Thomas Frank has been given the backing of the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy following discussions at the top of the club.
Spurs sunk to a painful 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, their sixth in the league this season. Frank said afterwards that the Tottenham job was not a “quick fix”, and that “if no-one gets the time, no-one can turn it around”.
While there have been discussions at the club about Frank’s future, these have been regular meetings of the type that all clubs will have about their staffing and direction, rather than anything specifically reacting to events. And sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated the clear position of the majority shareholding Lewis family is to stick with Frank and to give him the time that he needs.
The decision to stick with Frank is one of the first major tests of the new Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy, which effectively took over the running of the club when Daniel Levy was sacked as executive chairman in September. Vivienne Lewis has been a regular attender of Spurs games, along with her brother Charles Lewis and son-in-law Nick Beucher.
Frank was the last managerial appointment of the Levy era, signing a three-year contract at Tottenham in June, and replacing Ange Postecoglou. He was tasked with rebuilding the team who finished 17th in the league last season, while also lifting the Europa League.
After a strong start to the season, Spurs’ league form is inconsistent. They sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, although Bournemouth could overtake them with a win against Manchester United on Monday. In the Champions League they sit just outside the top eight, with 11 points from their six games so far.
But some supporters have grown frustrated with underwhelming performances. Spurs have recorded less than 0.2 expected goals in three league games already this season. There have been issues between the players and the fans, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario jeered by fans during the defeat to Fulham last month.
But there is also an awareness at the club that Frank is trying to rebuild the whole culture, and a recognition of the fact that the situation will take time to turn around. Frank even started his successful spell as Brentford head coach slowly.
Frank admitted on Sunday night that he had to try to stay calm after such a poor Tottenham display. “I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me,” he said. “Of course, it’s deeply frustrating that we are not doing better after three good performances.”
Spurs had drawn 2-2 with Newcastle United before beating Brentford and Slavia Prague at home.
This week is Spurs’ first free week since August, before Spurs host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday and then travel to Crystal Palace on December 28.