O’Rourke reveals how close Tottenham are to sacking Thomas Frank
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank needs to deliver results in their next two games against Aston Villa and West Ham in order to escape the sack.
Tottenham‘s late defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday night saw them fall further away from the race for Europe into 14th place in the Premier League.
Frank was destroyed by Spurs fans after the loss as an image of him holding a cup with an Arsenal badge emerged online.
His side have won just one of their last six league outings, and the pressure is now on to turn things around imminently.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Frank needs Tottenham to take positive results from their next two games, or he could face the sack.
Frank’s job hinges on results against Villa and West Ham
Football Insider’s sources recently revealed that there is unrest among the Tottenham squad after Brennan Johnson was allowed to leave to join Crystal Palace.
The Spurs board decided not to sack Frank after their loss to the Cherries, as they aim for long-term stability following his appointment last summer, but he could well be dismissed soon if things don’t go their way against Villa and West Ham.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “He’s got a big game against Aston Villa in the FA Cup this weekend as well and then a huge home game against relegation threatened West Ham on the 17th of January.
“If those two games were to go wrong, and let’s not get away from it, their home form has been absolutely terrible so far this season, it’s going to crank up that pressure on Thomas Frank being sacked.
“He needs to get things back on track and get the fans onside. It’s easier said than done, and results will dictate (his future).
“Spurs aren’t rushing into anything, there’s no knee-jerk reactions. They know he has such a big job on his hands to get Spurs back where they feel they should be and everything else, but the style of football has been criticised as well.
“So yeah it’s been a difficult start to Thomas Frank’s tenure and, as I said, if results don’t improve quickly then the club might have to decision to make.“
Tottenham planning new contract talks with Micky van de Ven
Van de Ven has been a key man for Frank this season, despite Spurs’ struggles, with six goals and one assist in 27 appearances from centre-back.
His fine form over the last few seasons in North London has seen other top clubs keep tabs on his availability, with Football Insider revealing in September that Real Madrid are eyeing Van de Ven to add to their defensive unit.
His importance to the club means that any bid is unlikely to be entertained, as Football Insider also revealed on 4 January that Tottenham are planning contract talks with Van de Ven.
The 24-year-old’s current contract runs until 2029, so a new deal would likely be focused on improving his wages, rather than any long-term extension.