FA Cup Exit
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Tottenham faced a disappointing FA Cup exit on Saturday, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, intensifying the scrutiny on Thomas Frank’s troubled management at the North London club. This result contributes to a dismal run for Spurs, who have managed to secure just one win in their last seven matches across all competitions.
The pressure is mounting on Frank, with speculation growing that the former Brentford boss may soon be dismissed. Appointed less than 200 days ago as the successor to Ange Postecoglou, fresh statistics reveal just how much the team has struggled under his leadership, raising the possibility of the club hiring their third manager in under a year.
Following the defeat to Villa, Frank’s record stands at 12 wins, eight draws, and 12 losses from 31 matches in charge, leading to a concerning average of just 1.32 points per game. This represents a 13% decline from his predecessor’s average of 1.52 points per game and falls significantly short compared to past managers.
In fact, Frank’s performance marks the lowest points-per-game ratio for any permanent Spurs manager in over 20 years, falling behind Juande Ramos, who recorded 1.35 PPG during his tumultuous tenure in 2007-2008. When compared to the successful era under Mauricio Pochettino (1.84 PPG) and the more pragmatic approaches of José Mourinho (1.77 PPG) and Antonio Conte (1.78 PPG), Frank’s results are stark. His inconsistency has even seen him fall short of Nuno Espírito Santo, who averaged 1.65 PPG before his exit in 2021.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will take action following Saturday’s loss. However, the early portion of Frank’s tenure suggests that he may be struggling to handle the pressures of the role or to motivate his team effectively. Currently, he stands as the least successful Tottenham manager in the past two decades—an unenviable statistic that will be hard to overcome.
