Tottenham are stuck in a perpetual crisis loop and are in desperate need of a win over Newcastle on Tuesday after Cristian Romero's lack of discipline left Thomas Frank even shorter
Thomas Frank is currently stuck in a cycle of lurching from one crisis to another.
Tottenham’s lame surrender at Manchester United, Cristian Romero’s red card and now just six points above the relegation zone. They could not get sucked into a battle for survival, could they? Well, defeat at home to Newcastle on Tuesday could plunge them into serious jeopardy.
And this season was never supposed to play out like this. There was always an acceptance that it would take time to turn things around but the fans certainly never expected to be stuck in 15th and trapped in a spiral of negativity.
First and foremost, there is a clear desire to give Frank every chance to turn things around. That is not in doubt. And there is a lot of work to be done on that front because the fans are far from convinced on a manager who does not play with the style and flair from the club’s best traditions.
But a huge part of that is improving the squad, investing in quality players and then seeing an upturn in results. There have been major wins from the lowest point, which was unquestionably the home defeat to West Ham on January 17.
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That day saw Frank booed, the mood in the stadium turn toxic and the Spurs boss’s future left hanging by a thread. It felt like his job was under serious threat.
Since then, Tottenham qualified through to the Champions League knockout stages - finishing fourth in the table - and that has given the club’s hierarchy strong encouragement for the future.
But they dropped points at Burnley and then staged an incredible fight back against Manchester City to get a 2-2 draw and that game was a game-changer. There was positivity in the stadium and it even felt like Frank was no longer public enemy No1.
Then you get Romero’s comments on social media saying it was “disgraceful” that the club only had 11 fit players to choose from which seemed to be a direct blast at the hierarchy and bad recruitment. Now, almost laughably, they have one less player to choose from because Romero’s madness at Old Trafford saw him being sent off for an X-rated challenge on United midfielder Casemiro.
Romero let his teammates down, he let the club down and you begin to feel this is the recklessness of a player pushing the self destruct button to find a way out at the end of the season. You know you have problems when the club captain wants to jump ship. And the wider issue here is a lack of leadership and leaders.
Romero wanted to quit last summer - and probably the summer before - and yet Spurs gave him a new contract and made him captain. What on earth were they thinking?
The issue is that actually he was the most obvious leader in a squad lacking in leaders. Who else is there? Micky van de Ven? The fans love him. The pacy, dynamic defender who has the speed of recovery to make amends whenever he loses the ball. And who else? And that really speaks to the heart of the issue. Frank lacks strong characters and a dressing room dynamic to pull them away from this mess.
They sacked Ange Postecoglou last summer because, despite winning the Europe League, they flirted with relegation. And here we are again.
Tottenham did do decent business in January and the signing of Brazilian youngster Souza and then £34m on Conor Gallagher is good, long-term planning. A young prospect and a proven England international who does have leadership and strong attributes.
They tried - and failed - to get Antoine Semenyo who unsurprisingly opted for Manchester City. But they are putting building blocks together.
However, this is all about whether the fans have enough patience. The Champions League campaign is the salvation. They are backing Frank and Romero’s madness offers excuses.
But the fans want better football, better results and tangible signs of progress. Another defeat, another toxic night and another fall in the table will put the spotlight back on Frank who is going from one crisis to another.