The longest winless streak in the Premier League for the club in nearly 18 years! After dismissing Frank, Tottenham finally reached their limit.

Written by Han Bing Since the 1-4 loss at Arsenal away last November, Tottenham supporters kept chanting, "Frank, you will be fired tomorrow." However, that "tomorrow" only came true on February 11th. After losing 1-2 at home to Newcastle United on February 10th, Tottenham extended their Premier League winless streak to 8 matches, marking the club’s longest such run in 18 years. Following this game, Tottenham sits only 16th in the Premier League, just 5 points clear of the relegation zone. The club’s management reached their breaking point and dismissed Frank merely 12 hours after the match ended.

During the 30-minute post-match press conference after the Newcastle game, Frank still insisted, "I am 1000% sure I will continue coaching. Right now, staying calm is essential for the board, leadership, players, and staff." But clearly, the Tottenham board and leadership could no longer maintain their composure. With 12 days until the home "North London Derby" on February 22, Tottenham is 16th in the Premier League, 5 points above the relegation zone, and 27 points behind Arsenal who have played one fewer game. Just 81 days ago, after the away North London Derby, Tottenham was sitting 5th in the Premier League inside the Champions League spots, only 8 points behind Arsenal. Although Tottenham ranks 4th in their Champions League group and has qualified directly to the last 16, they were knocked out early from both the FA Cup and the League Cup, and have yet to win a Premier League match this year, collecting only 2 points in their last 6 league games.

Last summer, Tottenham paid £10 million in compensation to Brentford to hire Frank. As stated in the club’s announcement on the coaching change, the club had sufficient patience and had supported the new manager for over two and a half months. But as one of the traditional top six clubs, Tottenham cannot ignore the continued poor results. Frank coached 26 Premier League games for Tottenham, achieving 7 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses, totaling 29 points. His average of 1.12 points per game is the lowest recorded among all Tottenham managers with at least 5 matches. If not now, then when to make a change?

The Tottenham board’s patience was surprisingly long-lasting, partly due to competing on multiple fronts and a recent injury list of as many as 11 players, as well as unprecedented frequent changes in the club’s top management, making this season a transitional one. Before the mid-January match against West Ham United, CEO Venkatash wrote an open letter to fans urging patience, but even then, there was a growing divide between players and supporters. When Boro assisted Romero to score against West Ham, the latter turned to face the west stand and covered his ears with both hands.

Frank once mentioned that during his time coaching Brentford, Tottenham had fired five coaches, emphasizing that he had never been sacked and didn’t want to tempt fate. British media generally viewed Frank’s tenure at Tottenham as a high-risk gamble for both parties, which unsurprisingly ended in failure. His predecessor, Postecoglou, was dismissed despite winning the Europa League, leading most Tottenham fans to remain skeptical of Frank, doubting his qualifications and coaching methods.

Frank took over a Tottenham side that finished 17th last season. Under frequent injuries and multi-competition pressure, he adopted a conservative approach. Last year, they suffered consecutive defeats to London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, with expected goals of only 0.1 and 0.07 respectively—truly historic lows for the club. Frank’s Tottenham style was dull, often relying on monotonous crosses to score. The team’s top scorer Richarlison netted only 7 goals, while Kudus, Sarr, Odobert, Tella, and Muañi combined scored just 6. Solanke, who scored 16 last season, missed most matches due to injury and has scored in only 1 of 5 Premier League games since returning in mid-January.

Frank's luck was also poor; besides widespread injuries, the failed summer transfer window was critical. Eze was "snatched" by Arsenal, and White was retained by Nottingham Forest’s owner. Had these two joined, Tottenham might have been different. Appointing Romero as captain to replace Son Heung-min at the start of the season also proved to be a serious mistake. He not only made defensive errors but was frequently outspoken off the pitch. The departure of former chairman Levy in September last year, long regarded as Tottenham’s number one scapegoat by fans, left Frank exposed directly to the supporters without Levy as a "shield."

One key to Frank’s success at Brentford was building a close bond with fans, exemplified by his signature post-match lap of appreciation. However, at Tottenham’s 60,000-capacity stadium, such a connection must be earned through results. Unfortunately, Frank won only 2 of 11 league home games at Tottenham; his experience at a smaller club was insufficient to manage the impatient giant of North London.

With Frank’s dismissal, this chaotic and dull season for Tottenham is effectively over ahead of time. The luck from last season’s Europa League triumph will not continue, and in the post-Levy era, Tottenham can only officially begin a full rebuild in a new season without European competition.