James OlleyFeb 10, 2026, 06:35 PM ETCloseJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Will Tottenham get relegated under Thomas Frank? (1:59)The ESPN ‘FC TV’ crew react to Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the Premier League. (1:59)
Who was pulling for Thomas Frank? By the end of another dismal Spurs performance, the Dane stood on the touchline with a vacant expression, sodden by the relentless swirling rain and listening to the ultimate insult: “You’re getting sacked in the morning” … from Tottenham fans.
How much longer can this go on? The club’s senior decision makers recognize that no quick fix exists for the current malaise. Deep-rooted problems predate this head coach, and until now they have been reluctant to sack a likeable character in the knowledge that stability is required.
But with Frank getting booed off at halftime and full time, the short-term pain is becoming severe. Spurs are winless in their last eight Premier League games, their longest run without a victory since October 2008.
Frank oversaw a fine Champions League group stage campaign that saw them finish fourth and qualify automatically for the round of 16. Yet while Spurs were willing to neglect their domestic campaign in the hope of European glory last season, if they do the same this time, they could be relegated.
And that is why Frank’s position is under imminent, unprecedented danger. Spurs have won just two of their last 17 league games. They have taken 12 points in that time.
Due to their early exit from the FA Cup, Tottenham won’t play again for 12 days, until they host north London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal. It was more than fair to ask whether he will be in charge for that game.
– O’Hanlon: Ranked: The top 25 manager jobs in soccer, from best to worst – Report: Newcastle win at Spurs to pile pressure on Frank
“Yeah, I’m convinced I will be,” he replied. “I understand the question, it is easy to point on me, but it is never only the head coach, or the ownership, or the directors, or the players, or the staff. It is everyone.
“If we do something right, we can build something that can last. Of course we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows — directors, ownership, myself — what position we are in and what we need to do better. And that’s what we are working very hard on.
“[I’m] 1,000 percent sure [I’m the right man to lead Tottenham]. I’m also 1,000 percent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11, 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we have been facing.
“I know when you need to build something and you need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience. … We can only get through this together.”
All this, remember, against a Newcastle side enduring their own existential crisis and a manager in Howe who has engaged in a bit of soul searching in the past few days. “A bit is an understatement,” he said afterward.
Frank was left to defend firstly the clubs’ dreadful injury record — Wilson Odobert limped off here to exacerbate the situation — and the wider idea that sacking a head coach in difficult circumstances is the panacea many believe it to be.
“I know it is the only movement they have, but there are also plenty of situations where it is not the right thing to do. And the only thing I’ll focus on is fighting, doing the right thing together with everyone else.”
In the end, it was actually Howe who was left to speak up for Frank. “It is an incredible list of players they are missing, and I think that is really difficult,” said Howe.
“I think he is an outstanding manager. I’ve come up against him many times. I think he has all the attributes to be a top manager for this football club, and I hope he gets the time to show that.”
Will Tottenham get relegated under Thomas Frank? (1:59)The ESPN ‘FC TV’ crew react to Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the Premier League. (1:59)
The ESPN ‘FC TV’ crew react to Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the Premier League. (1:59)
James OlleyFeb 10, 2026, 06:35 PM ETCloseJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Follow on X
Frank faces a nervous wait to see if his time has run out.