Tottenham Hotspur have conceded far too many goals from outside the box this season, and Thomas Frank needs to find a solution
Thomas Frank can no longer ignore one of the biggest faults in his system, and it could cost him his job if he doesn't find a solution. The Dane currently faces somewhat of an uncertain future at Tottenham Hotspur, having struggled to demonstrate much progress after six months in the dugout.
The Lilywhites have only won one of their last five games in the Premier League, slumping into the bottom half of the table. While Spurs boast one of the better records on the road, which is ironic following the defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Frank has failed to transform fortunes on home soil.
Spurs have only won four games in the English top-flight at their own ground in 2025. Having drawn three and lost the other 10, it makes Tottenham the worst team at home this year, aside from the now-relegated or recently promoted sides.
The Dane isn't entirely to blame, of course, but he's hardly turned things around. To take the Lilywhites to the next level, Frank needs to solve his side's vulnerability from range.
This season in the Premier League, Tottenham have conceded an absurd number of goals from outside the box, costing them far too many points in the race for European football. Yasin Ayari beat Guglielmo Vicario from range in the 2-2 draw with Brighton back in September.
As did Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia in the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in October, Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham in November, as well as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ibrahim Sangare in the 3-0 defeat to Forest at the weekend.
While it's easy to point the finger at Vicario, who should be held accountable, the opposition are often afforded far too much space and time before taking aim.
Whether the goalkeeper needs to adjust his positioning or the outfield players need to be more aggressive in the press, Frank has a fault in his system that he needs to solve.
On Sunday afternoon, the Dane was asked whether the squad are taking his ideas on board. He said: " It's very simple. If you don't perform, you can say all the right things, if you're a little bit out of sync, then you see things like this.
"When you are on track and in sync, you see the last three performances. That's very simple. If you perform, you keep doing the right thing, then it makes it easier of course and then I just think the little small thing that is difficult.
"We win together, we lose together, but I can't pass the ball on the pitch. So, if we lose the ball 25 times, I think it's fair to say that it's pretty difficult to create something."
Then, Frank was asked if he believes whether he'll be given enough time at the club to implement his philosophy. The Dane said: " I can't see why not.
"I think it's pretty evident that if no-one gets the time, no-one can turn this around. This is not a quick fix."