THOMAS FRANK is facing a crunch fortnight in his Tottenham tenure as the pressure mounts on the struggling Dane.
The Spurs chief has won just 11 of his 31 games in charge and was booed off AGAIN after Saturday’s FA Cup exit at home to Aston Villa.
Fans have been cranking up the heat both in stadiums and on social media, believing the performances and results have not been good enough, with many calling for Frank to go.
The unwavering support the club hierarchy have shown Frank so far will be put to a serious test if he fails to win his next two league games.
First up is Saturday’s home game against West Ham, who are widely regarded as one of the worst Hammers sides in years.
Losing on your own turf to the Irons – who are managed by former Spurs chief Nuno Espirito Santo – would be a humiliation too much for many fans to bear.
Spurs then host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League – the one positive from Frank’s tenure so far – before travelling to another relegation candidate in Burnley.
Tottenham, who are 14th in the Premier League table, are six points off fifth-placed Brentford – the club Frank left to join the North Londoners in the summer.
Fail to beat both West Ham and Burnley and that gap could increase considerably, dramatically reducing the chances of the current Europa League holders qualifying for European football this term.
Both Frank and the club spoke of the need to “compete on four fronts” after appointing him in July.
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That followed the ruthless axing of Ange Postecoglou, who had delivered the club’s first trophy in 17 years with the Europa League miracle in Bilbao, but bit the bullet for finishing 17th in the Premier League.
Yet Frank has presided over a campaign so far where the team are out of both domestic cups, ironically exiting them at earlier stages than under Postecoglou last term.
They are also languishing in the bottom half of the table and have won just three of their last 14 matches in all competitions.
Supporters have been critical of Frank’s style of play and damningly, tickets for February’s home league games to Manchester City and Newcastle are on general sale.
Punters can even buy four tickets per person for the fixtures.
In seasons gone by, rarely have tickets for premium matches like those been on general sale, let alone with so many available to purchase for one individual.
It points to a disconnect between the fans and the football that is being served up right now.
And it is likely to set alarm bells ringing for the club and Frank, who must prove he is the right man going forward over the next two weeks.