Frank sacked by Spurs after eight months in charge

Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham after just under eight months in charge following their dismal 2-1 defeat at home against Newcastle on Tuesday.

Spurs are 16th in the Premier League and just five points above the relegation zone following a dreadful run of form.

The north London side are winless in their past eight Premier League games - their longest run without a victory since October 2008.

They have won just two of their past 17 league matches and picked up only 12 points in that time.

Tottenham said they had been "determined to give Frank the time and support needed to build for the future together", but recent results meant "a change at this point is necessary".

Frank took over as head coach in June after Ange Postecoglou was sacked and signed a deal until 2028, but proved unable to notably improve the club's league form despite strong results in European competition.

Against a mixed Premier League record of seven wins, eight draws and 11 defeats this season, the Dane led Spurs to automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League by finishing fourth in the group stage.

However, they are out of both domestic cup competitions, having been beaten by Newcastle in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in October and Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round last month.

"Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward," Tottenham said.

"We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future."

Despite the loss to Newcastle, Frank still expected to be in charge for the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February.

Asked by TNT Sports on Tuesday night if his job was under threat, Frank said: "I spoke to them [the owners] yesterday, so no.

"I understand the frustration and the easiest thing is to point at me. That's part of the job unfortunately.

"I will work day and night to turn this around but it is not just one person. There is no doubt we need to improve and I need to be part of that."

Spurs were loudly booed after the defeats at home by Newcastle and fellow strugglers West Ham in the past few weeks.

Frank was also taunted by his own fans with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" during the loss to West Ham and the 2-2 draw at Burnley that followed.

News of his sacking was greeted positively by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust, although it warned that his departure alone will not be enough to turn Spurs' fortunes around.

"The Trust welcomes the decision to part ways with Thomas Frank," it said.

"The immediate priority must be appointing a manager who can lift the team out of the relegation battle we are currently in.

"But changing the manager alone won't solve our problems; ambition, investment and strong leadership must follow.

"The next appointment must bring stability, belief and a clear footballing identity - and it must be backed with the resources needed to succeed."

After the draw at home to Manchester City at the start of February - when Spurs were booed off at half-time while 2-0 down before fighting back to draw 2-2 - captain Cristian Romero criticised Tottenham's board, calling it "disgraceful" that the club only had 11 fit senior players available for the match.

The Argentine received a straight red card - his second of the season - in their next match as Manchester United won 2-0.

Spurs won five, drew two and lost just one of their eight Champions League group stage matches - that defeat coming away to holders Paris St-Germain.

However, their Premier League form has been largely poor since November, including a damaging 4-1 defeat by north London rivals Arsenal and a woeful 3-0 loss at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

Last month Frank said he felt trusted by the board but BBC Sport understands he was already under significant internal scrutiny and at least one member of the club's executive had raised the option of ending his reign.

Tottenham took just 10 points at home in the league under Frank, but had a better away record, claiming 19 points from 13 matches on the road.

Prior to joining Tottenham, Frank spent seven years in charge of Brentford, guiding the Bees from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021.

The 52-year-old's tenure at Spurs started with a Uefa Super Cup defeat on penalties by PSG, with Spurs having booked their place in the match courtesy of winning the Europa League under Australian Postecoglou last season.

Tottenham beat Burnley, Manchester City and West Ham in their opening four league games, while also beating Villarreal in the Champions League. But they could not build on that start and Frank's style of play never won over fans.

He was hampered by extensive injury issues this season though, with Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison among those out long term.

Spurs are also without suspended captain Romero for the next three Premier League matches.

For weeks it has been a case of when, not if, Thomas Frank went, despite the club's ownership and leadership team being determined to give Frank a proper go at turning things round.

Ultimately they deemed that, under Frank, Spurs were more likely to career into oblivion than stop the rot.

Tottenham were desperate for this appointment to work - they believe Frank is a good manager who was dealt a rough hand.

However, the toxicity amongst the fanbase and the meek performances on the pitch meant the club had no option but to act.

Moving forward, an interim appointment until the end of the campaign makes sense, as the managerial landscape will change drastically at the end of the season.

The most obvious development will be the potential availability of former boss Mauricio Pochettino after the World Cup.

The USA head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to the club one day and supporters have made clear their wishes for him to return.

It seems like a perfect match, but Spurs will have to wait until after the World Cup to appoint Pochettino.

And if it isn't Pochettino, the likes of Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva will be available for nothing in the summer, while World Cup coaches Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann may also be obtainable.

In the meantime, Tottenham want Frank's immediate successor in place before the players return to training on Monday.