Tottenham Hotspur have sacked Thomas Frank after just under eight months in charge, bringing a swift end to a turbulent reign that leaves the club staring nervously at the Premier League table.

The decision follows a damaging 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night, a result that proved the final straw for the Spurs hierarchy. With the North London side languishing 16th in the Premier League and only five points above the relegation zone, the pressure had become unbearable.

What began as a summer of cautious optimism has spiralled into a winter of discontent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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The statistics paint a bleak picture. Tottenham are winless in their past eight Premier League matches, their longest stretch without a league victory since October 2008. Even more alarming is a broader run of just two wins in their last 17 league outings, yielding a meagre 12 points.

For a club that started the campaign with ambitions of re-establishing itself among England’s elite, such form is simply untenable.

Home performances in particular have fuelled supporter unrest. Spurs collected just 10 points from league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Frank, an astonishingly poor return for a club that has long prided itself on attacking verve in front of its own fans.

Their away form was marginally more respectable, with 19 points from 13 matches on the road, but it was never enough to offset the damage done on home soil.

The boos that rang out after recent defeats to Newcastle United and West Ham United were not isolated incidents. They were the soundtrack of a fanbase losing patience.

Ironically, Frank’s side showed resilience and quality on the European stage. Tottenham secured automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League by finishing fourth in their group, winning five and drawing two of their eight matches.

Their only group-stage defeat came away to holders Paris St-Germain, a respectable outcome in isolation.

Yet strong European nights could not disguise the growing domestic malaise. Spurs were eliminated from both domestic cup competitions, falling to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup fourth round and Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.

The gulf between continental competence and league fragility was stark.

The relationship between Frank and the supporters deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks. During the defeat to West Ham United, chants of "you’re getting sacked in the morning" echoed around the ground. Similar frustration surfaced in the 2-2 draw at Burnley, a match that did little to ease concerns.

After being booed off at half-time while trailing 2-0 to Manchester City, Spurs did rally to secure a 2-2 draw. But even that comeback could not shift the mood.

Club captain Cristian Romero added fuel to the fire by criticising the board after that City match, describing it as “disgraceful” that only 11 fit senior players were available. The Argentine’s comments highlighted deeper tensions within the club’s structure.

His subsequent straight red card against Manchester United on 7 February, a match Spurs lost 2-0, compounded matters. It was Romero’s second dismissal of the season and leaves him suspended for three crucial league fixtures, including the looming north London derby against Arsenal.

The sense of a perfect storm gathering around the club was impossible to ignore.

Frank’s defenders will point to an extensive injury list that severely limited his options throughout the campaign.

Long-term absentees have included Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. Losing that calibre of player would destabilise most squads in the division.

However, while injuries offer context, they do not fully excuse the scale of the decline. Performances since November have frequently lacked intensity and cohesion. Heavy defeats to rivals Arsenal and struggling Nottingham Forest underlined structural weaknesses that opponents exploited with ease.

Frank’s style of play never truly captured the imagination of Spurs supporters. After the progressive football associated with the previous regime, many fans struggled to embrace a more pragmatic approach that yielded few tangible rewards in the league.

Frank arrived in June after the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou, signing a contract that ran until 2028. His appointment was framed as a steadying move. After seven years at Brentford, where he guided the club from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021, he had built a reputation as an astute tactician and strong man-manager.

His tenure began with a Uefa Super Cup defeat on penalties to Paris St-Germain, a match Spurs qualified for by winning the Europa League under Postecoglou the previous season.

Early league victories over Burnley, Manchester City and West Ham United suggested momentum. A Champions League win against Villarreal added further optimism.

But consistency never followed. The promising start dissolved into uncertainty, and BBC Sport understands that internal scrutiny had intensified well before this week’s defeat to Newcastle United.

At least one member of the club’s executive team is believed to have raised the possibility of ending Frank’s reign prior to Tuesday’s loss.

Sitting 16th and only five points above the drop zone, Tottenham find themselves in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory.

While the bottom three remain within reach, Spurs’ stature and resources make genuine relegation unthinkable for many observers. Yet the Premier League has punished complacency before.

The immediate priority will be to stabilise results and restore confidence before the fixture list intensifies. The north London derby against Arsenal looms large, and any further slide could deepen anxiety.

Attention now turns to the identity of Frank’s successor. The board must balance urgency with long-term planning.

Do they seek an experienced firefighter to steer the club clear of danger? Or do they return to a progressive, attacking philosophy designed to reconnect the team with its supporters?

Whatever the choice, the next appointment will define the direction of this project.

For now, the Frank experiment is over. Eight months that began with cautious belief have ended in boos and recrimination.

For Tottenham Hotspur, the challenge is no longer about chasing the Champions League places. It is about rediscovering stability, identity and pride before the season slips entirely out of control.