Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is under increasing pressure to remain in charge.
Discussions have reportedly taken place at board level over whether Frank should continue playing after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to West Ham.
Spurs management are said to be looking at all options at this point, but no final decision has been made yet.
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Thomas Frank admits he is ‘so sore’ after Spurs lost 2-1 at home to West Ham.
The Spurs board are keen to stick to their long-term plan involving Frank, which has always been the plan, but Saturday’s defeat has reached a new level of toxicity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
There were reports of fans clashing with each other outside the ground, and footage emerged on social media of a fan approaching co-owner Vivian Lewis in the hospitality section to air his feelings about Frank’s future.
Unlike most managers who have lost their jobs this season, Frank has tried to remain positive while recognizing that this is a difficult time for the club.
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WATCH FREE: Highlights of West Ham’s win over Tottenham in the Premier League
He explained that it was an attempt to change the “super tanker” and was starting to move in the right direction. But that did not show up in Saturday’s result for relegation-threatened rivals West Ham, who ended a 10-game winless league run.
Not all the blame can be placed on Frank. The club is in a transitional phase following the post-Daniel Levy era, with a new captain steering the ship and new staff still finding their feet in many areas.
But either way, this feels like a key moment for Tottenham and they will carefully consider their next steps ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League home game against Borussia Dortmund.
Although he was booed by his own fans and fired, Frank fought back.
Frank, under pressure, was defiant despite loud boos from fans chanting ‘you’ll be sacked in the morning’ after the 2-1 home loss to West Ham.
Callum Wilson’s last-gasp winner sparked toxic scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the South Stand called on the Dane to play after a run of eight defeats in 14 games.
On Sunday morning, Spurs CEO Vinay Venkatesham arrived at the training ground with Frank and the players.
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Tim Sherwood questions whether Tottenham can sack Frank after their loss to West Ham.
In the post-game press conference, Frank responded to the boos and chants: “Of course I’ve had better days. I understand that. I’m in charge, so the blame falls on me. That’s fair and in that sense it doesn’t matter.”
“As long as they support their players and are committed to supporting them and moving them forward, we will continue to move forward.”
Frank was surprisingly upbeat in his postgame press conference. Spurs likened his job to being a “super tank” as he finished 14th in the table, 10 points above the drop zone.
Ahead of kick-off, Venkatesham published an open letter in the matchday program addressing a number of issues, including relations with fans and player dealings.
“I looked at the letter and I found six or eight positive things in it that weren’t negative,” Frank said.
“What I took away from that letter is that the club, with Vinai at the head, the management is working together and knows that this is a big transition step and a super tank. We are moving in the right direction.
“And some shows have a lot of good signs behind the scenes as well.
Frank is under increasing pressure.
“Of course, in football if you lose to one of your rivals in the last minute, it will be very emotional and there will be noise.
“And we just have to stay away from the noise, put (our) heads down and keep walking and keep doing the right thing.”
Frank also faced questions about the team leak on Friday, but insisted he wasn’t worried.
The Dane also believes his side are “close to something very good” despite their winless start to 2026.
When asked why he needed to spend more time, Frank said: “We know that if we don’t win enough, we don’t get enough support from the fans.
“But when we win, when we start winning again, that will change. We will, there’s no doubt about it. And I think you just have to look at the performance.
“Let’s say Bournemouth and Villa and this game, if the players stopped running or didn’t do anything or didn’t try hard, we weren’t the closest team to winning and I would say that’s OK, but I think the team is working very hard.
“And I still think we’re getting closer to something very good than further away, and I know that sounds a little strange.
He added, “I can sit here and promise you that I’m giving it my all every day.”
“I feel the trust of everyone. There is only one way: to keep going.”
how sky sports We reported on Tottenham fans’ reaction to Frank.
Thomas Frank has been in charge at Spurs for seven months.
Sky Sports’ Oliver Yu at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:
After West Ham scored in the second half: “Home fans are singing ‘Sacked in the morning’ to Thomas Frank, who remains in his seat. As West Ham fans celebrate, a large-scale exodus is taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”
Full time: “The booing subsides and then starts again. The fans gathered in the press box are also conveying their feelings.
“Then Frank heads into the tunnel to applause. He gets booed again and there’s another chorus of ‘Fired in the morning’. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.”
Tottenham matches in January and February
Tuesday: Borussia Dortmund (h), Champions League – 8pm kick-off
Saturday: Burnley (a), Premier League – 3pm kick-off
28 January: Eintracht Frankfurt(a), Champions League – 8pm kick-off
February 1: Manchester City (h), Premier League – 4.30pm kick-off, live broadcast sky sports
February 7: Manchester United (a), Premier League – Kick-off 12.30pm.
February 10: Newcastle (h), Premier League – 7.30pm kick-off.
February 22: Arsenal (h), Premier League – 4.30pm kick-off, live broadcast sky sports
