Tottenham Hotspur's board is believed to be standing firm behind under-pressure manager Thomas Frank, despite a dismal 3-0 away defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The loss at the City Ground has intensified scrutiny on the Danish coach, but club owners are prepared to give him time to turn the season around.
A Calamitous Performance at the City Ground
The visitors were thoroughly outplayed, with the match turning on a calamitous early mistake by young midfielder Archie Gray. Forest capitalised, with Callum Hudson-Odoi opening the scoring. Hudson-Odoi then added a second before Ibrahim Sangaré sealed the comprehensive victory with a superb long-range strike. Manager Frank admitted post-match that fixing the team's issues would not be a 'quick fix'.
Boardroom Backing Amidst Growing Unrest
Despite the poor result, the club's hierarchy, including the majority-shareholding Lewis family, are said to still believe Frank is the right man for the job. According to The Athletic, a source close to the owners stated the club intends to give Frank the necessary time to implement changes, following internal discussions about his future.
Frank was appointed this summer after the surprise sacking of Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed just weeks after winning the Europa League. That decision followed a disappointing 17th-place Premier League finish last season.
Fan Discontent and Dressing Room Tensions Surface
Fan patience, however, is wearing thin. Discontent had been simmering even before recent results collapsed, fueled by underwhelming performances and poor home form. Supporters have directed anger at players, notably booing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after a mistake against Fulham last month.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher criticised Vicario after Hudson-Odoi's first goal, accusing the Italian of being too quick to blame teammates. 'Typical Vicario, he is always blaming someone else,' Carragher said during his analysis.
Reports also suggest tensions within the dressing room are fraying. Players like Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven have reportedly shown frustration with Frank, while Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall were seen arguing after the recent Fulham defeat.
Frank's Determined Response
Addressing the media after the Forest defeat, Frank acknowledged the deep frustration but called for calm. 'I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me,' he told BBC Sport. He described the performance as 'burning, annoying' but stressed the need for clear, measured leadership.
'It is extremely important to be calm and measured... I was also very honest, today was a very bad performance. No two ways about that, but also know that to change this, this will take some time,' Frank stated, acknowledging the long road ahead for his Spurs side.
