Former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has pulled no punches regarding the state of his former club, insisting that the North London side are now firmly embroiled in a battle for survival. After a dismal run of form, the hierarchy finally pulled the trigger on Thomas Frank, but Crouch believes the indecision has left the club in a precarious position.
Spurs find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, with the former England international worried that the quality in the squad might not be enough to save them from a nervous end to the campaign. The hunt for a new identity is on, and for Crouch, there is only one man who can restore the soul of the club.
Bring back Poch! Crouch identifies ideal Frank successor
With speculation mounting over who will take the reins permanently, Crouch is clear that a return for a former hero is the only way to heal the rift between the club and the fans. While Tottenham have agreed an interim deal with Igor Tudor to steady the ship, Crouch wants to see a more romantic appointment come the summer.
Speaking exclusively to Paddy Power, Crouch said: “I would get an interim manager now and then go for [Mauricio] Pochettino in the summer, he would bring the feel-good factor back. That would be a good option but there are other good managers already in the league they could speak to. [Andoni] Iraola and even Marco Silva are good options.”
'It definitely dragged on' - Why Thomas Frank failed at N17
The tenure of Thomas Frank will not be remembered fondly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Crouch feels the writing was on the wall long before the official announcement was made. Despite the Dane's success elsewhere, the fit in North London never felt right for a fan base accustomed to a certain brand of football.
Critiquing the timing of the dismissal, Crouch explained: “There was no real connection there with the fans. The football was difficult to watch. No doubt he’s had injuries to contend with. I like Thomas Frank and I like him as a manager and as a person. I think he’ll be good somewhere else. The issue was that it just felt like he didn’t fit with Spurs. It definitely dragged on longer than it needed to. I don’t think it was going to get better, if anything it would have only got worse.”
The R-word: Are Spurs actually going down?
While the idea of a club of Tottenham's stature facing the drop might seem absurd to some, the league table tells a different story. Crouch warned that the players must wake up to the reality of their situation before it is too late, regardless of the star names on the team sheet.
“They’re in a relegation battle now, there’s no denying that. Staying up is the priority, which seems mad to say," Crouch admitted. "They’ve got too much quality to go down and I don’t think they’ll go down, but they’re definitely in that relegation fight.”
The tension at the club has even extended to former players in the dugout, with reports emerging that Robbie Keane stormed out of an interview when asked about taking over the vacancy. It highlights the toxic atmosphere currently surrounding the managerial search.
'An outrage' - Crouch fumes over Sean Dyche dismissal
Tottenham aren't the only ones making big calls in the dugout, but Crouch was far less supportive of the decision-making at Nottingham Forest. The sacking of Sean Dyche has sent shockwaves through the league, and for the man who spent years leading the line in the top flight, it represents a failure of modern club ownership.
Crouch voiced his frustration, stating: “It’s an outrage. He definitely deserved more time. I don’t know what’s gone on there. The owner was pretty trigger happy. I watched some of the game against Wolves and they had 35 shots! I thought he was a bit unlucky. They dominated the game, were unlucky not to score and then he gets the sack after. I thought it was very, very harsh. Being on their fourth manager in the season should tell you where the problem lies.”
As the business end of the season approaches, the pressure is on the Tottenham board to ensure their next move doesn't lead them further into the mire. For now, the ghost of Pochettino continues to loom large over the white half of North London.