The long and painful chapter of Thomas Frank’s tenure at Tottenham Hotspur has finally come to a close. On Wednesday morning, the club’s leadership reached the conclusion that his position had become completely untenable, leading them to pull the plug on a reign that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
The decision followed a humiliating home defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night, an evening that saw the atmosphere inside the stadium turn toxic. For the Spurs powerbrokers, including the Lewis family, Johan Lange, and Vinai Venkatesham, there was simply no other choice but to end what many consider the worst managerial appointment in the club’s modern Premier League history.
When you look at the statistics behind Frank’s eight months in North London, they make for truly horrifying reading. In a season where the club was desperate to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap, Frank managed just 13 victories from 38 matches across all competitions.
Even when you take into account the staggering number of injuries the squad has faced with Wilson Odobert recently joining a crowded treatment room the results were catastrophic. Frank departs with a win percentage of just 26.9%, which officially cements him as the least successful manager in the club’s Premier League era, trailing behind even Jacques Santini and Juande Ramos.
| Manager | Premier League Win Percentage |
| Glenn Hoddle | 36% |
| George Graham | 33.7% |
| Juande Ramos | 27.8% |
| Jacques Santini | 27.3% |
| Thomas Frank | 26.9% |
The scenes during the Newcastle match were a clear indicator that the bond between the manager and the fans was broken beyond repair. Chants of “sacked in the morning” rang out across the stadium, while other sections of the crowd began to sing the name of Mauricio Pochettino, a clear sign of where the fans’ hearts truly lie.
With only two wins in their last seventeen league games, Tottenham is currently sitting just five points above the relegation zone. For a club of this stature, such a position is not just disappointing; it is completely unacceptable. The board knows they cannot afford to get the next appointment wrong, or they risk a disaster that could take years to fix.
In the wake of the dismissal, the rumor mill has been spinning at full speed. Familiar names like Xavi, Gareth Southgate, and the aforementioned Pochettino have all been linked with the vacancy. However, one specific target has emerged as a high priority for the board: Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.
The 43-year-old Spaniard has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting tactical minds in the country, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Spurs view him as an ideal candidate to lead a cultural reset.
Reports suggest that Bournemouth is bracing itself for an official approach from Tottenham very soon. However, the North London side may be heading for a major disappointment. Insiders suggest that Iraola has very little interest in moving to Tottenham at this stage.
Instead, he is reportedly eyeing a return to Spain, possibly with Athletic Bilbao, or perhaps joining a club that is currently on a more stable upward trajectory. Losing out on Iraola would be a significant blow to Spurs, as his tactical identity is exactly what the squad seems to be missing.
Iraola is famous for an aggressive style of play that utilizes heavy man-marking and explosive counter-attacks. He typically favors a structured 4-2-3-1 formation that prioritizes high energy and forward momentum. This is a sharp contrast to the sterile and often overly cautious approach seen under Thomas Frank.
Fans are starving for a sense of attacking philosophy, and Iraola’s teams are known for providing exactly that. Some analysts have even gone as far as calling him a “Pochettino clone” because of the way he combines defensive intensity with direct, exciting attacking play.
What makes Iraola’s work at Bournemouth even more impressive is how he has handled the loss of key players. Despite seeing defensive stars like Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi depart last summer, the Cherries have not regressed.
In fact, they have started 2026 in fantastic form, suffering only one league defeat since the turn of the year and winning four of their last six matches. This success is largely attributed to a data-driven recruitment model that identifies players with specific profiles to fit Iraola’s demanding system.
The challenge for Tottenham now is to find someone who can replicate that kind of stability and excitement. The squad is talented enough to be much higher in the table, but they appear to be suffering from a total crisis of confidence.
Whether the board can eventually convince Pochettino to return or if they have to look toward a different “elite” option remains to be seen. What is certain is that the club is at a crossroads. The next manager will not just be tasked with winning games; they will be tasked with saving the soul of a club that has felt increasingly adrift.
