Thomas Frank and the sense of an unhappy accident at Spurs
The sight of Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank drinking from an Arsenal branded cup should have been meaningless. A harmless mishap. Instead, it became a symbol. Another moment that fed the narrative of a tenure drifting towards something uncomfortable and unwanted.
Frank was right to dismiss any suggestion the moment was deliberate. Yet the timing was brutal. The image surfaced in the aftermath of another damaging defeat, this time away to Bournemouth, a match that ended not only in defeat but in further hostility between players and supporters. In a matter of hours, a trivial slip had been folded into a growing sense of unease about Frank’s grip on the club.
Mockery from Arsenal supporters was predictable and relentless, with social media awash with edited images of Frank wrapped in red and white. That noise would have been easy to ignore had it not been followed by something far more serious.
Romero, hierarchy and a club talking in public
After the Bournemouth loss, Cristian Romero, the club captain, published an Instagram post that appeared to accuse the hierarchy of telling lies. The message was later edited, but the damage was done. Once again, Tottenham Hotspur were arguing in public, with their manager caught in the middle.
Spurs now head into Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie at home to Aston Villa surrounded by discontent. One win in six Premier League games has left them 14th in the table, a position that feels entirely at odds with the ambition sold when Frank was appointed.
The question is unavoidable. Is Frank already doomed at Spurs?
From Brentford stability to Spurs chaos
Not yet. But the challenges are mounting fast.
At Brentford, Frank thrived in an environment built on clarity and calm. Owner Matthew Benham and director of football Phil Giles created a structure that allowed Frank to coach without constant noise. Recruitment was aligned. Messaging was consistent. Authority was rarely questioned.
At Spurs, he walked into a different world. A high-stakes club where even winning the Europa League, ending a 17-year trophy drought, did not save Ange Postecoglou from the sack. Expectations are vast. Patience is minimal.
Frank began well, with wins at home to Burnley and away at Manchester City. Since then, momentum has drained away, replaced by uncertainty and scrutiny.
Authority questioned on and off the pitch
The cracks first became visible after a lifeless 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea in November. Spurs produced just 0.1 expected goals. More damaging than the performance was what followed.
Defenders Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven ignored Frank’s request to acknowledge the supporters, brushing past him and heading straight down the tunnel. Apologies came later, but the image lingered. A manager seemingly powerless in his own stadium.
Further questions followed when Spence reacted angrily to being substituted in a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Each episode chipped away at the perception of control.
Calling out fans and protecting players
Frank’s handling of supporter relations has also proved combustible. After goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed, then ironically cheered, following an error against Fulham, Frank publicly condemned the reaction as unacceptable and not the behaviour of true Spurs supporters.
It was a bold stance, but one that rarely ends well. Rather than calming the situation, it hardened attitudes. Travelling fans made their feelings clear in Monaco after a goalless Champions League draw, then again at Brentford, and once more at Bournemouth.
After Antoine Semenyo scored a late winner for Bournemouth, players appeared to confront supporters. Romero’s Instagram post followed soon after.
Frank defended his captain, calling him a young leader. The description raised eyebrows. Romero is 27 and a World Cup winner. Too often reckless, frequently suspended, he has long divided opinion. Frank’s decision to shield him rather than discipline him only reinforced the sense that authority is fragile.
A style that fails to convince
Beyond behaviour and messaging, there is the football. Spurs look timid and unclear in their identity. The five-man defence used in the 4-1 north London derby defeat at Arsenal was a major flashpoint, viewed by many supporters as a betrayal of the club’s attacking traditions.
Results have not justified the compromise. Performances have lacked cohesion, bravery and threat. Spurs, as both club and fanbase, feel joyless.
They sit 11th in the Champions League table and could yet reach the top eight. In the Premier League, however, progress is absent. After 21 games last season they had 24 points. This season they have 27. The trajectory is flat.
Context that cannot be ignored
For all the criticism, Frank’s situation demands context.
He has been in the job only seven months. He inherited a squad that finished 17th domestically, even if European success masked deeper problems. He also lost Son Heung-min, a figure who defined the club for a decade.
Injuries have been relentless. Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have been absent throughout his tenure. Dominic Solanke has barely featured. Summer signing Mohammed Kudus, bought from West Ham United for £55m, is out until April.
Recruitment setbacks have hurt too. Spurs failed to complete a deal for Eberechi Eze, allowing Arsenal to hijack the move from Crystal Palace. The pain deepened when Eze scored a hat-trick in the derby.
Time, trust and a narrowing window
Frank insists the club is aligned, saying “I see a very aligned club. It is just up to us to prove that.” He may yet be helped by chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who previously showed patience with Mikel Arteta during Arsenal’s difficult rebuild.
But time is the one resource Spurs rarely grant. Frank must quickly restore discipline, define an identity and reconnect with supporters. If he cannot, even trivial moments, like a misplaced coffee cup, will continue to feel like symbols of something far more serious.