SACKED: THOMAS FRANK FIRED BY TOTTENHAM AS THE "BIG SIX" MANAGERIAL CULL CONTINUES
Thomas Frank becomes the 7th Premier League manager sacked this season. Discover why Spurs acted and what it means for Arne Slot.
Half the managers who started the season in charge of the Premier League’s so-called Big Six have now been fired, with Thomas Frank the latest to go after leaving Tottenham.
Honestly, it’s been ages since the “Big Six” really meant six reliably top teams on the pitch, but Frank’s exit just shows how ruthless things get at the very top of soccer.
Frank can’t really argue with the decision. Over the last 20 games, the Spurs have dropped to 18th in the form table and sit just five points above the relegation zone. If Benjamin Sesko hadn’t buried that injury-time chance at the London Stadium on Tuesday, Tottenham would only be three points clear.
Frank is the seventh Premier League manager to lose his job already this season, joining Nuno Espírito Santo, Graham Potter, Ange Postecoglou, Vitor Pereira, Enzo Maresca, and Ruben Amorim.
Nuno lost his job at Forest after guiding them into Europe last year. Maresca and Amorim both had their teams in decent shape when they left Chelsea and United.
Arne Slot’s situation at Liverpool feels a little different. Slot still has a good relationship with people at the club, unlike Nuno, Maresca, and Amorim, who all fell out with their bosses. Nuno and Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, just couldn’t work together anymore. Maresca and Amorim got tired of constant power struggles at Chelsea and United.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes went out of his way to back Slot, even joining him on a recent episode of The Reds’ Roundtable. “Of course,e we talk about football and performances, but I always let Arne lead that,” Hughes said. “Naturally, ly in a conversation, I will come up with an opinion and not just react to Arne's, but always waiting for the right time to share these things is critical.
“We had synergy right from the first moment. Understanding who he is as a football manager, how he wants to work, and trying your best, and it's not always possible to put them in the best possible position to have all the tools they require, and that's what I feel my job is then.”
Having a good relationship with the higher-ups is nice, but results matter most. Both Slot and Hughes know Liverpool needed to start winning games if Slot wants to stay for the long haul.
Slot probably has more goodwill to burn than Frank ever did at Tottenham, but expectations are sky-high at Liverpool. He knows that as well as anyone.
ELLIOT ANDERSON DOWNPLAYS TRANSFER RUMORS; STAYS FOCUSED ON ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP RUN
Elliot Anderson prioritises England’s World Cup glory as Manchester United and City challenge Newcastle for his signature
Elliot Anderson has downplayed rumours about a high-profile transfer from Nottingham Forest this summer, emphasising that his focus remains on the World Cup.
England manager Thomas Tuchel will likely want his squad fully concentrated on the tournament in the US. Anderson, a Whitley Bay native, is expected to be part of the 26-man Three Lions squad, set to face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in the group stage.
Newcastle has publicly expressed interest through sporting director Ross Wilson in Anderson, who is reportedly on their radar. Yet, recently, Manchester United and Manchester City have also shown strong interest, pointing toward a possible competition between the two northwest clubs for his signature.
Newcastle risks being priced out if either Manchester club enters the fray. Their key motivation might grow if Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes moves to a rival team, intensifying Newcastle’s interest in Anderson.
Still, Anderson remains focused on England duty. Speaking today, he said, 'We've got the World Cup coming up this summer, so that's where all my attention is.' Wearing the England badge now means that’s all I’m thinking about at the moment.
Eddie Howe has always been a supporter of Anderson and suggested the midfielder should never have left. Earlier this season, Howe described the sale as rushed: We were on the clock and trying every angle to avoid a points deduction. We had little leverage to negotiate buyback clauses or similar protections.
Asked if he regrets the board's decision to sell Anderson due to Premier League financial rules, Howe admitted, 'It's not on my mind every day, but certain moments bring it back.' It never felt right then, and it doesn’t feel right now that we, as a club, had to make a decision we didn’t want to make. Elliot gave everything progressing through our ranks, aiming to play for Newcastle, but financial constraints ended that. Still, we wish him nothing but success.
He was clear it wasn’t about Anderson personally, but about the tough restrictions the club faced.
Given Anderson’s impressive performances for Forest and England, Newcastle are finding it tougher to secure a deal as time goes on.
WHY ROBERTO DE ZERBI IS NOW OPEN TO JOINING SPURS IMMEDIATELY DESPITE SUMMER PREFERENCE
Tottenham sets a 48-hour deadline for Roberto De Zerbi to accept the manager job as Igor Tudor exits amid a relegation crisis.
Tottenham have reportedly given Roberto De Zerbi just 48 hours to decide if he wants their manager's job. He’s now the clear favourite to replace Igor Tudor as Spurs scramble to avoid relegation.
Tudor left by mutual agreement on Sunday after failing to win any of his five Premier League games. He stepped in as a short-term fix after Thomas Frank, but things only got worse for Spurs with him in charge.
Right now, Spurs are 17th, just one point clear of the drop zone. Club bosses don’t want to wait any longer. They hope to have a new manager in place before the players come back from international duty, and talks with De Zerbi have really picked up.
At first, De Zerbi wasn’t keen on jumping in before the summer, but it sounds like he’s changed his mind.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Tottenham’s given him an ultimatum: he’s got a day or two, tops, to give a straight answer.
The paper said that until recently, De Zerbi kept saying no, but apparently, something shifted.
Now he’s seriously considering the offer, especially since taking the role now could boost his standing if he manages to keep Spurs in the Premier League.
If De Zerbi says yes, his first game would be on Sunday, April 12, away at Sunderland. That match suddenly looks massive given how close Spurs are to the bottom three.
They may already be in the relegation zone by then. West Ham, who sit 18th, play Wolves on Friday. A win for West Ham would shove Tottenham into the bottom three, though Spurs would still have a game in hand over their rivals.
Not everyone’s thrilled about De Zerbi coming in. Three major Tottenham fan groups have spoken out against the potential appointment because of comments he made about Mason Greenwood during his time at Marseille.
