The phrase Thomas Frank Spurs is rapidly growing as one of the most popular search and controversial words among the followers of the Premier League with reason. Seven months into his reign as Tottenham Hotspur player, Frank is operating in a controversial field, bad performances, suppressed fans, and lack of power. What was supposed to be such a radical break has become a crossroads of its own, and an FA Cup game against Aston Villa is dwarfed.
To begin with, one should grasp the speed of the change in the mood. The early victories over Burnley and Manchester City, which were the first of their season, raised some expectation among the supporters of Thomas Frank Spurs that the recent changes at the club to Brentford could be seamlessly run into north London. But, velocity died very quickly. The single victory in six matches in the Premier League has pushed Spurs to 14 th position, and the events occurring off the field have further increased the pressure heaped on the Danish coach.
Beginning with Thomas Frank Spurs would have seemed a good fit. Frank has come to a reputation of being structured, clear, and calm in his leadership, which are the necessary characteristics in his successful tenure as a leader of Brentford. But Tottenham no, it is Brentford. The demands are greater, the criticism more intense and patience much more limited. It was not even the right to win the Europa League last season that could save Ange Postecoglou, which stresses the exact extent to which the environment is ruthless.
Nevertheless, small cracks were emerging when Spurs suffered a pathetic 1-0 loss at home to Chelsea in November, when the expected goals against were only 0.1. That game marked the beginning of the unrest, both fans and in the team.
Then there was the case of Thomas Frank Spurs which was under scrutiny after the obvious signs of opposition became visible. Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven who were defenders did not heed the request given by Frank to come and recognize the fans following the loss of Chelsea but instead hurried down the tunnel. The optics were hurt even after apologies were made. This is a feeling of detachment that came back into being when Spence was furious with the idea of being replaced by Nottingham Forest.
Then followed the Bournemouth loss, which was an explosion. The after-match footage depicted players fighting fans and captain Cristian Romero later published – and edited- an Instagram post accusing the club hierarchy of lying. Perceptions of Frank as a man who finds it hard to instill discipline were only enhanced by his open defence of Romero in which the 27-year-oldWorld Cup winner is referred to as a young leader.
In the meantime, tactics used by Thomas Frank Spurs do not attract fans. The team was highly criticized on its conservative 5-man defense in the 4-1 defeat with Arsenal in the 4 north London derby loss. Spurs fans who are accustomed to going on the offensive with the football, have not been finding a definite sense of identity.
Frank also failed in his decision to criticise fans publicly on the practice of booing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Although ethically justifiable, the behavior of declaring members of the fanbase as not being true Spurs fans made the stays more difficult and the divide even more significant. The unrest has become so visible that subsequent hostile reactions in Monaco, Brentford and Bournemouth prompted.
But this wealth of fair evaluation of Thomas Frank Spurs should not be done in isolation. Frank succeeded a team that was 17 th in the premier league last year and the Europa league victory is covering structural problems that are there. He has been forced to endure tremendous setbacks as well.
To begin with, the Passion of Son Heung-min deprived the players of a charismatic figure. Thereafter, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison two major creators were kept out of his entire tenure. Domic Solanke has made very few appearances, and PS55m acquisition Mohammed Kudus is out until April. The frustration of the transfers brought another level of pressure on it, and Spurs lost Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White only to have Eze come back to give them a derby hat-trick against Arsenal.
At long last Thomas Frank Spurs is at a crossroad. The club is also competitive in Europe as it is 11 th in the table of champions league and qualifies in the knockouts. But home birth is obliterating that. Frank insists that the club is very aligned behind the scenes, however, alignment needs to be in performances.
Frank can be given time with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham being known to be patient. Nevertheless, time will not put a discontented fanbase into relaxation. Victories, power and a more defined football identity are much needed. Thomas Frank Spurs is a narrative that is still awaiting its conclusion in the next few weeks: it is a narrative of redemption, or it is a tale of how a coach got bogged down in the issues of having Tottenham Hotspur on his shoulders.
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