Thomas Frank annoyed Tottenham players who wanted him to ‘shut up about Arsenal’ | Football | Sport

They currently sit 16th in the table and are at serious risk of being dragged into another relegation battle following their 17th-placed finish last season. Despite their dreadful league form, Spurs are into the knockout stages of the Champions League after sailing through the league phase in fourth place. However, their exploits in Europe weren’t enough to save Frank from being given the boot.

After his sacking was confirmed, it emerged that some Tottenham players were reportedly annoyed over his repeated praise of their greatest rivals.

According to The Telegraph, the Dane was ‘constantly going on about Arsenal’ and made a point of noting how good they were after Tottenham’s chastening 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium in November.

The report adds that many players grew tired of this approach and the feeling among some was very much ‘just shut up about Arsenal’.

Others were left ‘dismayed’ when pictures emerged of Frank holding an Arsenal coffee cup as he walked around the Vitality Stadium before Tottenham’s defeat to Bournemouth.

He later insisted that he hadn’t noticed the Gunners badge on the cup he was holding, saying: “It’s fair to say that not winning every single football match, it would be absolutely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal on it.

“They’ve been in the changing room the game before us. It’s normal to say ‘give me a cup of espresso’ before every game.

“I think it’s a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question like that. We are definitely going in the wrong direction if we are worrying about me having a cup of another club. Of course I wouldn’t do that, that would be really stupid.”

It’s claimed that memes depicting Frank as an obsessive Arsenal fan were shared among Tottenham players and staff in the aftermath of that embarrassing moment.

Just last week, the sacked Spurs boss admitted that he thought some of his players weren’t convinced he was the right man for the job.

He said: “I am pretty sure there are also some players who don’t think I am the best bloke or whatever it is, but as long as they work hard and do everything they can on the pitch then I am happy.

“Is the feeling better if everyone is aligned and happy and likes each other? Probably, but it is all about the performances on the pitch.”