Thomas Frank has been relieved of his duties at Tottenham Hotspur after a shocking performance in the Premier League. But some of his players don’t seem to be fully on board with his plans.
Thomas Frank was embarrassingly spotted drinking out of the Arsenal cup earlier this season (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA, Getty Images)
Manager Thomas Frank repeatedly discussed Arsenal before his sacking, reportedly irritating the Tottenham Hotspur squad. The former Brentford manager was sacked on Wednesday, just hours after Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle United.
It was the final straw following a disastrous run in which the north London club won just seven of their 26 Premier League games. They were winless in their last eight games in the top flight under Frank.
Spurs currently sit 16th in the table and face real danger of being drawn into another relegation scrap after finishing 17th last season. Despite their worst domestic performance, Spurs advanced to the Champions League knockout stage after finishing fourth in the league.
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Nevertheless, their track record in Europe proved insufficient to prevent Frank’s departure. After his sacking was confirmed, it became clear that some Tottenham players were unhappy with him continuing to praise their fiercest rivals.
“I always talk about Arsenal,” the Dane said, according to the Telegraph, highlighting how well they had played after their humiliating 4-1 loss to Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium in November. The report suggests that many players were fed up with this tactic, and there was essentially a feeling among some players to “just keep quiet about Arsenal”.
Some felt “disappointed” when a photo emerged of Frank walking around the Vitality Stadium holding an Arsenal coffee cup before Tottenham’s defeat to Bournemouth. He then claimed that he did not see the Arsenal emblem on the cup he was clutching, explaining: “It’s fair to say it’s completely stupid to pick up a cup with Arsenal on it when you haven’t won every football match.”
“They were in the changing room in the game before us. It’s normal to say before every game, ‘Give me an espresso, please.’ I think it’s a little sad in football that you have to be asked that question.”
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“If I’m worried about drinking another club’s cup, I’m definitely going in the wrong direction. Of course I wouldn’t do that. That would be really stupid.”
Following the heinous incident, a meme depicting Frank as a passionate Arsenal supporter was reportedly circulated among Tottenham players and staff. Just last week, the recently sacked Spurs manager confessed that he believed some in the squad were doubting his suitability for the role.
The 2-1 defeat against Newcastle was the straw that broke the camel’s back (Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport, CameraSport via Getty Images)
“I think some players don’t think I’m the best player and whatever it is, as long as they work hard and give their all on the pitch, I’m happy. Wouldn’t it feel better if everyone was aligned and happy and liked each other? Maybe so, but it all depends on how they perform on the pitch,” he said.
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