family, the club’s owners, that Frank be dismissed.
In recent weeks, a furious fan base had directed their anger toward the Lewises, believing the owners were ignoring supporters’ concerns about Frank. According to sources close to the ownership, that perception was inaccurate—the Lewis family was fully aware of the widespread discontent among Spurs fans. Given the intensity of hostility toward the Dane in recent weeks, it would have been hard to miss. But since they effectively handed control of the club to Venkatesham when appointing him chief executive last summer, the ownership had refrained from intervening, trusting decisions to be made “on the ground.”
So when Venkatesham’s recommendation to terminate Frank’s employment arrived hours after the Newcastle loss, the ownership board accepted it immediately and formally approved the decision. The only remaining step was informing Frank of his departure—a formality that took place Wednesday morning in a meeting with Venkatesham and Lange.
Frank’s appointment in June was initially seen as a shrewd move. He had excelled at Brentford, first earning promotion from the Championship and then cementing their status as a Premier League club. But he lasted just eight months at Spurs, undone by player indiscipline, a divided executive team, and doubts about his tactical approach.
Frank’s struggle to create a successful culture
Frank aimed to instill a positive culture at Tottenham, as he had at Brentford—one of the key reasons he was chosen to succeed Ange Postecoglou. However, there were moments when his efforts to build respectful working conditions for players and staff were tested.
Early in his tenure, Frank dropped a player from the starting XI after that squad member arrived late for a pre-match meeting and failed to apologize. The player later did apologize after being removed from the team. The way Frank handled apparent challenges to his authority impressed some players, who appreciated that poor behavior had consequences.
For instance, Yves Bissouma was left in London for August’s Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain due to persistent lateness. In recent days, Frank had no intention of stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy despite the defender’s social media outbursts against the club and his red card against Manchester United. Romero is reportedly more difficult to manage around the training ground, with some players feeling he received preferential treatment.
When Micky van der Ven and Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake Frank’s hand after the home loss to Chelsea, the manager defused the situation by saying the players were simply “frustrated,” later revealing they had apologized. There was always a sense that Frank prioritized his players over his own agenda, but certain members of the squad remained unconvinced.
