Under pressure, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank remained defiant despite being loudly booed by the fans after the team lost 2-1 to West Ham at home.
Callum Wilson’s last-gasp winner sparked toxic scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the South Stand demanded the Dane’s sending off following eight defeats in 14 games.
Frank said of the boos and sack calls in his postgame press conference: “Of course there were better times. I know that, but I’m in charge, so I’m responsible. That’s fair, and in that sense I’m fine.”
“As long as they’re rooting for the players and supporting them and doing everything they can to move them forward, we’re going to keep moving forward.”
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League win between West Ham and Tottenham
Frank was in surprisingly good spirits at the post-match press conference, likening his job to turning Spurs’ “super tankers” around in 14th place, 10 points above the drop zone.
The Dane exuded the confidence of a man who has the backing of the Spurs hierarchy in a week that saw him hand over a new midfielder in Conor Gallagher and a new first-team assistant coach in John Heitinga.
But neither had the desired effect on Saturday, with Spurs embarrassed by their relegation-threatened London rivals.
Ahead of kick-off, Tottenham chief executive Vinay Venkatesham published an open letter in his matchday program addressing a number of issues including relations with fans and player trades.
“I looked at the letter,” Frank said, “and I took six to eight positive things out of it, not negative things.
“What I take from that letter is that the club, the management, with Vinay at the top, are united and recognize that this is a big transition, a super tanker, and we are moving in the right direction.”
“And behind the scenes there are a lot of positive signs in some performances as well.
“But of course when you lose at the last minute to one of your rivals, it’s very emotional in football and there’s going to be a lot of noise.
“And we need to cut out that noise, keep our heads down, keep walking, and keep doing the right thing.”
Frank also faced questions Friday about the team’s breach, but insisted he was not concerned about the issue.
Frank: We’re getting very close to something very good.
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Tottenham Hotspur fans protest ahead of Premier League game against West Ham, fueling frustration with the board
West Ham became the second team in the Premier League this month to end a 10-game winless run thanks to Spurs after Bournemouth defeated Spurs 3-2 to end an 11-game winless run.
It was their third consecutive defeat after losing at home to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round last Saturday.
However, Frank believes the team is “close to something very good” despite a winless start to 2026.
Asked why it’s taking more time, Frank said: “We know if we’re not winning enough then we’re not getting enough support from the fans.
“But when we’re winning, things will change if we start winning again and we’re going to do that. There’s no doubt about that. I also think it’s good to see a little bit of the performance.”
“If you think about Bournemouth and Villa and this game here, if the players stopped running, stopped doing anything, didn’t try hard, and we weren’t the team closest to winning, that would be fine. But I think the team is working extremely hard.”
“And I still think, as crazy as it may sound, we are not far away, but closer to something very good.
He added, “I can sit here and promise you that I’m going to give it my all every day.
“I feel everyone’s trust in me and there is only one way forward and that is to keep moving forward.”
That trust will now be tested to its limits.
Sherwood identifies one thing that will save Frank
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Tim Sherwood doubts whether Tottenham can sack Thomas Frank after a 2-1 home defeat to London rivals West Ham
Sky Sports’ Tim Sherwood dubbed the match between Spurs and West Ham ‘El Sacchico’, but the former Spurs midfielder believes the only thing saving Frank is the lack of a potential replacement for him.
Speaking to Soccer on Saturday after the defeat: “It doesn’t look good.
“Spurs failed to win a game at home and lost to their local rivals who look destined to be at the bottom of the Premier League.
“The pressure is on Frank, but the only thing that will save his job is who comes in?”
“They won the trophy last year but finished 17th. They are not going to win the trophy this year. They lost both cup competitions and are near the bottom of the league.”
“They are still in the Champions League, but their chances of winning the Champions League are very slim. Where do Spurs go from here?”
Romero: “This is a disaster for us”
Spurs host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, and Franck has another home game ahead of them facing must-win Premier League relegation battlers Burnley.
If Spurs lose at Turf Moor and West Ham win, Tottenham will move seven points above them in the table, but if that isn’t already the case somehow then alarm bells will be ringing.
Spurs captain Cristian Romero, who scored the equalizer in the defeat to West Ham, admitted that Tottenham are in a dire situation, having won just two of their 11 home league games this season.
He told Sky Sports: “We need to stay together, train hard and be back on the training ground tomorrow. It’s a disaster for us at the moment.”
“Tomorrow we will train quietly, work hard again and have another big game in the middle of the week.
“At the moment, this is a disaster for us. We’ve played well and we’ve played bad. We have to work hard and come back.
“It’s a difficult moment for us. We are not the best on the pitch.”
