THOMAS FRANK is not the first Tottenham manager to dig out the club’s fans.
But the previous two did not last very long once going after their own.
And if Frank does not get things right on the pitch soon — or show the courage that helped Mauricio Pochettino transform the place — the chances of him following them out of the N17 door are only going to go in one direction.
The Dane proved while managing Brentford that he is smart, articulate and tactically acute.
What he did best with the Bees was make the fans feel part of his adventure, sharers in the journey.
Instead, perhaps struggling to come to terms with the scale of his challenge at Tottenham, Frank now appears aloof and alone.
Second-guessing himself. Inconsistent in his decision-making — and then lacking the self-belief to put things into operation.
It seems the Spurs manager is making the mistake of taking all the worst aspects of his recent predecessors and adding a few of his own.
His response to the boos directed at Guglielmo Vicario — after the Italian keeper’s nightmare blunder as his side slumped to yet another home defeat against Fulham on Saturday — was about jumping to the defence of his player.
As Frank conceded, the fans have the right to voice their disapproval over a poor display.
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He would just rather it was a collective blame game and not directed at one individual. Especially when there are more than 80 minutes still to play.
But by going so public, Frank risked sliding down the same precarious path that proved to put markers on the ends of the reigns of both Andre Villas-Boas and Ange Postecoglou.
The Portuguese held on for just a couple of weeks after accusing the home fans of not giving enough backing to the team he was trying to build after the summer 2013 loss of Gareth Bale — being spanked for five at White Hart Lane by Liverpool proved terminal.
Postecoglou held on a little longer but the start of his decline was when he criticised the Spurs supporters for their approach to the home game with Manchester City, where defeat scuppered Arsenal’s title chances.
And cupping his ears when the travelling supporters booed a substitution at Chelsea last term meant much of the limited remaining good will was lost for good.
At least, so far, Frank has not gone down the Antonio Conte route of deliberately blowing up both the dressing room and the club, nor echoed Jose Mourinho’s tin-eared response to fan unrest.
It seems the Spurs manager is making the mistake of taking all the worst aspects of his recent predecessors and adding a few of his own.
But on the field, he is currently fusing the worst of both Nuno Espirito Santo and Postecoglou.
An attack with all the threat of a plastic spoon and a defence with more holes than a colander.
While the long-term absences of James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski are significant, managers have to be resourceful and adaptive.
What frustrates Spurs fans is that Frank’s talk and promises have not been matched by deeds — and that it is getting worse every week.
Tottenham supporters do not expect to win. But they do demand to be entertained — to pay big bucks to watch a side that might lose, but by trying to win, not just aiming to avoid defeat.
When Frank — who had planned a triple substitution against Fulham — stuck with that despite Mohammed Kudus scoring to get them back into the game, he seemed unable to recalculate on the hoof.
Frank’s managerial career has always seen him start slow, as his messages and methods are implanted.
Yet it is now close to crisis point — especially with old team Brentford visiting N17 on Saturday. That is why he should seek to take a page from the Poch play-book.
What frustrates Spurs fans is that Frank’s talk and promises have not been matched by deeds — and that it is getting worse every week.
After a bright start of four straight wins in 2014, Pochettino’s Spurs slumped with just three wins in 11 in all competitions.
His response was dramatic, dumping a slew of older players — including Emmanuel Adebayor, Etienne Capoue, Roberto Soldado and the man he named as his first captain, Younes Kaboul — and trusting in youth.
Of course, it helped that he had what proved to be a generational talent in the shape of Harry Kane, which Frank cannot rely on.
But fans will get behind a team that shares their yearning and a boss who shows he cares as much as them.
Over to you, Thomas.
