<\/p>\n
Ange Postecoglou warned that this would happen.<\/p>\n
When the Australian was given his marching orders by Tottenham after winning the Europa League title in May – the club\u2019s first piece of silverware in 17 years – his \u2018John the Pragmatist\u2019 proclamation rang in the ears of Spurs fans around the world.<\/p>\n
\ufeffGet all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n It was almost a decade ago during his time as Socceroos boss that Postecoglou uttered the words: \u201cAt some point in time I\u2019ll get replaced by \u2018John the Pragmatist\u2019 and you can all be happy and revel in it.\u201d<\/p>\n As Postecoglou began to globetrot from Japan to Scotland and then England, the quote from the aftermath of a 1-1 draw with Chile at the 2017 Confederations Cup became more and more iconic.<\/p>\n With the news breaking in the space of just 14 hours across Wednesday night and Thursday morning AEST that Postecoglou\u2019s Tottenham replacement Thomas Frank<\/a> and his Nottingham Forest successor Sean Dyche had been sacked<\/a>, the Australian\u2019s warning once again rang true.<\/p>\n Postecoglou\u2019s time at Forest will go down as a chaotic footnote in the history of both manager and club, but Tottenham\u2019s decision to discard the former Celtic boss holds a longer lasting legacy. <\/p>\n Frank traded west London for north London after the Spurs hierarchy identified him as the antithesis of Ange.<\/p>\n The Dane enjoyed a successful seven-year spell with Brentford where he brought the Bees up from the Championship and then established them as a Premier League club.<\/p>\n He did so off the back of solid defensive formations and a hardworking team who were brought together with a budget dwarfed by many of their rivals.<\/p>\n Frank was viewed as being ready to make the step up to a big club, but things unravelled quickly in his eight-month stint.<\/p>\n As Frank packs up his desk, Tottenham sit 16th on the Premier League table.<\/p>\n That is one place better than Postecoglou\u2019s squad finished last campaign.<\/p>\n But Spurs are only five points above the drop zone right now.<\/p>\n Whereas last season, they finished 13 points clear of relegation.<\/p>\n Postecoglou\u2019s side were never seriously threatened with going down despite rolling out inexperienced starting XIs in the final few months of the season once the European campaign became the clear priority for an injury-hit squad.<\/p>\n While the losses mounted in the league and frustration grew, there was at least always the promise of glory that was eventually fulfilled by Postecoglou against Manchester United in Bilbao.<\/p>\n The same cannot be said of Frank.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is easy to think Postecoglou lasted as long as he did because the vision he outlined, however flawed, was a thing of beauty,\u201d The Guardian\u2019s<\/a> David Hytner wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cSpurs fans demand excitement and attacking football and Postecoglou allowed them to dream. He seemed to have the knack of keeping them onside with his persuasive and almost romantic rhetoric, along with the patches of stirring stuff on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Frank, it was the opposite. If a Spurs manager is going to prioritise defensive tightness, set\u2011piece productivity and forcing turnovers in dangerous areas, he had better deliver results, especially at home. The margins are finer, the buy-in more problematic. It was the case to an extent with (Jose) Mourinho and (Antonio) Conte.\u201d<\/p>\n Liverpool & City notch midweek wins | 01:55<\/p>\n Frank\u2019s promise was to compete on all fronts.<\/p>\n That certainly fell flat as in addition to the disastrous league campaign, chances to win trophies were gone before they truly began.<\/p>\n Frank\u2019s side were knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle back in October – Postecoglou made the semi-final last season.<\/p>\n While they were eliminated from the FA Cup in their first outing of the competition – a 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa, the same side who knocked them out in the fourth round a year prior but that was at Villa Park.<\/p>\n The Champions League campaign has been Tottenham\u2019s sole success so far this season.<\/p>\n Spurs remarkably qualified in fourth place for the Round of 16 – where they will meet one of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray.<\/p>\n But the draw gods did smile on Frank\u2019s men as half of the teams they faced in the eight-game league phase failed to make the top 24, who reach the knockout phase, in a 36-team competition.<\/p>\n And none of Tottenham\u2019s opponents finished in the top eight and secured direct passage to the Round of 16.<\/p>\n Behind closed doors, it appears that the situation was even more dire than the on pitch numbers suggest.<\/p>\n Frank lost the playing group early on.<\/p>\n He publicly admitted so much himself last week, saying, \u201cI am pretty sure there are also some players who don\u2019t think I am the best bloke or whatever it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Foord finds form against Leuven | 00:52<\/p>\n It was his obsession with Tottenham\u2019s fiercest rival that irked the most.<\/p>\n Frank was publicly ridiculed by Spurs supporters after he was spotted drinking from a cup with an Arsenal logo on it before a 3-2 loss at Bournemouth last month.<\/p>\n It seemed to be an innocent mistake as the Gunners had visited the Cherries earlier that week and must have left a cup behind.<\/p>\n But Frank was not spared the wrath of angry supporters who vented their fury, and created a treasure trove of memes on social media.<\/p>\n Multiple reports in the wake of Frank\u2019s sacking suggest that those memes were shared among players and Tottenham staff.<\/p>\n Spurs were battered by their north London rivals 4-1 in November with Eberechi Eze, who Arsenal pinched from under Tottenham\u2019s nose during the summer transfer window, scoring a hat-trick to rub salt into the wounds.<\/p>\n Frank\u2019s fascination with the league leaders surrounding that derby was not appreciated.<\/p>\n One source told Telegraph Sport<\/a>: \u201cHe was constantly going on to the players about Arsenal and they quickly got sick of it. Even before and after the game at the Emirates, he was telling them how good Arsenal were. The feeling among some was very much \u2018just shut up about Arsenal\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Frank\u2019s style of play was valso a sticking point.<\/p>\n After the chaotic frenzy of Angeball, the switch to a more dour gameplay was a challenging one.<\/p>\n