THOMAS FRANK did his best to keep up a sunny disposition – despite the storm clouds gathering around him.
The Dane is fighting back the tide at Tottenham but defeat on Tuesday at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League could spell disaster.
Despite the unrelenting pressure and rife speculation that he is set for the sack, Frank put on a brave face as he headed out to training yesterday afternoon.
Smiling over to the watching media, the 52-year-old said: “All good? I’m very good, thank you, the sun is shining and we’re playing football.”
Spurs fans who watched the exchange after it was uploaded to social media were quick to point out that the sun was not, in fact, shining and that it was instead overcast and gloomy.
Yet another example of the former Brentford boss getting it wrong, they quipped.
Many supporters have lost faith with Frank after a miserable domestic campaign full of cock-ups.
Four wins in the last 18 have seen Spurs go out of both cup competitions and drop down to 14 in the Premier League, eight points off the top five.
Though performances, more than results, have got supporters’ backs up.
While the sorry tale had an element of farce at Bournemouth earlier this month when Frank was pictured holding an Arsenal-branded coffee cup.
Scenes turned toxic in the devastating 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham on Saturday, which saw Spurs fans sing ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ to Frank and boo him down the tunnel.
There is a strong chance there will be a repeat of that on Tuesday evening against an imperious-looking Dortmund, who have lost just one Bundesliga game all season.
Frank, after all, has just ELEVEN available outfield players and will likely have to field teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall in central midfield.
Some fans might already be irked at the sight of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on the match programme, alongside the words ‘Dream. Dare. Do.’
That is the same Vicario who did not ‘dare’ to deal with a corner which led directly to Callum Wilson’s last-gasp winner at the weekend.
Yet Frank still believes he can win back the supporters, declaring: “I’m not in doubt of that.
“I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again – as long as we win football matches and make sure we do that, and win enough of them, then everyone will support us.
“We have 11 [outfield] players available and we maybe have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes physically.
“So that’s why we need everyone to support us. And we want them to support us from minute one. All of us. Especially the team. Especially the players.
“Especially if it’s not going too well. We need them to support us. Because if we do get that support everything can happen. And magic can happen.”
With so many players out due to a mixture of injury, illness, suspension and ineligibility, Xavi Simons will hopefully supply that magic.
The Dutchman is going to play through the pain barrier having taken an almighty whack on his ankle off Jarrod Bowen against the Hammers.
Simons is only 22, but has vast experience compared to the list of kids that will have to fill Frank’s bench and may well be needed in the game.
Highly-rated Luca Williams-Barnett, 17, has a good chance of making his Champions League bow when fatigue sets in for the second half.
Ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Simons added: “You can see the younger guys coming up, and in training every day with us, the excitement that they have. Their willingness to play the game is immense.
“I think they are all ready.
“Everyone wants to win, not only the coach, but the players as well. And we want to change this, especially me. I’m a guy, I’m willing to give everything to win.
“And obviously, if I had really, really, really pain, then I wouldn’t play. But it’s now a situation that I can handle myself as well, even though I have a little bit of pain.
“But I want to play the game, I want to help the team and to grow into that.”
For all the domestic woe Spurs have faced, their Champions League campaign has been decent.
They are on 11 points, which could already be enough for a play-off spot.
Victory over Dortmund would give them a great chance of qualifying in the top eight to go straight through to the knock-out stage.
To do it will take a Herculean effort though and they will also be doing it without their midfield hardman Joao Palhinha, despite reports in Germany that the injured Portuguese could make himself available for his boss in his hour of need.
Yet Frank confirmed Palhinha was unavailable, before adding: “When it rains, it pours.”
The fear is it will be the Dane who will be washed up if things go badly on Tuesday.