Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank is under increasing pressure after an inconsistent start at the club, with fans questioning the style of play during his tenure.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has claimed that the clash with Liverpool this weekend is "must-win" for Thomas Frank. It comes as the manager is under growing scrutiny from the fanbase, with inconsistent results a clear factor, alongside the lack of attacking threat.
The latest 3-0 drubbing away at Nottingham Forest added further pressure on the Danish coach, as the fanbase grows restless. The clash with Liverpool this weekend could provide an opportunity to land another three points, given the way the Reds have struggled this season.
However, a defeat for Spurs would come as a huge blow to their European qualification ambitions, while only asking more questions of Frank and his future. On the game and the manager's future, Jenas told 10bet: "I think it's going to be huge.
"I think this is a manager that could be under pressure. I think when there has been no real consistency with the line-ups and the tactics, it’s difficult to predict how players are going to perform. I want to see a bit of an improvement in the forward areas too.
"Yes, there are injuries at the football club but they've still got decent players there."
When asked about the weekend's future, the ex-Spurs midfielder replied with a simple five-word message: "This is a must-win," before insisting that Frank needs a result to avoid more pressure.
While Jenas believes that it's a huge game for Frank this weekend, some of the Tottenham fanbase have already made their mind up on the manager. Some supporters were calling for Frank to be sacked after the weekend's defeat, with many growing increasingly frustrated with the team's performances and expressing their fury.
Given the relatively short tenure that some Tottenham managers have faced over recent seasons, it's clear that things could take time to resolve. The current head coach made that clear himself when he recently said: "It's pretty evident if no one gets the time, no one can turn it around. This is not a quick fix."
As a result, some have questioned whether the Spurs fans need to be more patient or if they have unrealistic demands for the side. This was something put to Jenas, but he flatly rejected that suggestion.
"No, I don't think the Tottenham fans are unrealistic. They went and built this magnificent stadium, this magnificent training ground, where you can expect success," he said.
"If you ask if Tottenham fans are going around saying they want to win the Premier League, then yeah, that would be unrealistic, but I don't think that's what they're saying. I've obviously been a part of that football club for a long period of time, and this club wants to be challenging for cups.
"It wants to be in the Champions League, or at least challenging for Champions League positions. I don't think they're - especially now that the Europa League trophy is in the bag - demanding too much right now. They're still going to want to consistently win, but I think that demand of, ‘We must win a trophy,’ has died off a little bit.
"That thirst has been quenched now. But it's about consistency, and there's not been any consistency at that football club for at least three years."
Tottenham will be desperate to get themselves back on track with a win over Liverpool that would send out a statement of intent. Above all, fans want something that shows the direction they are going in, even if the results aren't going their way.
If they fall to defeat in a way that doesn't show the fight that fans want, then there will only be more questions for Frank to answer in the coming weeks.