Thomas Frank will play the most important game of his time at Tottenham on Saturday.
Losing at home to relegation-threatened London rivals West Ham, who are 18th in the Premier League and without a win in 10 games, would be completely unthinkable for Frank.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is also under huge pressure, with Sky Sports’ Tim Sherwood dubbing the match “El Sacchico”.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tim Sherwood on whether Thomas Frank could be at risk if Spurs lose to West Ham on Saturday
However, Frank’s press conference on Thursday gave no impression that his job was under threat if Spurs lost to the Hammers.
In fact, the past few days have felt like good news for the Danes.
And I get the impression that he’s being told that maybe he’ll turn this around, at least in the coming games, and maybe even until the end of the season.
This felt like an August or September press conference, when things were looking rosy for Frank. His answers Thursday were long, with a smile on his face and an air of defiance.
And ahead of Saturday’s showdown, one wonders why that hasn’t happened after a week that has seen positive changes for Frank.
On Wednesday, Conor Gallagher was handed a ‘biggest contract’ after joining from Atletico Madrid for £34m.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Thomas Frank has reacted to Spurs’ signing of Conor Gallagher, saying he is exactly what the club needs and praising his personality and leadership skills.
The next day, two announcements were made. Frank has hired John Heitinga as the new assistant first-team coach, while at executive level Carlos Rafael “Rafi” Mursen has been appointed director of football operations in the newly created role.
My understanding is that Raffi will not replace Fabio Paratici after his departure as co-sporting director was confirmed on Wednesday at the end of the January transfer window.
Regarding Tottenham’s belief in a modern, high-performance football structure, Raffi will work closely with sporting director Johan Lange and will monitor whether Paratici’s replacement is chosen.
Will Frank be able to win over his fans?
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Sunday Supplement panel discusses Frank’s future at Spurs
So it’s been another week of change for Spurs – and Frank will be hoping for more change on Saturday – a change in the mood of the fans.
Booth faced the final whistle again after last Saturday’s home defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.
It was Tottenham’s seventh defeat in 13 games, but Frank’s side are without a win in 2026.
That’s why most fans don’t like Frank, with some dissatisfied with his defensive style and others angry with his statements in press conferences. Failure in the Arsenal Cup at Bournemouth didn’t help either.
Thomas Frank was spotted drinking an Arsenal cup before the defeat against Bournemouth
However, there may be an air of discontent over the planned protests even before a ball is kicked on Saturday, but it will be interesting to see how many people attend the protests following the signing of Gallagher.
What is certain is that the toxic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be very troublesome for Frank if things don’t go well against their relegation-threatened London rivals.
The Lewis family and CEO Vinay Venkatesham are also expected to attend, but if they notice the crowd’s dissatisfaction there could be a big problem.
Frank knows that only victories laced with aggressive intent can appease his critics.
Does Frank deserve the pressure?
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Paul Merson believes Spurs’ players are to blame for Spurs’ poor form, not Frank.
After the defeat at Villa, Frank appeared to be under pressure.
But this team is not good enough, so I feel sorry for the 52-year-old player.
If Tottenham were to sell all their players now, only Micky van de Ven and perhaps Cristian Romero would probably end up going to big clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona.
However, some fans believe this team is better than 14th place in the Premier League.
The problem for Frank is that key members of this team – James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke – are all out, with Solanke the only one returning from injury.
There have been many changes around Frank at the club, including the sudden departure of Daniel Levy in September.
This week was evidence of a new era at Tottenham, but perhaps Frank needs to be given a little more leeway following a dramatic revolution.
But what Frank can control is the style of football, which naturally contributes to the pressure on him.
An unshackled and more free-flowing Spurs side could help the former Brentford manager turn things around.
But in the end, for Frank, all he will want to do is win Saturday in what many say is a win-or-lose game.
