TO DARE IS TO DO ONE
Given the frequency with which they’ve told Thomas Frank he would be “getting sacked in the morning” in recent months, disgruntled Tottenham fans were bound to be on the money at some point. Following the club’s latest home defeat at the hands of Newcastle, the Spurs hierarchy finally acquiesced to their demands and in a statement released at 10.17am announced that the Dane was done. This morning, the 52-year-old was finally sacked. “The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men’s head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” droned a club statement posted at 10.17am on Wednesday, confirming that Frank had been sacked in the morning.
“Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary. Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Frank leaves Spurs only five points above the relegation zone and in the not-entirely-implausible scenario that Nottingham Forest beat Wolves by 12 clear goals later, they will go into their next league defeat – at the hands of Arsenal – positioned just one place above the trapdoor. In his final TV appearance as head coach of the club, he signed off a post-match interview with TNT Sports by treating his dogged inquisitor to a side-eye glare of such withering disdain and scorn, it’s a wonder the reporter didn’t melt on the spot like the evil Major Toht at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Spurs are now hunting for their seventh permanent manager since Frank first walked through the doors at Brentford in 2018. It is a carousel that shows no sign of slowing, even if the music has stopped playing. While the club are no strangers to an interim appointment, the precariousness of their Premier League position means they can’t afford to coast until season’s end. The Ryan Mason bat-insignia seems unlikely to be beamed into the night sky over north London following his unsuccessful spell at West Brom-in-crisis, while romantics pining for the temporary return of the vibesman that is Harry Redknapp are likely to be disappointed because Tottenham’s next Bigger Cup match clashes with the Cheltenham Festival, where the 78-year-old will have several nags runnin’ abaht.
Despite being left scarred by the last volatile Italian they employed on a full-time basis, Spurs are currently being linked with the former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi who – as luck would have it – has just consciously uncoupled from Marseille. A one-time contender for the gig who apparently didn’t fancy working with the now departed chief suit Daniel Levy, employing the Italian would constitute a risky punt for a club hierarchy muddying their spats in the field of recruiting a head coach for the first time. Ideally, they might prefer to wait and see who’s available come the inevitable end-of-season and post-Geopolitics World Cup managerial churn. In the meantime, one suspects Vinai Venkatesham could put the club mascot Chirpy The Cockerel in charge of the first team and the reception he’d receive would be less hostile than that recently afforded to Frank.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Sarah Rendell at 5.45pm (all times GMT) for Women’s Bigger Cup updates on Leuven 0-2 Arsenal, then Tim de Lisle will be on hand at 7.30pm for a Premier League clockwatch, with Scott Murray bringing you updates on Sunderland 1-2 Liverpool at 8.15pm.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We think the baby will hopefully come before the weekend. He’s a young man, over here with his partner, it’s been a big upheaval for him, but he showed such a maturity and scored another important goal for us. He’s done ever so well for us and is a bit unfortunate not to be starting the games. It’s a busy time in his life, an important period in his life, and he’s going to become a dad, which is brilliant for him” – Derek McInnes showers Tómas Magnússon with praise after the Hearts midfielder jumped off the bench to score a late title-race-boosting winner against Hibs despite dealing with the distraction of impending paternity leave.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
In these inclement times few clubs have been as badly hit as Dundee United, with the condition of their Tannadice Stadium pitch having caused several postponements to matches due to waterlogging and flooding. (Cue the traditional jokes about the Dundee United captain after the coin toss for ends at the start of a match, ‘We’ll start with the deep end’.) The most recent announcement on the club’s website about further possible delays to today’s fixture against Aberdeen includes the puckish sentiment (hopefully as a knowing pun): ‘While there is currently no plan for a pitch inspection, this remains a fluid situation ...’ Well, what else indeed?” – Ken Muir.
Max Maxwell’s letter (yesterday’s Football Daily) was a wonderful read but I kept waiting, in vain as it turned out, for ‘jumpers for goalposts’. Wasn’t it?” – Andy Stiff.
Re: the Manchester United fan growing his hair – should he just pray for going bald? And if that does happen, will he follow his club’s greatest player Bobby Charlton with the combover to end all combovers?” – Darren Leathley.
So yesterday my team, Leicester City, heaped more misery on us beleaguered fans by somehow contriving to snatch defeat from the jaws of a three-nil lead against Southampton, going down 3-4. I don’t normally condone meltdowns by characters such as Ian Holloway, Frank Doberman (aka Harry Enfield, referenced in yesterday’s edition) and historically, one Sir Alex Ferguson. But in this instance I’m tempted to request that all three gentlemen attend the next Foxes training session, fully armed with telephones, pot plants, irons and other assorted household items. These to be bombarded at the hapless team, before unleashing a large portion of expletive-laden vitriol. It would make me feel better, at least” – Rod de Lisle.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Rod de Lisle. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
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It’s Max Rushden and the pod squad on the sorry Spurs spiral.
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