Thomas Frank's spell at Tottenham ended with a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle as his side slipped to 16th in the Premier League
Ben Crawford GAU Writer
12:42, 11 Feb 2026
Teammates celebrate with Tottenham Hotspur's English forward #19 Dominic Solanke (2nd L) after he scored the team's first goal, which was later ruled an own goal, during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City
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Spurs were beaten 2-1 in what was Thomas Frank's last game in charge against Newcastle United(Image: Getty)
Thomas Frank's tenure at Tottenham reached a dismal conclusion following a home loss to a struggling Newcastle United side. And several Spurs players ought to follow him through the exit door.
N17 became a place of despair on Tuesday night. A 2-1 home defeat, combined with other results, saw the Lilywhites tumble to 16th in the Premier League standings.
The prospect of a relegation scrap now appears genuine and whilst the club ended up in 17th position last term, the threat of dropping into the Championship was never real. Frank has now been sacked and the search for a new boss is underway.
Spurs' latest beating proved particularly uninspiring and despite the considerable injury list, certain individuals who took to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch against the Magpies shouldn't be afforded another opportunity. These four players are simply not up to standard.
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Yves Bissouma
Ex-Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma appeared an astute acquisition when secured for £30million in 2022 and whilst he demonstrated initial potential, his continued presence in the squad remains questionable.
The 29-year-old has encountered multiple disciplinary problems and frankly ought to have been moved on previously. His deal runs out in the summer and it's abundantly evident he has no long-term prospects in north London beyond that point, so why squander valuable minutes on him?
Bissouma has only been called upon for Spurs' midfield due to injury problems and was rightly omitted from their Champions League squad for the knockout rounds. During the Newcastle match, it took Frank just 45 minutes to recognise that Bissouma was struggling, following some poor distribution and a handful of careless challenges.
Bissouma during Tottenham v Newcastle
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Bissouma was taken off at half-time against Newcastle(Image: Getty)
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Randal Kolo Muani
Prior to his summer transfer, Randal Kolo Muani had long been monitored by Tottenham. However, nothing has suggested that his parent club PSG were right to shell out a total of £77m to secure him from Frankfurt in 2023.
Thankfully, Spurs haven't included a purchase option for the French striker in his current loan arrangement and he once more failed to impress against Newcastle. Brought on after 70 minutes, he demonstrated virtually no offensive ambition.
Kolo Muani's sole encouraging performances have arrived in the Champions League, and he remains without a goal in the English top flight. Whilst Tottenham can ill afford to leave him out given their extensive injury list in attack, few supporters would object if he spent more time on the substitutes' bench before returning to Paris at season's end.
Kolo Muani during Tottenham v Newcastle
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The Frenchman is yet to make a mark at Spurs with Frank now sacked(Image: Getty)
Mathys Tel
The situation with Mathys Tel represents a case where Spurs opted to compound their problems rather than minimise their losses. The club spent approximately £8m last season to bring him in on loan and he displayed modest signs of potential.
However, the substantial purchase option written into his agreement simply ought not to have been exercised. Tottenham negotiated the fee down to £30m but even half that sum would have been excessive for a player who demonstrated so little.
The 20-year-old does work hard out wide and, unlike others, frequently attempts to take on his marker. Yet against Newcastle some selfish play and unsuccessful efforts from range didn't aid matters. Tel reportedly wanted to depart in January and it wouldn't be surprising if he says farewell in the summer.
Tel during Tottenham v Newcastle
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Tel missed plenty of chances on Tuesday night(Image: Getty)
Radu Dragusin
Criticising Radu Dragusin appears somewhat unfair, given he has only recently returned from a lengthy knee injury and has been thrown straight back into the action.
However, even prior to his injury, the Romanian didn't appear on a level with Tottenham's other centre-back alternatives. In the Newcastle defeat, it was painfully evident how slow the Romanian was compared to Micky van de Ven, and some of his distribution was well below what is required.
Dragusin receives something of a reprieve given all circumstances, but he isn't meeting the standards Spurs should demand. The £21.5m paid for him would hopefully be straightforward to recover as he is only 24 years old.
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