BBC

Speaking to Tottenham fans on their way to Tuesday's Champions League game with Borussia Dortmund, almost none retained any belief in Thomas Frank.

It felt as though a bad defeat against the German side - which would have been a fourth loss in a row in all competitions - would not only have led to more boos and more toxicity inside the stadium, but the end of his reign as manager.

Instead, a 2-0 win thanks to first-half goals from Christian Romero and Dominic Solanke is likely to buy Frank some time. An encouraging performance from his depleted team could even give him more than that.

Just a few days earlier, loud boos greeted the final whistle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as West Ham snatched a last-minute winner.

Before kick-off on Tuesday there were some jeers once again when Frank's name was read out, but they turned into cheers at full-time as Spurs secured a win that now puts them in a strong position to qualify automatically for the Champions League knockouts.

The question now is: was this a temporary reprieve for Frank or a platform to build on? And is it enough to win back the fans who had turned against him?

It was clear many fans had turned on Frank during the defeat by the Hammers, with large numbers singing "you're getting sacked in the morning" at him.

That feeling remained evident before Tuesday's match.

"I really do think 99% of this stadium are Frank out," said Spurs supporter Sarah Sturgeon-Scraggs, who has been attending home games with her dad Ronnie since she was nine.

"I have enjoyed coming to the matches because of the people we sit with and I get to spend time with my dad, but we get so little joy."

Ronnie added: "Barring some sort of miracle on player support, style and results instantly the fans have abandoned him and I feel personally that he must go."

This win and the much-improved first-half performance was still not enough to change their view, with a return to a more conservative and unadventurous display in the second half a cause for frustration.

"The first half was really enjoyable," said Sarah. “There was a lot more movement, a lot more forward passing and a press. However, the second-half performance shows why Frank is not the right person to be managing this team. We went to five at the back, the game ground to a halt. It sucked the joy out of it yet again.

"I am still Frank out."

Fellow Spurs supporter Ali Speechly held a similar view before kick-off.

"If we could see signs of what he is trying to achieve we might have more patience," she said.

"It looks like a bunch of players doing what they want."

Any change of heart after the game?

"Much better first half, where has that been? But second half we were dead again," she said. "They either play a good first half or second half. It feels Thomas Frank can't string the two together."

Some, however, did see enough to believe Frank can build on this.

Alfie said before the match that Tottenham were playing “like a Championship team”, but after he said: “The first half was brilliant. The second half wasn’t great but we didn’t concede.

“But I am really happy with the result and I think Frank might have a lot more up his sleeve than we think.”

Many of the fans may still need some convincing - but what the display did suggest is that Frank retains the support of the dressing room.

The players' work rate, intensity and desire was there to see in the first half and when the whistle went for half-time they all gathered before heading down the tunnel together.

"What I saw tonight was not a performance where the manager had lost the dressing room," former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"There's been a lot of talk of a disjointed dressing room. That wasn't there [against Dortmund].

"It wasn't full here, the fans voted with their feet, but that was a group of players that played for their manager."

That is something Frank himself was keen to stress in the post-match press conference.

"The players are giving everything," he said.

"That is an extremely good sign about the culture. An extremely good sign they are together and we are together."

There is never long in football to sit back and enjoy a result, and the pressure will be on Frank once again when they take on struggling Burnley in the Premier League at the weekend.

Win that with another impressive performance and some might start to see green shoots of recovery.

Lose and the pressure on Frank will once again be immense, something he is all too aware of.

"The big thing is of course is to build on this with a performance and win against Burnley on Saturday," he said.

"What I would say is it is a big skill to be able to produce in the Premier League and Champions League every week.

"We just need to keep doing the same thing, keep believing and things will turn."

It has been a difficult few days for Frank, with the negative reaction after the West Ham loss, while news that the club's hierarchy are considering ending his seven-month reign broke on Monday.

After all of that, Frank welcomed the opportunity to be able to savour this win against Dortmund for now.

"Two big glasses of red will be necessary," he said. "I will enjoy them."

Post

Inter Milan 1-2 Arsenal

Alan Shearer

Former Newcastle striker on Amazon Prime

We've seen three corners, two to the near post so far and they failed to beat the first man and the third corner goes to the back post and it's Trossard's job to get the ball back across and hope someone can get on the end of it.

Jesus again - right place, right time, how do you want it? Just like that. Simple header but great positioning and another great corner from Arsenal.

'Porro knows that's a big chance'

Tottenham 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

Paul Robinson

Former Tottenham goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

What a chance. Really good chance for Pedro Porro at the back post. Xavi Simons is looking really lively tonight.

Porro has his head in his hands. He knows that's a big chance.

'Fantastic chance for Spurs'

Tottenham 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

Gary Rose

BBC Sport at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham are a goal up and Borussia Dortmund are a player down making this a fantastic chance for Spurs to get a much-needed win.

Despite some nervy moments in defence they have been good value for their lead too, pressing high and attacking with pace and purpose.

Can they keep it up?

'Svensson can't complain'

Tottenham 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

Ally McCoist

Former Rangers striker on TNT Sports

Spurs have earned this position.

The opening 25 minutes, they have played very well.

He tries to kick the ball, there's no getting away from it.

But with his follow through, he catches the opponent on the upper part of the leg.

I don't think he can have any complaints about the red card.

Post

Inter Milan 1-1 Arsenal

A huge chance for Inter goes to waste!

Petar Sucic is in acres of space as he breaks towards the box. He doesn't know whether to pass or shoot but he opts to play it left for Marcus Thuram but the opportunity was made a lot tougher by then.

RED CARD - Daniel Svensson (Dortmund)

Tottenham 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

Yep. A couple of looks at the screen and referee Glenn Nyberg decides he has to change his decision and send off his fellow Swede Daniel Svensson.

The full-back was twisting and turning to trying and get away from a couple of Spurs players, lost control of it and stuck his leg out.

He catches Wilson Odobert on the shin and you can see why the referee has decided to produce the red card.

He might argue there wasn't enough force for it to be a really dangerous tackle but the referee saw all he needed to.

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Tottenham forward Mathys Tel is said to be bemused at being left out of the Champions League squad for the second time this season.

The 20-year-old was not included in boss Thomas Frank's initial squad in September, but was eventually added to replace a previously injured Dominic Solanke in December.

However, with Ricarlison now injured, Frank has recalled Solanke at the expense of Tel.

Before this, Tel had asked for an opportunity to leave the club on loan in January to improve his chance of making France's World Cup squad, but has so far not been allowed to do so.

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Kelly Cates is joined by Rory Smith, Andros Townsend and Joe Hart to reflect on what’s been a tough few days for Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, but will either Olivier Glasner or Thomas Frank make it until the end of the Premier League season?

Oliver Glasner confirmed on Friday he we will be stepping down at the end of the season, but after the sale of captain Marc Guehi to Man City, reports that Jean-Philippe Mateta is also on the verge of an exit and defeat to Sunderland meaning it’s no win in 10 for Palace – things have gone from bad to worse. The Palace boss gave an explosive post-match interview in which he claimed the team had been ‘abandoned’ by the board.

There’s also mounting pressure on Thomas Frank at Spurs. With just seven wins from 22 Premier League games this season, there are reports that the club are considering calling time on his seven-month reign.

BBC Senior Football Correspondent Sami Mokbel gives the latest on both Glasner’s and Frank’s future and Palace fan Dan Cook discusses whether fans will be sticking by the manager or the board.

Plus, journalist Maher Mezahi reflects on Senegal’s win over Morocco in the AFCON final which saw a walk-off, 17-minute delay, a missed-Panenka penalty and extra-time winner.

Timecodes:

Commentaries this week:

Tuesday 1745: Bodo Glimt v Man City on 5live

Tuesday 2000: Spurs v Dortmund on 5live

Wednesday 2000: Newcastle v PSV on 5live

Wednesday 2000: Marseille v Liverpool on Sports Extra

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Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank says he is "feeling the trust" of the club's hierarchy despite a disappointing season so far.

BBC Sport understands Frank is under significant scrutiny within the club as they considering ending his seven-month reign.

Spurs have so far backed Frank publicly despite their struggles this season, although Saturday's home defeat by West Ham has added to the pressure on the Dane.

Frank had lunch on Monday with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, as well as other board members Nick Beucher and Johan Lange, which he said was "all good".

"We had a good conversation about life and football and the future of the club," said Frank at a news conference before Tuesday's Champions League match at home to Borussia Dortmund.

"It is an extremely good sign because normally people run away if there is bad news or bad weather coming, they are normally not coming in and being friendly for lunch."

This is the second pre-match news conference in a row that Thomas Frank has been very positive despite the despair from Tottenham supporters.

The head coach said he is "ready for the fight" and is convinced he can win back the Tottenham fans. But, if he is to do that, he will have to do it the hard way.

They only have 11 outfield senior players for Tuesday's Champions League match at home to Borussia Dortmund. Injuries have been a theme of Frank's reign.

He has not managed to start Dejan Kulusevki, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison on the pitch together this season. Now he has Richarlison out for seven weeks too.

They look a bit lame in attack and Guglielmo Vicario has not been in the best form at the other end of the pitch. The problems are mounting for the Spurs boss.

He said he had lunch with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange on Monday. They want him to succeed, but the performance and crowd reaction on Tuesday night may decide Frank's future.

Recap: Frank news conference

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

That's your lot from Thomas Frank's news conference and also from this page.

More positivity than maybe you'd expect considering the situation, but once again the Spurs boss is reiterating that he can turn things around.

Here are some of the top lines:

Frank said he is still "feeling the trust" from the Spurs hierarchy despite the, in his words, ongoing "media circus"

He claimed he has 11 fit outfield players available for selection for Tuesday evening and three of those will struggle to finish 90 minutes

The Danish manager said he is "not in doubt" that he can win over disgruntled fans and explained that he is happy to continue taking the blame for bad results as long as the players receive support

Frank confirmed that Dominic Solanke will replace Mathys Tel in the Champions League squad for Tuesday's game and gave this explanation as to why

He once again reiterated he belief that things will turn around and emphasised how important the fans' support will be on Tuesday evening

Finally, he discussed his recent lunch with the Tottenham hierarchy, claiming his position wasn't spoken about - something he called "an extremely good sign"

Frank positive in adversity once more

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

George Cummins

BBC Radio 5 live

This is the second pre-match press conference in a row that Thomas Frank has been very positive despite the despair from Tottenham supporters.

The manager said he is "ready for the fight" and is convinced he can win back the Tottenham fans. But if he is to do that he will have to do it the hard way.

They only have 11 outfield senior players for tomorrow's match at home to Borussia Dortmund. Injuries have been a theme of Frank's reign. He hasn't managed to start Dejan Kulusevki, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison on the pitch together this season. Now he has Richarlison out for seven weeks too.

They look a bit lame in attack and Guglielmo Vicario hasn't been in the best form at the other end. The problems are mounting for the Tottenham manager.

He said he had lunch with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange today. They want him to succeed, but the performance and crowd reaction tomorrow night may decide Frank's future.

'We had a good conversation about life, football and the future'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

A final word from Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank on whether he was given any assurances about his future when he had lunch with the hierarchy: "I haven't heard any situation like that in football where someone says 'hey mate if you win tomorrow no problem'. We had a good conversation about life and football and the future of the club.

"I think it is an extremely good sign because normally people run away if there is bad news or bad weather coming, they are normally not coming in and being friendly for lunch."

'The more the players feel support, the better they perform'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank was asked how important fan support is against such a strong opposition on Tuesday: "It is crucial. I completely understand emotion in football and what it means for every fan that is involved. I completely understand that but I really understand when walking out on that pitch - the more they feel the energy and support, the better they perform. We need that tomorrow.

"The biggest thing is, are the players running hard? Yes they are. So, support them."

Poll: 50% want Frank to stay long term

It is interesting that we have had conflicting messages on what "most Spurs fans" think.

Phil claims that most Spurs fans want Thomas Frank to stay, while Bill said that the "only people who want Frank to stay are not Spurs fans".

Well, we have been running a poll today at the top of this page, which is, admittedly, open to everyone, not just Tottenham supporters.

But the latest results show that 50% want Frank to stay, 17% want him to be given at least Tuesday's game against Borussia Dortmund, while 33% want him to get the sack.

'I am not in doubt that things will turn'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Back to Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank on being up for the fight: "I think being up for the fight is to get up every morning very early, coming in and preparing and doing everything we can to make sure we turn every stone and turn things around on the pitch. That is part of it.

"It is also to keep going, don't feel sorry for yourself, look at the bigger perspective. We all know that if you want to have success it cannot be just about me or Xavi [Simons]. It is about 25 players, staff, ownership, leadership. I am more than happy to take all the blame as long as I protect the players and fans and journalists back the players.

"I am not in doubt that is the right thing. I am not in doubt that things will turn, but I know we need to win more football matches."

Second snubs bemuses Spurs attacker Tel

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (20:00 GMT)

Nizaar Kinsella

BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Tottenham forward Mathys Tel is said to be bemused at being left out of the Champions League squad for the second time this season.

The 20-year-old was left out of Thomas Frank's initial squad in September but was eventually added to replace a previously injured Dominic Solanke in December.

However, with Ricarlison now injured, Frank has recalled Solanke at the expense of Tel.

Before this, Tel had asked for an opportunity to leave the club on loan in January to improve his chance of making France's World Cup squad, but has so far not been allowed to do so.

'I hope people understand it is not a straightforward decision'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank on how he expects Tottenham fans to take the news that Mathys Tel has been dropped: "I do not know. I hope people understand that it is not a straightforward decision. It is him or Dom [Solanke] in the team tomorrow. That is the decision. I believe it is the right one and that is what I went with."

'We are much closer than we think'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank on how important it is that fans are aware that it is still very early days in the process: "The fans are crucial. I don't see any club performing well without the fans and it is fair that it hasn't been smooth or as fluid as we want. A little bit too much up and down. Unfortunately, it is a results business and emotions are in this as well.

"There are a lot of signs that this is going the right way. We still need to find a way to get over the line and I think we are much closer than we think."

On his message to the fans: "I think they have been quite regularly in the right direction and it is such a little thing that needs to drop for us before we win 2-1 against West Ham and 3-2 against Bournemouth.

"I do not think we are that far away."

'I am happy to take blame as long as everyone supports the players'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank on his conversations with the hierarchy and what he has said to them: "Football is very simple but also a little bit complex. There are many moving parts.

"I think it is about keeping the noise out, staying calm, carrying on, looking at the performances. Are the players still running? They are running hard. I think the last three games, how they have come out from half-time and responded - it has been fantastic.

"Sometimes it is just football when you are going through that spell. Are you still running hard, still trying, still believing? Which I see signs of clearly in every game.

"Even the best manager in the world, Pep Guardiola, says 'I am nothing without my players' and it is fair to say they haven't been available enough the whole time. But hey, no problem. I am happy to take the blame as long as everyone supports the players."

Solanke in, Tel out

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank was asked if he has made a selection decision whether to bring back Dominic Solanke into his Champions League squad in place of Mathys Tel: "I made the decision. It was not a nice decision to have to make but unfortunately that is football.

"The way the rules are, the only option was Dom or Mathys and I chose Dom because - I think Mathys has done very well the last couple of games and if I could pick from all the players he would start tomorrow, but I can only choose between the two of them. It's a tough one for Mathys, but he is not in the squad tomorrow."

'If your back is against the wall, you fight'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank on how he copes with all the scrutiny right now: "If your back is against the wall, you fight. I am energetic and I fight. It is not about me, we need to win football matches and we need to do that together.

"We are ready and focused on the game together and the players look good."

Frank 'not in doubt' that he can win supporters over

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank was pushed further on whether he believes he can win back the Tottenham supporters: "Yes, I am not in doubt of that. In this game, you always need resilience.

"The three biggest things in showing resilience is having good values and I believe I am a guy that has good values. Second is you know reality and the reality is that one in five people don't like you no matter what you do and one in five love you no matter what you do - both sides are probably biased, no matter what you do.

"And then there is the three and five, if you behave well, are respectful and show integrity then you are sweet.

"The reality is not everyone will like you."

'As long as we win football matches, everyone will support us'

Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank was asked if he believes he can win the supporters back: "As I have said many times, as long as we win football matches and make sure we win enough of them - everyone will support us. It is not about me. It is about supporting the team, the players.

"We are playing a game tomorrow against a very good German side and we are a little bit limited with the players available. We have 11 outfield players available for the game from our normal first-team players. One of them is Xavi [Simons] and he didn't train today because there was a bad tackle from behind that injured his ankle but because he is so strong mentally he will play through pain tomorrow. Big courage to Xavi. And I cannot understand why that is not a red card, but that is for a bigger discussion.

"We have 11 players available and we probably have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes physically, so that's why we need everyone to support us.

"We need everyone to support us from minute one. Especially the team, especially the players. If we get that support, anything can happen. Magic can happen."