Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is finding out quickly how difficult it is to manage a Premier League club in the traditional Big Six.
At a club like Tottenham Hotspur, results matter as much as performances every week, and fans have been quick to make that clear to the Dane in his short spell in north London.
Defeats to Chelsea, Fulham and Arsenal have not helped his case so far, but the fighting spirit shown at St James Park against Newcastle offers hope that he can still turn things around.
While Thomas Frank’s job remains safe, we have now compared Tottenham’s last three managers with Frank’s time at Tottenham so far.
Ange Postecoglou start vs Tottenham under Thomas Frank
The Dane’s predecessor was Ange Postecoglou, who is a cult hero in north London following his Europa League triumph last season in Bilbao, Spain.
However, that success was not enough to keep the Australian in the Spurs dugout as a dismal showing of 22 losses and a 17th-place finish last campaign saw him sacked in June.
But the first 22 games when he was appointed in the 23-24 season were strong, with Postecoglou leading Tottenham to eight wins in their first ten league games.
Injuries derailed early momentum, but Spurs still managed a fifth-place finish under the Australian. Of course, a lack of European commitments meant it was a less hectic first season for Postecoglou and his side.
Antonio Conte’s record compared to Thomas Frank at Spurs
Before Postecoglou was Antonio Conte, who took charge in the middle of the season following Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismissal in 2021.
The Italian arrived with a winning reputation based on his success elsewhere before arriving at Tottenham.
He delivered what was expected, leading Tottenham to a fourth-place finish and pipping Arsenal to it at the time, while a 3-0 victory over the Gunners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains the last time Spurs secured a win in the derby.
Conte also won 12 of his first 22 games during the middle of that campaign, with some of those victories coming in the Carabao Cup and the Europa Conference League.
However, problems emerged in his second season, leading to his departure by mutual consent in March 2023 after a fiery press conference following a lacklustre draw against Southampton.
Nuno Espirito Santo vs Thomas Frank opening spell
Espirito Santo is the third manager before Frank, and the Dane has already surpassed the current West Ham boss in terms of matches in charge of Tottenham.
Nuno did not manage up to 22 games before his dismissal, and interestingly, the Portuguese secured more wins in a shorter spell than Frank.
The current Spurs boss has managed eight wins from his first 22 games, while Nuno managed nine in fewer fixtures.
Sadly, the current West Ham manager was not afforded more time as his strong start, including a win over Manchester City, was not enough to keep him in the Tottenham dugout.
Big defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United eventually led to his departure.
Thomas Frank remains safe, but if results do not improve, Tottenham’s track record shows they are not scared to make managerial changes.