A Sky pundit has now issued a stark warning to Tottenham Hotspur fans over Thomas Frank’s style of play
Making the jump from managing Brentford to a top-six side was always the big question mark hovering over Thomas Frank’s head when Tottenham Hotspur decided to appoint him manager.
The Dane has handled the pressure well, but sections of the Tottenham fanbase are yet to be convinced by the 52-year-old.
Spurs’ home form has been a cause of frustration for many, with Tottenham winning just two home games all season, while the pragmatic style of football on display has left supporters on edge.
Clinton Morrison warns Tottenham fans about Thomas Frank’s approach
Thomas Frank, however, has managed to pick up results even when performances have been far from convincing.
Spurs currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, just four points off second place and eight behind the leaders.
Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison has now issued a warning to Tottenham fans regarding Frank’s tactical approach, following eleven league games into the season.
Tottenham supporters have already voiced their displeasure twice this campaign, once after the defeat to Chelsea, where Spurs were outplayed, and again when Frank substituted Xavi Simons against Manchester United last time out.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Morrison defended Frank’s management style while admitting that the fans’ frustrations are understandable.
He said: “It must be hard to play there for the players, but that is why you are paid good money to be a footballer, to entertain.
“The home fans pay their hard-earned money and they can voice their opinion. Their opinion might not always be right, but they will think it is right.
“Xavi Simons did not want to come off and Mathys Tel comes on and scores the goal, so Thomas Frank, I think he does know what he is doing the majority of the time.
“I think he has gone in there and done well. The thing with Tottenham is it is not going to be the football that they [fans] expected, because Thomas Frank is not that kind of manager.
“We saw what he did at Brentford. They are hard to beat, they are a threat from set pieces, and they get wins, and that is how it is. So if they thought Thomas Frank coming in was going to be attractive football, it is not going to be like that.
“He knows, Thomas Frank, because he is a very, very good manager, and it is someone who I have got a lot of time and respect for, that he has to be successful at Tottenham, and they have to start winning home games because performances like on the weekend, that is not going to cut it with these Tottenham fans, because they voice their opinion.”
Spurs must balance results with entertaining football under Thomas Frank
While results are often what matter most in football, at a club like Tottenham, the style of play cannot be ignored.
Spurs have had pragmatic managers in the past, and although they achieved results, the lack of exciting football never sat well with the supporters, often leading to managerial changes.
Frank needs to find the right balance. Against sides that Tottenham are expected to dominate, the performances must reflect that dominance.
There have already been too many games this season where Spurs have been second-best, and when that becomes a pattern, the fans have every right to question the manager.