Thomas Frank now under more pressure than ever as Spurs continue to regress.
Tottenham are stuck in a familiar place after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Burnley: too worried about making another wrong decision, but also too fearful of what happens if they do nothing. The chants aimed at Thomas Frank at Turf Moor told you everything. This is a fanbase that has checked out on what it’s watching.
Spurs have tried hard to stick with Thomas Frank, because sacking him now is basically admitting the whole appointment has flopped [h/t The Standard]. And Tottenham do not want another reset and another “Official Statement” line about “long-term planning” while the team plays like it’s meeting for the first time every Saturday. But the flip side is brutal: keeping him is starting to look like choosing to bleed slowly.
Manchester United have just shown how quickly things can change when the message changes. They were a mess under Ruben Amorim, and now Michael Carrick has walked in and suddenly they look alive again. Two games, two huge wins, Manchester City and Arsenal both beaten. It’s early, but it’s enough to make every struggling club look at themselves and go, ‘Why are we still suffering?’
United's managerial situation puts more pressure on Thomas Frank at Spurs.
United’s managerial situation puts more pressure on Thomas Frank at Spurs.
Thomas Frank, directionless?
Tottenham supporters are begging for exactly that. The “sideways and backwards everywhere we go” chant at Turf Moor was brutal because it was accurate. Spurs looked sterile and slow for long spells, and even when they rescued a point late on, it felt more like survival than progress.
That is why the noise around Mauricio Pochettino’s return has not gone away. It is not purely nostalgia. It is an instinctive reaction to a club that feels lost. Pochettino represents a style, a connection, and a sense of identity that Spurs currently do not have. Even if a permanent appointment is not realistic right now, Tottenham may have to consider whether a short-term move could calm the mood while the summer market opens up properly.
The difficulty is obvious: there is no standout interim option sitting there ready to do what Carrick has done. Ryan Mason has been there before, but he is out of work after being sacked by West Brom following just 27 games. John Heitinga has only just joined Frank’s staff, and his Ajax spell ended after less than six months. Tottenham are not exactly spoilt for obvious solutions. And the wild stat highlighting Michael Carrick’s wins for Manchester United in his second stint, will have Frank certainly looking away. Checkout the stat below:
Since the start of November, Michael Carrick has overseen as many league wins as Thomas Frank (2)
— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) January 25, 2026
The fixture list is about to chew them up. Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Arsenal. If Spurs stumble through that run playing like they did at Burnley, they are not talking about European places anymore. They are looking over their shoulder. And once that happens, you can’t keep pretending about a “project” when it becomes “survival”.
Tottenham have to decide quickly whether they want to act now, or wait until it’s too late and they’re forced into it. Frank might survive another week. But the club can’t keep surviving like this.