<p>The jeers at the Gtech Community Stadium on New Year's Day told you everything. Thomas Frank, once revered at Brentford, watched his former kingdom mock him as Tottenham supporters spat fury during a goalless draw.</p> <p>Less than two months later, he's out of a job, sacked after just eight months in charge of a club spiralling toward something unthinkable: relegation from the Premier League.</p> <p>Frank's dismissal, confirmed Tuesday following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, marks the end of one of English football's more spectacular misfires.</p> <p>Tottenham sit 16th in the table, just five points above the drop zone, winless in their last eight league matches. The club that won the Europa League last season under Ange Postecoglou now faces a genuine battle against the trapdoor.</p> <p>Betting markets look at Spurs as one of the candidates to be relegated, with <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/united-kingdom/english-premier-league/english-premier-league-outrights-2025-26-9166519">Premier League relegation odds</a> giving them an implied probability that would have seemed laughable eight months ago.</p> <p>The numbers paint a grim picture. Frank oversaw just two wins from his last 16 Premier League games, collecting a paltry 12 points during that stretch. At home, where Tottenham once dominated, they managed only 10 points under the Dane.</p> <p>Even with Champions League qualification secured through a strong fourth-place group stage finish in Europe, the domestic form has been relegation-level stuff.</p> <h2>When Pragmatism Becomes Paralysis in North London</h2> <p>What went wrong? Frank's biggest strength at Brentford became his fatal weakness at Spurs. The clarity of thought, the direct style, the ability to solve tactical puzzles - all of it evaporated in north London's pressure cooker.</p> <p>Supporters who craved identity got instead a muddled mishmash of ideas with no clear philosophy. The attacking verve that defined Postecoglou's tenure, whatever its defensive flaws, disappeared entirely.</p> <p>Two defeats stand out as particularly damning indictments. Against Chelsea at home, Tottenham generated just 0.1 expected goals in a 1-0 loss that felt like damage control from the opening whistle. For those unfamiliar with the metric, understanding <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/soccer/soccer-news/what-is-xg-soccer-explained">what xG means</a> helps illustrate just how toothless Spurs were.</p> <p>At Arsenal in the north London derby, they mustered a microscopic 0.07 xG in a 4-1 thrashing, with Frank deploying a five-man defence that seemed to surrender before kickoff. That Eberechi Eze, a player Spurs desperately wanted but lost to Arsenal for around $135 million AUD, scored a hat-trick only twisted the knife deeper.</p> <p>Frank never established what Tottenham were supposed to be. The long-ball pressure game that worked at Brentford felt out of place at a club with Champions League ambitions.</p> <p>Fans, already sceptical about hiring a manager from a mid-table side, never warmed to what they perceived as negative, safety-first football. The disconnect was palpable, toxic even.</p> <h2>Relegation Odds and West Ham's Comeback Make This Crisis Real</h2> <p>The sacking leaves Tottenham in genuine peril with 12 matches remaining. West Ham's recent surge under Nuno Espirito Santo has warped the survival line, with the Hammers collecting 10 points from their last six games.</p> <p>The bottom of the table refuses to collapse as expected, meaning something like 40 points might be needed for safety. Spurs currently have 29.</p> <p>Their fixture list offers little comfort: Arsenal away, Liverpool away, and a home date with surging Nottingham Forest all loom in the next month.</p> <p>Without key players including Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Rodrigo Bentancur still sidelined through injury, and captain Romero suspended for three matches, the situation looks dire.</p> <p>Tottenham have not been relegated since 1977. The club that finished 17th last season, losing 22 league games despite European glory, needed cultural transformation as much as tactical tweaking. Frank inherited a mediocre squad and was probably given an impossible job. Those looking to follow the drama can check the latest <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/united-kingdom/english-premier-league">Premier League odds</a> as the survival battle unfolds.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq/guide/premier-league-betting-guide">Everything you need to know before betting on the EPL</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/soccer/soccer-news/epl-betting-form-stats-analysis">The stats that actually matter when betting on Premier League matches</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/soccer/soccer-news/epl-winners-by-year">Every club that's lifted the Premier League trophy</a></li> </ul>