Thomas Frank believes Tottenham have only one ‘elite’ player, the two game-changing transfers Spurs ‘fumbled’
Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham was short and highly successful, but the Dane believed that only Pedro Porro possessed the ability to play for an elite club.
It is in secret that the former Brentford boss struggled with the players at his disposal, leaving the North London club on Wednesday in a relegation battle.
Now, The Times on 11 February has explained that Frank possessed a poor view of his squad’s abilities, despite their Europa League victory last season.
Much of this is down to their poor recruitment, with the article explaining that deals for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were fumbled, proving to be costly when injuries caused havoc on Tottenham’s front line throughout Frank’s reign.
The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 11, 2026
Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.
However, results and… pic.twitter.com/mo82TaAXts
Tottenham’s attacking woes under Thomas Frank explained
Under Frank, Tottenham was simply dire up top.
While in the Premier League, they had netted 36 goals in 26 matches, many of these came early in his reign.
On top of this, Opta on 12 February believes that Spurs were highly overperforming their xG, with this standing at just 27.4.
This was the fourth-lowest in the division, with only Wolves, Burnley and Sunderland having less, highlighting just how lacklustre his side were at creating chances.
Who could replace Frank at Tottenham?
At present, one of the main candidates to replace Frank is Mauricio Pochettino.
The current US National Team manager has been heavily linked to Tottenham in recent weeks despite his current duties in North America ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Pochettino’s Spurs side’s never had trouble finding the back of the net, which could help solve one of Tottenham’s biggest current issues.
Robbie Keane is also in contention, with the former Spurs star impressing early in his management career.
“I can’t help speculation…” 👀
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) February 12, 2026
Robbie Keane gave a very brief answer on the Tottenham job before swiftly walking out of the interview. pic.twitter.com/XAgtIzDTp4
The current Ferencvaros boss has made the Hungarian side one of the most formidable teams in this year’s Europa League, which has seen the former Republic of Ireland international linked with numerous jobs across the Premier League and Scotland.
However, it remains to be seen who Tottenham opt to appoint either now, or in the summer, with their top-flight survival potentially on the line if their form does not dramatically improve in the coming weeks and months.
Read more on Tottenham’s hunt for a new manager through our expert team on Tottenham Hotspur News.