Although Tottenham Hotspur were able to nick a point off Manchester City with a 2-2 draw last Premier League weekend fueled by a brace by striker Dominic Solanke, it has still been more than a month since Spurs last beat an English side. They have not won a Premier League matchup since Dec. 28 against Crystal Palace, a narrow 1-0 victory.
Spurs have been an embarrassment this season and are staring down relegation. Meanwhile, their opponents on Saturday, Manchester United, have been resurgent after finally giving up on their vastly underperforming manager Ruben Amorim, replacing him with former star center midfielder Michael Carrick.
Manchester United's success under Carrick has given Spurs fans more fuel to want Frank out, as he has been treading water with wins over Bundesliga clubs in the Champions League and put his own safety in better standing with a draw against a Premier League title contender in Man City.
Thomas Frank is on the hot seat
But he will be back under the kibosh again if Tottenham Hotspur cannot get a result against Man United. The good news for Frank is that he will have two of his most important players available on Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford.
The Danish manager confirmed at the press conference in the build up to Tottenham vs. Manchester United that both superstar center backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will be back and available this weekend after injury scares. However, versatile wide man Djed Spence is merely "touch and go" again and could miss the game.
He said, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "Micky trained today and is available for selection for Saturday. Djed is getting closer and is touch and go, there is a chance he could be available. Romero is available."
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are obviously Tottenham's two most important players right now, especially with right winger Mohammed Kudus still out injured. While star striker Dominic Solanke may soon challenge that, Romero and Van de Ven have been the team's top goal scorers and defensive threats while also carrying the ball and passing at a higher level than, honestly, most of the midfielders.
So the fact that Tottenham will have both Romero and Van de Ven out there against Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, and the resurgent Man United attack will at least give Spurs a chance on the road against arguably the Premier League's hottest team under Michael Carrick's management.
Spence's absence could be felt, though. He is not a starter, but his ability to carry the ball in more attacking positions or even spell Pedro Porro at right back could be missed depending on the game flow this Saturday.