As supporters’ jeers and boos echoed around the ground, the former Brentford manager’s prospects looked increasingly grim. Tottenham bosses are reportedly holding discussions about Frank’s position at the club, despite expectations that he will manage the Champions League game against Dortmund. If Frank gets his marching orders, Spurs have already identified five possible replacements.
The paper claims that recently sacked former Ajax manager John Heitinga, who is currently on Frank’s coaching staff, could take over if Frank shows him the door. Given the Dutchman’s difficulties at Ajax, the arrangement is likely to be temporary.
Among the more long-term options is Andoni Iraola, although it may be difficult to rate the highly-rated Spaniard after leaving Bournemouth mid-season.
There is also speculation that Mauricio Pochettino will be included in the list, which would be an incredibly impressive return for the Argentine.
Still, considering he’s leading the U.S. into a home tournament, this will likely have to be postponed until after the World Cup at the earliest.
Recently sacked former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is also a candidate and was discussed at a recent board meeting. If he wants to take up the North London role, he could do so soon as he currently doesn’t have a club.
But he believes if he holds out until the summer, more attractive opportunities may present themselves.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner could feature prominently on Tottenham’s wish list. The Austrian recently appeared ready to leave Selhurst Park after accusing the club of “abandoning” him and the team by choosing to sell Eberechi Eze in the summer and Marc Gehi in January.
However, the FA Cup winner is poised to remain in his position until his contract expires at the end of this season.
But Frank remains confident he can reverse his fortunes in north London. He remained steadfast when faced with questions about his future after the heartbreaking defeat at West Ham.
He declared: “If we’re not winning enough, we know we’re not getting enough support from our fans. But when we’re winning, things will change if we start winning again and we’re going to do that.”
“There’s no doubt about that. I also think you can look a little bit at the performances in Bournemouth and Villa and in this game here. If the players stopped running, stopped doing anything, didn’t try as hard, and we weren’t the team closest to winning, then you could say that’s fine.”
“But I think the team is working very hard and I think we’re not far away, we’re very close to something good. And I know it might sound a little crazy.”
