Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has delivered a startlingly frank verdict on his challenging first few months in charge, admitting he is not currently enjoying life at the North London club.
A Season Fading After Fast Start
The Danish head coach, who joined from Brentford in the summer, oversaw a promising opening to the campaign. However, results have sharply declined, with Spurs winning just two of their last ten Premier League matches. This poor run of form has left the team languishing in 12th place at the halfway point of the 2025/26 season.
The atmosphere turned sour following their most recent outing, a 0-0 draw with Frank's former club Brentford, as sections of the home support booed the team off the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank's Marathon Metaphor for Spurs Struggle
Ahead of Sunday's home fixture against Sunderland, Frank was asked directly if he was enjoying his tenure so far. "So the short answer is no," he replied candidly.
He elaborated with a vivid analogy, comparing the current situation to a gruelling training run. "When you need to put in a big, big shift and it's not smooth and it's tough, it's probably difficult to enjoy it," Frank stated. "I'll give you an example. If I run hard, I don't enjoy that moment. But I know I need to keep my head down and run hard to get through it."
The manager expressed hope that this difficult period would ultimately prove valuable, adding: "We're in a situation where you need to run hard... And then on the other side, when you look back on this spell we think 'what a learning experience'. It definitely seems like it's one of the little bit more heavy miles I'm on now. But head down and keep going."
Injury and Absence Crisis Ahead of Sunderland Clash
Frank's task is not getting any easier, with Tottenham facing a significant selection headache for the visit of Sunderland. The squad is severely depleted by a combination of suspension, international duty, and injury.
Xavi Simons is suspended following a red card, while Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Key creative forces James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees, and Lucas Bergvall is a fitness doubt.
There was a glimmer of positive news regarding striker Dominic Solanke, who has been sidelined since August. Frank confirmed the forward is nearing a return but refused to be drawn on a specific date, saying he would only give timelines once the player is back in full training.
Opponents Sunderland are also missing multiple players due to AFCON, including Habib Diarra and Bertrand Traore, but could welcome back defender Dan Ballard from injury.
With the pressure mounting and the table making for grim reading, Frank's honest admission underscores the scale of the rebuild required at Tottenham Hotspur. The coming weeks will be a critical test of his leadership and his squad's resilience.
