Tottenham Hotspur

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The 40-point mark - or thereabouts - could be needed once again to guarantee Premier League survival this term, with an in-form West Ham United attempting to chase down the sides above them.

That mythical number has often been cited as the threshold at which managers, players and fans can relax - but the total has not actually been needed to stay up since 2010-11.

Prior to that the only other occasions clubs were demoted with 40 points or more were 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2002-03.

But could that be about to change?

West Ham, who are 18th in the top flight, are only three points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who sacked manager Sean Dyche after Wednesday's goalless draw with Wolves.

While Tottenham - who sacked boss Thomas Frank on Wednesday - are 16th, another two points ahead of Forest.

• Read a full breakdown on the 40-point target

West Ham's current points tally (24) is the most by any side in 18th at this stage of a campaign since 2019-20, when the Hammers recovered to stay up with 39 points.

Leeds also look to have found some momentum with recent wins over Fulham and Forest as well as draws at Everton and Chelsea.

In contrast, Spurs have managed a meagre four points from the previous 27 available to them.

Meanwhile, now managerless Forest have won just two of their past 10 games and fans of Brighton and Crystal Palace may also be looking over their shoulders.

The 14th-placed Seagulls (31 points) are on a dismal run having won just one top-flight game since 30 November.

Palace - who are a place and a point above Brighton - have only tasted victory once since 7 December and most recently let a two-goal lead slip as they lost to struggling Burnley.

That magic 40-point mark could well be needed once more to avoid dropping into the Championship.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Tottenham's chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and the club's new leadership team will now be tasked with making their first appointment.

It remains to be seen whether they seek an interim manager with a view to appointing a permanent boss in the summer, or want a full-time choice immediately.

There is certainly consideration behind the scenes to the interim option given how drastically the managerial landscape will change in the summer.

One option until the end of the season could be John Heitinga, who joined Tottenham as an assistant coach last month. The former Netherlands defender managed Ajax this season and was part of Arne Slot's Premier League title-winning coaching staff at Liverpool.

For the long term, the most obvious development will be the potential availability of Mauricio Pochettino after the World Cup.

The USA head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to Tottenham one day - and supporters have made no secret of their wishes for him to return.

It seems like a perfect match. But Spurs will have to wait until after the World Cup to appoint Pochettino.

Even if it is not Pochettino, the likes of Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva will be available for nothing in the summer.

Other World Cup coaches including Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann may also be obtainable.

So there is sense in buying time until the summer. Equally, however, the recent availability of De Zerbi, who left Marseille on Tuesday night, may interest Spurs.

De Zerbi is viewed as someone who can hit the ground running, a trait Tottenham could do with given their spiral towards the relegation zone. Yes, he can be combustible. But if Spurs are looking for an instant impact, the Italian could fit the bill.

Sources are indicating Tottenham want an appointment in place by the time the players arrive back on Monday after a pre-planned five-day break.

Amid on-field troubles, there have also been off-field rumours for the club's hierarchy to deal with - amid persistent rumblings Spurs could be sold.

This is despite it being reinforced to staff that Tottenham are not for sale. That correlates with public messaging despite industry rumours the Lewis family are open to selling.

Combined with the results on the pitch and the changes off it, it has been an uncertain time.

For now though, all the attention is on the dugout and how Tottenham replace Frank.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Thomas Frank was intent on implementing a positive culture at Tottenham - having done so at Brentford - which was one of the factors behind the decision to appoint him as Ange Postecoglou's successor.

There have been instances, however, when Frank's efforts to build respectful working conditions for his players and staff were tested.

Towards the start of his reign, Frank dropped a player from Tottenham's starting XI after the squad member reported late for a pre-match meeting and then did not apologise for the indiscretion.

However, after being removed from the team the player did later apologise.

The way Frank handled apparent threats to his authority ultimately impressed some players, who liked the fact there were consequences for below-par behaviour.

An example came when Yves Bissouma was left in London for August's Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain because of persistent lateness.

In recent days, meanwhile, Frank had no intention of stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy despite the defender's social media outbursts against the club or his red card against Manchester United.

Romero is said to be more difficult to manage around the club's training centre, and it is claimed some players felt the Argentine has been afforded preferential treatment.

When Micky van der Ven and Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake Frank's hand after the home loss to Chelsea, the manager defused the situation by insisting the players were simply "frustrated" before later revealing they had apologised.

There was always a sense Frank put his players before his own agendas. Certain members of the squad certainly appreciated that.

But that is not to say he left a positive impression on all of them.

In the opening weeks of his reign, some players are believed to have found Frank indecisive.

They were used to Postecoglou's big personality - although the Australian had become increasingly isolated during his final months in charge.

There were consistent reservations about Frank's tactical approach, too: concerns he was not assertive enough in matches and was too focused on adapting to the opposition rather than imposing Spurs' own strengths.

That image of Frank will do little to dispel the narrative the Tottenham job was simply too big for him.

Tottenham Hotspur have identified Real Madrid's 32-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger as a replacement for 27-year-old Argentina defender Cristian Romero if he moves to the Bernabeu. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Former Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi could be open to taking charge of Spurs, despite his initial preference to hold out for the Manchester United job. (TeamTalk), external

Juventus and Inter Milan are set to go head-to-head for the signing of Tottenham's 29-year-old Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario this summer. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Tuesday's and Wednesday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

Watch reaction on BBC Sport after Tottenham sacked head coach Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

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Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he would be interested in taking over from Thomas Frank and "could do the job".

Redknapp, 78, led Spurs from 2008 to 2012, qualifying for the Champions League in 2010 and reaching the League Cup final in 2009.

Further down this Tottenham page, you will find fan comments on who might take over from Frank - temporarily or permanently - and Redknapp's name was popular.

In the aftermath of Frank's dismissal on Wednesday, Redknapp told Sky Sports: "Would I fancy it? Of course I would do it, without any shadow of a doubt.

"But I am a realist - I don't live in (cloud) cuckoo land. It is very doubtful if I would get the job. But could I do the job? Yeah, of course I could do the job.

"What they need now is someone to go in, get down to basics, hard work - when you lose the ball, don't be embarrassed to run and try to get it back.

"When you lose (the ball), close down, work together, (get a) bit of confidence, make them believe in themselves.

"Somebody goes in and does that, they can get the results they need - but it ain't going to be easy."

Elsewhere on Wednesday, the club's former player and manager Glenn Hoddle shared his sympathy for Frank.

"He's had some crippling injuries to a lot of talented players he couldn't call upon - a big reason why we didn't see him flourish at Spurs," said Hoddle.

"This is a fact not excuses. For example, if Joe Root was having to bat with half a bat you couldn't expect much!"

BBC Sport pundit and former Premier League striker Chris Sutton also posted on social media, stating: "Romero stupidly getting sent off when his manager really needed him sums up why it wasn't meant to be for Thomas Frank at Spurs. I feel really sorry for him. The problems at Spurs run far deeper. Nobody knows what Spurs' identity is anymore."

Bardi
Fan writer

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As the final whistle blew, never before had our fanbase been so united. In this social media age of polarisation and in-fighting, it takes something seismic to bring everyone to the same point, but that's the legacy Thomas Frank leaves with.

His failure is clear. No league wins this calendar year and a side bereft of any ideas or identity. As a fanbase, we were asked continually for patience and support, but there was nothing to get behind. Just a collection of long balls, set-pieces, and goalmouth scrambles.

He should have been fired long before we approached the edge of the cliff, but our board is a prideful bunch and only moved when the financial implications of the error was laid bare.

We have sacked managers in cup finals, managers in fourth place, and managers with a trophy on their mantelpiece - but for some reason, they continued to back this guy.

In my opinion, it was only decided to press the button once there was a realisation about the precarious nature of Spurs' financial stability.

A Tuesday night under the lights against a Category A opponent and many of us chose to stay at home. This is not part of the financial planning. Churning out the profits is what gets the juices flowing - so with empty seats, another loss on the record and the Championship looming, action was finally taken to save the spreadsheets.

We should never have got this far. We've been on this destructive course for so long that perhaps it is now too late. The iceberg we've been pointing at for months has finally been spotted, but the rudder is too small and we're moving too quickly to change course.

Frank spoke many times about trying to turn an oil tanker - and this is what awaits whoever we decide to appoint.

The failure of Tottenham belongs to many this season.

A bad appointment followed up by even worse recruitment. Every footballing issue at the club was ignored as Johan Lange and his team chose not to "panic" in January.

Instead, they waited for February to panic - and maybe it's all a little too late.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch - a Spurs podcast, external

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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For all the failings on the pitch, Thomas Frank did not enjoy the best of fortunes when it came to players available to him.

Injuries denied him the chance to use some of his most influential performers. And there also was the departure of the iconic Son Heung-min.

Another major blow came when the club let the potential signing of Eberechi Eze drag on so long that Arsenal seized the opportunity to hijack his move from Crystal Palace.

Spurs also thought they had a £60m deal to sign Nottingham Forest's gifted midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, with a medical tentatively pencilled in. But Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis begged to differ, and the saga ended with the player signing a new deal.

In Eze and Gibbs-White, Spurs could have acquired match-winners who might have proved priceless to Frank.

Dejan Kulusevski's long-term knee injury robbed Frank of a crucial attacking weapon

Kulusevski - one of Spurs' most dangerous game-changers - never played a minute under Frank because of surgery on a patella injury sustained last season.

England midfielder James Maddison had been in and out under Ange Postecoglou, but his hopes of making an impact under Frank disappeared when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle in June.

Dominic Solanke - the side's £60m spearhead - was also missing for months after an operation on an ankle injury, while Mohammed Kudus - a £55m signing from West Ham - and Richarlison also suffered long-term injuries.

While Frank was unable to find solutions, there is no question those absences were damaging.

• Read an extensive piece by Phil on Frank's Spurs reign

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We asked for your views on who Tottenham should appoint after sacking Thomas Frank. Here is a selection of your thoughts...

Colin: Harry Redknapp and Jermain Defoe until the end of the season. Then get Mauricio Pochettino back... but the owners need to sell.

Anthony: I think someone like Redknapp or Ryan Mason until the end of the season to try to keep us up. If we go down, a lot of players will leave.

Richard: Robbie Keane.

Nathan: Something had to happen before things got any worse. Frank was never the right man for the job. I feel for him with all the injuries, and we have to question why there are so many, but he should still be able to get more out of the players available. Put an interim in place, get Mikey Moore back from loan and appoint Oliver Glasner in the summer.

Dave: Get Big Sam! He'll save them from relegation!

Theo: Frank seems like a genuinely good bloke and has been dealt a tough hand, but ultimately the style of football was never good enough and we're stuck in a rut that demands change. My vote is for Roberto de Zerbi. He's a loose cannon but his teams play the way we want and he'll always be entertaining. He'll never be a long-term appointment but it will be a lot more fun along the way!

Amit: Redknapp for now, I hope. Steady the ship. Then Poch with some money to recruit after the World Cup. Our recruiting has been awful. As for Frank, there's probably a good manager in there somewhere but the stats don't lie. He had to go.

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Sacked Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank was caught in a difficult place in terms of style of play, says Stephen Kelly.

The Dane achieved great success at Brentford with a pragmatic style but struggled at Spurs, where fans expect better attacking football.

"Frank was caught between it," former Spurs full-back Kelly said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He tried to be expansive in forward areas but then left himself exposed. As a coach he is opening himself to playing a way that doesn't suit him. It's really hard to get right.

"Ange Postecoglou got it right for the first six months and then it fell apart because they were so open.

"It's very hard to please. But if you're winning games fans will turn and they'll be on your side and then you can try to play. But the most important thing is league position."

But Kelly does not think Spurs - who sit five points above the relegation zone - will go down.

"I don't think so," he said. "I might eat my words but I don't think so. I feel the teams below them are a lot worse than Spurs.

"Spurs could win a couple of matches and get through this. I think they'll be good enough to stay up. But they need a change.

"The players' confidence looks low. Getting booed every week won't help that. You're going to feel terrible so they'll have to find a way to turn this around."

Aaron Paul is joined by former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson and BBC Sport senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel. They discuss how the decision came about and what Spurs do next.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

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For weeks, it has been a case of when, not if, Thomas Frank went, despite the club's ownership and leadership team being determined to give the Dane a proper go at turning things round.

Ultimately, they deemed that, under Frank, Spurs were more likely to career into oblivion than stop the rot.

Tottenham were desperate for this appointment to work - they believe Frank is a good manager who was dealt a rough hand.

However, the toxicity among the fanbase and the meek performances on the pitch meant the club had no option but to act.

Moving forward, an interim appointment until the end of the campaign makes sense, as the managerial landscape will change drastically at the end of the season.

The most obvious development will be the potential availability of former boss Mauricio Pochettino after the World Cup.

The USA head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to the club one day and supporters have made clear their wishes for him to return.

It seems like a perfect match, but Spurs will have to wait until after the World Cup to appoint the Argentine.

And if it isn't Pochettino, the likes of Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva will be available for nothing in the summer, while World Cup coaches Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann may also be obtainable.

In the meantime, Tottenham want Frank's immediate successor in place before the players return to training on Monday.

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The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has backed the decision to sack Thomas Frank - but questioned why it did not happen before the transfer deadline.

A statement read: "The Trust welcomes the decision to part ways with Thomas Frank.

"While his appointment initially appeared to be a positive step, it has not delivered the progress or results the club urgently needs and decisive action was required.

"We now face another rebuild whilst we are fighting relegation. This is a crucial moment for Tottenham Hotspur. Strong leadership is needed at every level of the club to restore belief and direction for both the players and the supporters.

"The club's statement that the board concluded this morning that 'a change at this point in the season is necessary', raises questions as to why this conclusion has only been reached today, after closure of the January transfer window.

"It is clear that not taking decisive action sooner, and failing to strengthen in the January transfer window, has contributed to our slide down the table and left the club facing a very real risk of relegation.

"No manager can succeed without proper backing. Serious financial investment in the squad is essential, as it is plain to see the team is down to the bare bones.

"The immediate priority must be appointing a manager who can lift the team out of the relegation battle we are currently in. But, changing the manager alone won't solve our problems; ambition, investment and strong leadership must follow.

"We need a clear long-term plan built around attacking football that plays to our strengths, rebuilds confidence and helps unite the fanbase.

"The next appointment must bring stability, belief and a clear footballing identity - and it must be backed with the resources needed to succeed.

"The club needs to show fans it has ambition and is serious about getting out of the relegation battle, rebuilding the squad, winning trophies and competing for Champions League places on a regular basis and restoring Tottenham Hotspur to where it belongs."

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Thomas Frank's dismissal comes with the former Brentford boss boasting a points-per-game tally of 1.12 in the Premier League during his time at Spurs.

That is the worst record of any manager to take permanent charge of the north London club in the Premier League era.

Osvaldo Ardiles is second worst on 1.15, with Juande Ramos on 1.17. The likes of Tim Sherwood (1.91), Mauricio Pochettino (1.89) and Antonio Conte (1.88) top the list.

Remarkably, Frank's Spurs were third after seven Premier League matches.

Their 19 games since have produced form which ranks 18th in the table.

If Frank's time was a tale of a positive start and dreary finish, it is also one distinctly lacking in home comforts.

Spurs have the third-worst home record in the Premier League, winning just twice in 13 outings this season.

And, perhaps most remarkably for fans who wanted a change, things could have been worse.

Tottenham have out-performed their expected goals by 8.6 goals this season - scoring 36 times from an expected tally of 27.4. No side in the league has out-performed by this much, meaning if Spurs reverted to more 'average' or 'expected' finishing standards, they would have perhaps struggled further.

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Spurs Chat podcast member Chris Cowlin says Thomas Frank as the Lilywhites' manager "simply wasn't working" despite initial hope.

"When Thomas Frank was appointed, I thought he'd bring a calmness, defensive qualities and a tactical versatility," Cowlin told BBC Sport.

"He played 17 different formations for Brentford last season. Spurs thought they were getting a flexible manager who would improve players.

"This is not all on Frank - the board need to deliver depth in transfer windows.

"And the players at the moment look beaten before we start the game, the body language doesn't look right.

"Frank as Spurs boss - it simply wasn't working. Someone is going to come in and give these players confidence and put some energy back into Tottenham.

"Hopefully we can climb up that table."

Tottenham are sixth in Premier League and five points above relegation zone.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Former chairman Daniel Levy was a permanent lightning rod for the anger of Spurs fans. When he departed in September, it was welcomed by the majority but left Thomas Frank more in the firing line - and with a shield removed.

Frank was - justifiably - a hugely popular figure at Brentford, not just for his success on the field but the close connection he forged with supporters.

The sight of him leading his players on a post-game lap of honour became familiar - and he would acknowledge faces he recognised in the crowd.

It was ironic, then, that one of the most toxic moments of Frank's brief reign came at the Gtech on New Year's Day, when he was greeted with loud jeers from the visiting Spurs fans at the end of a mind-numbing goalless draw.

It was not so easy to forge close bonds in a vast, state-of-the-art arena housing more than 61,000 supporters. They have to be forged by results - results which did not come, winning just two of 11 home league games.

Frank's post-match lap of honour became a point of contention and controversy when defenders Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven brushed past him and refused to take part after the defeat at home by Chelsea, though they later apologised.

Even if they were angry with fans, the manner in which they brusquely dismissed Frank's wishes sent out poor signals, raising doubts about his level of control.

For all Spence's contrition, the manager again faced awkward questions about his defender's reaction to being substituted during the dismal 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest.

It has been a miserable, joyless reign. Too often games ended in discontent - a disconnect noted by the club.

Frank certainly never felt the need to publicly criticise his own supporters at Brentford - a move that rarely ends well - but after a defeat by Fulham he declared the booing of goalkeeper Vicario "unacceptable" and not the actions of "true Spurs supporters".

To do so - even to only a section of the crowd - was a high-risk strategy. He never got the wins to heal that fracture.

Frank's honesty, upbeat demeanour and results meant he was idolised at Brentford. It was the polar opposite at Spurs.

Time and patience - precious commodities at Brentford - were in short supply. Not just from the post-Levy powerbrokers, but from fans who simply never warmed to Frank, and who were unconvinced by his pedigree and methods.

There was no doubt many Spurs supporters felt Frank was not up to the job from the start - his solid grounding at a smaller club in Brentford not, in their eyes, the background required to wrestle with the unwieldy beast in north London.

Frank needed to make an instant impact to dispel the doubts. He was unable to do so.

Read more from Phil on what went wrong for Frank at Spurs

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Confirming Thomas Frank's dismissal, Spurs released the following statement: "The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men's head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.

"Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.

"However, results and performances have led the board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.

"Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future."

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And have your say on what Spurs should do next here