Ornstein delivers Frank sack update and reveals what ‘many players’ think of the Tottenham boss | OneFootball

Ornstein delivers Frank sack update and reveals what ‘many players’ think of the Tottenham boss | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Football365

Football365

·19 January 2026

Ornstein delivers Frank sack update and reveals what ‘many players’ think of the Tottenham boss

Article image:Ornstein delivers Frank sack update and reveals what ‘many players’ think of the Tottenham boss

“Many players” at Tottenham think Thomas Frank is “not the right fit” as the Spurs head coach nears the sack, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Spurs took their recent poor form to a new low over the weekend as they lost 2-1 at home to London rivals West Ham, who are in the relegation zone.


OneFootball Videos


The Hammers had not won a Premier League match since November 8 before rocking up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Callum Wilson scoring an injury-time winner to give Nuno Espirito Santo’s side all three points.

There had already been pressure on Frank heading into the match against West Ham with Tottenham winning once in their last eight matches in all competitions.

Spurs are now 14th in the Premier League table and various reports are claiming that Frank is ‘on the brink’ of being sacked by the Tottenham hierarchy.

And now Ornstein of The Athletic, who is one of the most reliable journalists around, insists that there is a feeling that “it’s a matter of when, not if, he will go”.

Speaking on his Instagram story, Ornstein said: “It’s a critical situation for Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur. As things stand, he remains in position, and Tottenham play in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. So, possibly he gets to take charge of that.

“There is still a lot of goodwill behind Thomas Frank internally at Tottenham, they want him to succeed, but I think there is a great deal of realism too. There’s an acceptance that that might not happen, which makes me think it’s a matter of when, not if, he will go.

“Of course, there’s a chance of a dramatic upturn, but I think that’s looking improbable, especially when the fans have turned against him and the hierarchy. Also, from what we hear, many players are understandably dissatisfied, feeling that, not that Thomas Frank is out of his depth, but perhaps he wasn’t the right fit for this job.”

Ornstein later added in The Athletic: ‘Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank is expected to take charge of his team’s game against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday despite mounting uncertainty over his future.

‘The expectation at the club is that he will lead the open training session at 2:15pm on Monday and appear at his press conference at 3:30pm before being in the dugout for Dortmund’s visit to north London.’

When asked about the boos and chants of ‘your getting sacked in the morning’, Tottenham boss Frank replied: “Of course, I probably have had better times. I understand – I’m the man in charge, so the blame will go to me. That’s fair, no problem in that sense.

“As long as they are backing the players, doing everything they can to support them and drive them forward, and we will keep going forward.”

View publisher imprint