Arne Slot has nowhere to hide at Liverpool as Tottenham fires Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank was fired by Tottenham on Wednesday just hours on from Tuesday's Premier League defeat by Newcastle, and the decision acted as a reminder of the ruthlessness of soccer management

Arne Slot and Thomas Frank(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

Half of the managers that began the season in charge of the Premier League's traditional Big Six clubs have now been fired, following Thomas Frank's Tottenham exit.

In truth, it's been a long time since the Big Six was the Big Six in terms of reliable on-field performances, but Frank's exit is a reminder of the ruthlessness of soccer at the very highest level.

Frank can have few complaints over his dismissal – Spurs' results over the last 20 games puts them in 18th place in the form table, and they are currently just five points above the drop zone.

Were it not for Benjamin Sesko's brilliant injury-time finish at the London Stadium on Tuesday, the cushion would have been three points.

Frank is the seventh man to have departed a managerial role in the Premier League since the start of the season, following the earlier exits of Nuno Espirito Santo, Graham Potter, Ange Postecoglou, Vitor Pereira, Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim.

Nuno was sacked by Forest after taking the club into Europe last year, while Maresca and Amorim had their teams in healthy league positions when they left Chelsea and United respectively.

Arne Slot's situation at Liverpool is slightly different to the Nuno, Maresca and Amorim situations, as Slot still retains a healthy relationship with those above and around him in the Reds' structure.

Nuno's relationship with Nottingham Forest's combustible owner Evangelos Marinakis had irreparably broken down, while Maresca and Amorim had grown tired of power struggles at Chelsea and United.

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, meanwhile, publicly backed Slot as he appeared alongside the Dutchman during a recent episode of The Reds' Roundtable.

Arne Slot retains the backing of Richard Hughes(Image: Liverpool FC)

"Of course we talk about football and performances but I always let Arne lead that," Hughes said. "Naturally in a conversation I will come up with an opinion and not just react to Arne's, but always waiting for the right time to share these things is critical.

"We had synergy right from the first moment. Understanding who he is as a football manager, how he wants to work, trying your best and it's not always possible to put them in the best possible position to have all the tools they require, and that's what I feel my job is then."

A good working relationship is all well and good, but soccer is ultimately a results business, and both men will know that Liverpool's results must improve if Slot is to remain at Liverpool in the long run.

Slot, obviously, has far more credit in the bank than Frank had at Tottenham, but the standards are also much higher at Liverpool than they are at Spurs – and Slot will know that.