Thomas Frank should be dismissed without delay, with Tottenham urged to pursue either Xabi Alonso or Robbie Keane as his replacement. That is the strong opinion of former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who reacted angrily to Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat against West Ham.
Spurs were beaten by a Hammers side sitting 18th in the Premier League relegation zone, extending their miserable run of form. The loss marked Tottenham’s third consecutive defeat in all competitions and left them winless in four league matches.
They now sit 14th in the table, just five points above 17th, having recorded only one victory in their last eight games. Since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, Frank has won just 11 of his 32 matches in charge, losing 13 and drawing eight. With pressure mounting, Spurs’ hierarchy are reportedly set to discuss whether his position has become untenable. O’Hara believes the Dane’s seven-month spell should already be over.
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara vented his frustration:
“I’m finished as a Tottenham fan. I’m done with Frank and I’m done with this team. This is the worst Spurs side I’ve ever seen in the Premier League. He can’t get anything out of them and it’s time for him to go.
“You cannot lose at home to this West Ham team. They are one of the poorest sides we’ve seen in the league and we still lost 2-1. I don’t care who comes in, I just can’t watch performances like this anymore.
“This squad simply isn’t good enough. It’s four years of poor recruitment under Daniel Levy and now we’re paying for it. We’ve spent huge money and the results are dreadful. Where’s the philosophy? Frank’s been here six months and I still don’t know what the plan is.
“The players don’t believe in him. Look at Manchester United today — you could instantly see they believed in Michael Carrick. They played with desire and intensity. Spurs don’t do that for Thomas Frank.
“He’s come from Brentford and this job is too big for him. He’s not good enough. We can’t keep losing at home, especially not to a West Ham side like this.”
O’Hara then outlined his preferred alternatives should Frank be dismissed. He suggested appointing an interim manager until the end of the season, ideally someone with a strong Spurs connection.
“I’d bring in Robbie Keane until the end of the season,” he said. “But he wouldn’t leave unless it was a permanent role.”
Keane has been managing Ferencváros since January last year, winning the Hungarian league in his debut season and qualifying for the Europa League. The former Tottenham striker, who made over 300 appearances and scored 122 goals for the club, has previously been linked with Spurs and has also been mentioned in connection with Celtic.
O’Hara also admitted his dream choice would be Xabi Alonso, though he doubts such a move would be realistic. Alonso is currently available after leaving Real Madrid in a surprise exit, but is expected to wait until the summer before taking another job.
After the match, Frank addressed questions about his future amid chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from the stands.
“I’ve had better moments, of course,” he admitted. “I’m the one in charge, so the responsibility falls on me, and that’s fair. As long as the fans support the players and push them forward, we’ll keep moving ahead.”
Asked why he deserves more time, Frank added:
“When you’re not winning, you lose support — that’s football. But when we start winning again, it will change, and I’m confident we will. The players are working extremely hard, and even if it sounds strange, I believe we’re closer to something very good than far away from it.
“Today, we could easily have won 2-1. There are no excuses, but we’re short on players and we need our attacking players to start scoring. I’m giving everything every single day, I feel trust from the club, and the only option is to keep going.”
