I go away to London for a few days and everyone is seemingly on the move. Tottenham are Frank in their decision making. Nottingham Forest have to make another managerial choice. A fourth for them, the gap at the top is reduced to four points. Issue 73. Go.

Tuesday night I had the pleasure of watching Tottenham vs Newcastle in the flesh thanks to one of the newsletter subscribers (Thanks once again Stephen). An enjoyable night bar the result, little did I know that 12 hours later Thomas Frank would be relieved of his managerial duties.

A decision that if we are being brutally honest had been on the wall for quite a while, but a decision that was maybe delayed due to their being no obvious candidate for his replacement.

The same evening that Spurs succumbed to another league defeat, Roberto De Zerbi was saying arrivederci to Marseille. Was that the butterfly effect in motion? Certainly not in the short-term but maybe in the longer-term.

The reason for such short-term certainity is due to Tottenham’s announcement of Igor Tudor as interim manager until the end of the season. The interim move not a big surprise, the name hired must be considered as a bigger one.

A former Croatian international defender, Tudor has managed Marseille, Lazio and Juventus. Nice names on the CV but whether any of those three tenures can be considerd as succesful is up for debate.

In fairness to Tottenham, they have moved relatively quickly in their search for a successor. The big question is whether they have made the right move. An interim manager with no Premier League experience - what can possibly go wrong?

A lot. A lot is riding on this appointment because it is not just a case of what happens in the next few weeks but the division that last season’s Europa League winners are playing in next season is going to have a massive effect on who takes hold of the coaching baton.

Marco Rose, Roberto De Zerbi, Edin Terzic even Mauricio Pochettino, all with a keen eye on how things now pan out in N17 between now and May. Would they want to take over a Championship outfit? I am not too sure.

If it pays off, then the interim switch will look like a masterstroke. If it all goes spectacularly and Spurs sleepwalk into the bottom three, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be the shiniest that England’s second tier has ever seen.

In the previous issue of the newsletter, I debuted the first set of Manager Under Pressure Rankings. Now former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was the second most critical of the coach, his sacking sense testing the model to same degree.

At the same time, Sean Dyche was listed seventh, a pressure score of 63 out of 100 - no immediate suggestion that his head was on the chopping board at Nottingham Forest but a situation to keep an eye on.

(Data below as of last Sunday night)

If the Thomas Frank sacking was a sense test, the sacking of Sean Dyche at the City Ground makes no sense at all. Evangelos Maranakis weilding the axe once again, a fourth name required to take charge of the team next week.

We cannot be too far from Evangelos Maranakis naming himself as manager of the club but before that stage is reached, Vitor Pereira is the next man to come in from the cold - could he play a part in relegating two Premier League clubs in the same season?

Fans of the long running UK sitcom ‘Peep Show’ will be well aware of the often spouted line that Mark Corrigan says in the image above. It has never been mentioned in Premier League circles because no club owner has been made enough to make three changes.

But we are that point and we just have to accept it. Just as how Sean Dyche has to accept that he has lost his job after just four months in charge. Was Tuesday’s frustrating draw with Wolves a knee-jerk reaction or has this bubbling under the water for some time?

35 shots, 10 of those on target against Wolves in midweek. Dyche has previously stated he is capable of ridding his tag as a defensively-minded manager, he has now failed to shake that tag at both Everton and the City Ground.

At the same time, 35 shots in 90 minutes to only play out a 0-0 draw at home is quite a ludicrous turn of events when you think about it. Had even one of those gone in, surely Dyche’s departure would not have been announced earlier this week.

Then again, with Maranakis’ lust for making managerial change, you get the feeling a win over Wolves would have only delayed the situation rather than put out the fire. Especially with West Ham looking upwardly mobile.

More change for the players to deal with as well. Spare a thought for Morgan Gibbs-White. Almost moving to Tottenham last summer (although he may be grateful that didn’t come about), now he is set to be working under a fourth manager in the space of six months.

Like Tottenham’s Tudor call, this is a huge stick or twist moment for Nottingham Forest counterparts. If they stay up, all this chopping and changing will be justification in Maranakis’ minds. If they go down, the fans will collectively lose theirs.

A look at the main stories from the midweek Premier League action. Get yourself some Friday night takeaway.

The perfect league streak comes to an end for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea. It had to end at some stage, arguably more galling that it ended at home to Leeds. Not necessarily the opposition that smarts the most, being two goals clear and the game finishing 2-2 more so.

Admittedly Leeds were given a huge let off when Cole Palmer missed an open goal from all of two yards. Riding their luck but an extra point in the bank account - four of those in less than a week, much neeed considering West Ham applied the same tally themselves. As you were for Daniel Farke’s men.

A week of hit and miss for the Toffees, an away win at Fulham followed by defeat at home to Bournemouth. The volatility of upper mid-table strikes again and just when Everton look like they are finally starting to find some traction, do they manage to lose steam when least expected.

The same cannot be said about Bournemouth who are now moving quickly out of the platform, the Cherries are now unbeaten in each of their last six league outings - the second longest current streak in the division and if Everton are in the European conversation, Andoni Iraola’s men must be inserted as well.

The nadir of Thomas Frank’s tenure at Tottenham on Tuesday, form has been his downfall but injuries had not helped the Dane’s tenure in North London. Wilson Odobert now out until the start of the season, an already skeletal squad now even more brittle before Igor Tudor gets to work next Sunday.

As for Newcastle, a win that was welcomed just as much as it was celebrated. Slight contention when the Magpies had a first half opener chalked off for offside but no doubt about the goals either side of Archie Grey’s leveller. Is their FA Cup clash with Aston Villa the biggest game of the season so far? It feels like it could be.

West Ham’s form has made both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest sweat and who has managed both those teams previously? Nuno Espirito Santo. Another point on the board, as they stay three points from safety. The mood is certainly optimistic in this pocket of East London, you would not have said that a month ago.

While their draw with Manchester United was certainly overshadowed by Frank Ilett and his bid to cut his hair after nearly 500 days. The fact that his scalp was the biggest talking point of the game says a lot really. Is the nation getting tired of this folical challenge? Whatever their sentiment, the counter now goes back to zero as United fail to make it five in a row.

A draw for Manchester United on Tuesday, a win for Aston Villa the following evening. Just what Unai Emery’s men needed as they looked in danger of being swallowed up by the Red Devils in the battle for third place. Too far off the title picture, a nice cushion to those chasing Champions League qualification - a nice place for Villa to be right now.

As for Brighton, the early sending off of Carlos Baleba was always going to lead to an uphill battle for the Seagulls. A second successive defeat to go with no league win in six, James Milner gets his appearance record or at least a share of it. Celebration for him but little reason for supporters to celebrate in recent weeks. Getting a bit nervy in East Sussex.

Manchester City entered the title race on Sunday - well at least according to Gary Neville, by Wednesday they had certainly made their presence known once more. A comfortable win over Fulham. Antoine Semenyo already looking like a player who has been under Pep Guardiola’s wing for 3-4 years and that in such short time is not an easy thing to acheive.

Fulham conceded three at the Etihad and now have suffered three successive league defeats. A run of results that sees them slip down to 12th and once again the pendulum of their campaign takes a downward swing. One win you get away with, two you can just about absorb with enough points, anything more than that and you will get hit hard.

As mentioned earlier, a ludicrous number of chances created on Wednesday but nothing more than light sparring in the grand scheme of things. Nottingham Forest definitely needed a point after West Ham’s draw the night before but those involved or watching will wonder how they did not manage to earn all three.

Wolves semi-automatic drift to the season at least adds another point on the board, still not in double figures but Matheus Mane is looking light something of a bright light under manager Rob Edwards. The Molineux men face Arsenal in midweek, Manchester City fans will be hoping they can play the role of spoiler in terms of the Gunners’ title hopes.

Wolves semi-automatic end to the season, Crystal Palace looking like they are in auto pilot mode. Cruising when 2-0 up at home to Burnley on Wednesday, needing roadside support by the time that 2-0 lead had turned in a 3-2 deficit. Oliver Glasner looking shellshocked as the traffic whizzed past him. At least they got the better of Brighton on Sunday.

As for Scott Parker - a man who still looked unhappy even after Burnley’s comeback win, is that just his general demeanour?, he will be pleased with the resilience and character that his players showed at Selhurst Park. The monster run without a win comes to an end but where was this kind of display earlier in the season? Too little, too late really.

Sunderland’s unbeaten home record comes to an end after losing to Liverpool on Wednesday. It’s now four defeats in six for the Black Cats. Then again, the fact that record was lost in February and Regis Le Bris’ men are all but safe from relegation tells you all you need to know about where this club are currently at and their efforts to date.

As for Liverpool, their defence was certainly put to work by Brian Brobbey but their defence also played the biggest part in their narrow win at the Stadium of Light. Virgil van Dijk’s header needed an extra touch to cross the line but it means a joint-record 92 league assists for Mo Salah - a record that will be hoping to soon claim for himself.

Keith Andrews is doing a brilliant job at Brentford. I’ve said it, many others are saying it too. The Bees buzzing on Thursday night as they foiled Arsenal’s bid to stretch the gap at the top to six points once again. Considering the second half chances that Brentford had, a point was the least they deserved.

Due to the 1-1 draw, the gap is down to four but Arsenal do have the opportunity to extend the gap to seven in midweek - albeit at the expense of playing the extra game. Then again, even after dropping points you would rather be in the Gunners’ position than Manchester City’s. We’ve seen this all play out before, will this season have a different ending?

After being freed from the Chelsea ‘bomb squad’ Raheem Sterling is once again a registered player. A move to Feyenoord until the end of the season has been completed. I’d imagine a substantial paycut but why not when given the opportunity to play.

Good move Raheem, hope it works out well

A few months ago, I referenced that the EFL were considering extending their playoff format to six teams. Meaning that third to eighth would be given an opportunity to reach the Premier League.

That idea has gained motion over the past few months and is now just one vote away from being signed off. There is no doubt that the playoffs generate excitement but is this too much drama for drama’s sake?

If Eddie Howe was thinking the England job was a career safety net, he is now going to have to wait a little longer for it to be deployed. Thomas Tuchel likes being England manager and wants more of it.

A logical conclusion considering the lack of options when it comes to replacement (are there any managers out there to do a job full-time). Bold by the FA to do so before the World Cup has even got underway.

While Blackburn have ended their own search for a manager by appointing Michael O’Neill. The Northern Ireland international manager will stay in that post for the World Cup playoffs (and the tournament if he gets there) but also work at Ewood Park.

He will be Blackburn boss full time once this current Northern Irish cycle comes to an end but can he keep Rovers in the second tier? Will a second job prove too much of a distraction.

FA Cup Fourth Round this weekend. A lot of it behind a paywall. Aston Villa vs Newcastle the only tie of any real substance. Salford City go to Manchester City hoping to avoid an Exeter-style mauling. We will see if the competition is still in good health next Tuesday,

Right, that’s the end of issue 73 as word continues to spread around the football world.

This isn’t a newsletter that follows the crowd. It sets the lens through which you see the game and more than 180 subscribers are now viewing it through that lens.

If you’re serious about understanding football, staying ahead of the stories, and cutting through the noise, keep this in your inbox - send it to your friend’s inbox as well.

Issue 74 drops Tuesday and I’ll be back with another round of insight, analysis and trends that matter. Any feedback or comments on this issue, contact me below:

[email protected]

Follow me on Twitter (x) - https://x.com/dantracey1983

Follow me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantracey/