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3 Tottenham players who are now expendable

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3 Tottenham players who are now expendable - Hotspur HQ
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There have been a lot of changes at Tottenham Hotspur this year. They have finally won a trophy in the Europa League, which ended a 17-year trophy drought. A new manager has come in with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou. Perhaps what will have the biggest impact on the club is that Daniel Levy is no longer the chairman.

Levy was hugely involved with player deals, and many Spurs fans believed he could be a bit tight. Now with Levy gone, Tottenham could soon turn into big spenders. This would inevitably lead to a changing of the guard, and here are three players who might just be on their way out.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma is one of many players that Brighton have helped develop before making a profit on. They signed him from Olympique Lyonnais for around £15 million before selling him to Spurs for £25 million.

The midfielder was a solid player for Spurs in the Premier League and helped them win the Europa League last season. However, a knee injury meant that any transfer over the summer was off the cards. He had been linked with West Ham United, Juventus, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahce. It is unlikely that we will see Bissouma in a Spurs shirt again.

Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke also played a key role in Spurs' Europa League victory last season. He scored five goals with four assists in 13 games in the tournament. The striker also did well in the Premier League, finding the back of the net nine times, with three assists in 27 games.

So far this campaign, he has made just two league appearances before sustaining an ankle injury. This has led to Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani asserting themselves as Frank's preferred strikers. Solanke is still contracted to Spurs until 2030, but will likely leave if he is not getting regular game time.

It is a shame that Solanke has suffered this injury, but it's unfortunately been a tale of his time at Tottenham so far.

He played for Chelsea and Liverpool at the start of his career. However, he did not really get a chance at either club. Solanke then made his name at Bournemouth, but now at Spurs, it must be challenging for him not to be able to make the most of his opportunity back at one of English soccer's biggest clubs.

Ben Davies

Ben Davies has been a great servant to Tottenham Hotspur since he joined them from Swansea City in 2014. In total, he has played 348 times for Spurs, scoring nine goals, with 28 assists from left-back. He is yet to play this season; the Welshman made the bench on occasions before suffering a hamstring injury.

Davies was back amongst the substitutes against PSG, but did not get on. It would have been a tough game to throw Davies on for his first club game of the season. Despite not playing for Spurs, Davies has still featured for Wales. He made his 100th appearance for his country in a defeat to Belgium in World Cup qualifiers.

Wales are in the playoffs to qualify for the tournament in North America next summer. It would hugely help Craig Bellamy's side if Davies could get some game time with his club. Davies is in the final year of his deal with Spurs, and he is now 32. Therefore, his deal will likely not be renewed, but Tottenham will no doubt ensure that one of their longest-serving players will get the send-off that he deserves.

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Thomas Frank finally backs the future superstars he's disrespected

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'I believe a lot in' - Thomas Frank finally backs the future superstars he's disrespected - Hotspur HQ
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has faced the wrath of the fans after losing 4-1 to Arsenal in the North London Derby, committing the almost unforgivable sin of playing like a defensive bottom feeder club in the biggest game of the season - and still getting the doors absolutely blown off him by MIkel Arteta.

Although Spurs lost another high profile matchup on Wednesday night against PSG in the Champions League, they were significantly better in a 5-3 loss and actually did create some things. If it weren't for uncharacteristic defensive errors, they may have very well won the game, too.

A key positive of the match was Frank finally starting young midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. For weeks - months, even - Spurs supporters were decrying Frank for not consistently starting these two future superstars, as they had both been quality whenever called up on in the 2025/26 season.

They can be vital to Tottenham's success

Bergvall was already vital to Spurs success in 2024/25, and Gray was a similarly touted teenage sensation when joining Tottenham. The latter had actually been even more impressive to start the 2025/26 season, and as the best player to get out of sticky positions deep in midfield to progress the ball with his passing and dribbling, he was the player Spurs fans wanted to see much more than the mediocre Rodrigo Bentancur.

Gray and Bergvall helped Spurs out against the elite PSG midfield, and Thomas Frank finally had to say some nice things about the young midfielders. He told reporters after the game, via The Spurs Express, “Very impressive. Two young players, said from the beginning, that I believe a lot in.”

While it may be true that Frank believes in Gray and Bergvall - and he really did praise them in the opening weeks of the season - it is also true that actions are more important than what is said at the press conferences.

And by actions, Frank was clearly not valuing Gray and Bergvall appropriately. With all due respect to Joao Palhinha, who has been a great loan addition to the Spurs squad with his pure defensive chops, Bergvall and Gray is a much more promising and much more important long term double pivot for Tottenham Hotspur than the Palhinha and Bentancur duo.

Frank deviating from Gray and Bergvall was an inexplicable error, and Spurs supporters can only hope that the PSG game, combined with his press conference quote, will lead to a more clear admission from Frank that he needs to use these guys more often going forward.

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Thomas Frank's silent vendetta against Xavi Simons is becoming absurd

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Thomas Frank's silent vendetta against Xavi Simons is becoming absurd - Hotspur HQ
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Although Tottenham Hotspur turned in a significantly better performance against PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday night, they didn't win either. And it isn't exactly difficult to be a lot better than losing 4-1 to Arsenal in an all time cowardly performance.

So while Thomas Frank and Spurs did mount a response against the reigning Champions League winners, the Danish manager still has a lot of work to do before he can say he was won back even half of the good will he completely tossed in the bin after the debacle in the North London Derby.

There are so many sticking points with Frank as Tottenham manager that he needs to address, and one of them that he didn't address against PSG - and only exacerbated - was the rough start to life for Xavi Simons at Tottenham.

Thomas Frank has left Xavi Simons isolated

A truly special player in European football and league play for both PSV and RB Leipzig, Simons was a can't miss signing that the Spurs front office did brilliantly to seal over rivals Chelsea, and yet Frank has turned him into a shell of himself.

When on the pitch, Simons has been isolated in the middle of the formation with nobody to link with or feed off of, as Frank has left him to die with his horrid attacking tactics. But that's even if Simons gets on the pitch, because Frank has been benching him in important games.

Once again, Frank cast Simons aside against PSG, meaning he benched him against both Arsenal and PSG in arguably the two most high profile back to back fixtures of the entire 2025/26 season. It's quite the statement made by Frank, who almost seems to have a personal vendetta against the new signing bubbling under the surface

Even in press conferences, Frank takes little shots about how Simons isn't integrating enough, but it's so hard to shine when a manager takes away your biggest strengths - and takes the ball away from your feet when your biggest strength is carrying the ball and driving at opponents. But when your coach prefers to clog up the pitch and play negatively, then starting someone the fans want to see succeed who plays the opposite like Simons becomes a problem.

Tottenham supporters have to be fed up with how Frank is treating their biggest signing of the summer. Simons is capable of a lot more than what Frank is allowing him, and it's decisions like this that could eventually prove to be the former Brentford man's undoing.

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Factor became abundantly clear vs. PSG

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Tottenham's biggest X-Factor became abundantly clear vs. PSG - Hotspur HQ
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Tottenham Hotspur didn't manage to get the victory - or even a draw - on Wednesday night in the Champions League in their rematch against reigning competition winners PSG, and they were actually further from beating the Parisians than they were the first time around. So while the 5-3 defeat can't be seen as a true success for Spurs, there's no doubt that they were much, much better than they were over the weekend in their abysmal 4-1 loss to Arsenal.

Spurs still have a lot of issues to iron out under Thomas Frank, but one of those issues may not be the striker position for much longer. Although Richarlison did get on the score sheet again for Spurs, the real hero of the night was the striker who will be fully replacing him very soon as a starter.

On the books at PSG before turning in two goals and an assist to nearly single handedly get a point out of his parent club, Randal Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on the final day of the summer 2025 transfer deadline as a loan signing, with Fabio Paratici playing a crucial role in stealing the Frenchman from another year on loan at Juventus.

A long time coming for Tottenham

Kolo Muani's dead leg and jaw injury prevented him from being an immediate success for Spurs, but you could always tell that he was a better all around footballer than Richarlison, even if the goals weren't quite there.

On Wednesday night, Kolo Muani brought the goals - two of them, in fact - and plenty of accomplished play on the ball to at least give Tottenham a fighting chance at beating an excellent PSG side in the Champions League.

Kolo Muani's breakout performance was a long time coming, and although new star winger Mohammed Kudus is still going to be the club's most important player on the front line due to his creativity and one on one chops, Kolo Muani may not be far behind in importance.

Because Spurs have been begging for someone who can score some goals and get others involved at the striker position. Kolo Muani is not a world class player by any means, but in terms of pedigree and skill set, he is the most likely to be a top striker for Tottenham this season. He is now the main X-Factor in the attack, and Wednesday night's performance proved how much Spurs need him to shine. He can win them some games this year if he stays healthy.

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PSG vs. Tottenham player ratings: Kolo Muani shines in chaotic defeat

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PSG vs. Tottenham player ratings: Kolo Muani shines in chaotic defeat - Hotspur HQ
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Midfielders

Rodrigo Bentancur (CM): 6/10 – Wasn't seen much in possession, despite Spurs' improvement in that regard from the derby

Archie Gray (CM): 7/10 – Gray struggles to track runners from midfield, but there was more evidence of Paris that he's a wonderful footballer who simply has to be trusted more by the manager.

Pape Matar Sarr (CM): 6/10 – Not great for two of PSG's goals, which was a shame, because Sarr's energy and work without the ball contributed to their early success.

Lucas Bergvall (AM): 7.5/10 – Quiet in the second half, but all that was good for Spurs in an impressive 45 minutes went through the Swede.

Continued on the next slide...

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PSG vs. Tottenham player ratings: Kolo Muani shines in chaotic defeat

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PSG vs. Tottenham player ratings: Kolo Muani shines in chaotic defeat - Hotspur HQ
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Tottenham were vastly improved from Sunday's North London Derby, yet they still succumbed to a crazy 5-3 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.

Thomas Frank has raised eyebrows more often than not with his team selections, and his personnel on Wednesday night had supporters theologising for 75 minutes until kick-off. By the time 57-year-old Spurs legend Ivan Perišić gave PSV Eindhoven the lead at Anfield, we were still trying to work out the configuration of yellow shirts in Paris.

It looked like a 4-4-2 out of possession and potentially a 4-3-1-2 with it. Lucas Bergvall had plenty of space to roam in a rather fluid midfield that sought to congest central areas and disrupt PSG's flow. Crucially, Spurs were infinitely more aggressive in their press, and they settled into the game nicely.

There was joy to be had down PSG's right, even in the absence of a nominal winger, and it was through a Bergvall and Archie Gray combination down this flank from which Spurs took the lead. Bergvall's flick found his onrushing companion in stride, and Gray's cross was perfectly nodded back across goal by Randal Kolo Muani. Richarlison couldn't miss. Suddenly, I was emotionally involved in the contest. This wasn't the plan.

Frank's side had been brave in Paris. This felt like a masterclass from the suddenly derided manager, and it was incredibly frustrating that another passive sequence on the edge of our box allowed PSG to restore parity just before half-time. Vitinha's strike was superb, it has to be said, but his effort was one of three strikes from distance the holders had in the first half. Their only attacking moment of note was squandered by Warren Zaïre-Emery.

The dopamine spike from Kolo Muani's first Spurs goal, which restored our advantage amid a bright start to the second half, was cruelly sapped in the blink of an eye. By the 66th minute, the vistors were 4-2 down: another Vitinha strike from the edge, a build-up error, and a scrappy set-piece second phase. It felt... avoidable.

The chaotic contest that no one projected continued with Kolo Muani offering hope, but a Romero handball was punished via a penalty, and Vitinha's maiden senior hat-trick surely sealed victory for the hosts, who looked more like 2024/25 selves as the game wore on.

But hey, at least this was a performance to be frustrated about, not embarrassed by. Progress!

PSG 5-3 Tottenham player ratings

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario (GK): 5/10 – Can't blame him for the goals, but for Fabian's, it was his far-from-ideal pass into Cristian Romero that triggered the nightmare sequence.

Pedro Porro (RB): 6/10 – Back in the XI, Porro simply has to offer more in possession. His delivery has let him down more often than not this season, and we know the Spaniard can emerge as a major threat within Frank's framework.

Cristian Romero (CB): 4/10 – Excellent for 45 minutes, but didn't cover himself in glory after the restart, especially with the ball. Penalty giveaway, too.

Micky van de Ven (CB): 6.5/10 – Fine. Not much to comment.

Djed Spence (LB): 7/10 – A reminder that Djed is really fast. Was a useful outlet today, and held up well defensively.

Continued on the next slide...

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Thomas Frank still thinks he's managing Brentford, not Tottenham

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Thomas Frank still thinks he's managing Brentford, not Tottenham - Hotspur HQ
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Every single Tottenham Hotspur supporter is rooting for Thomas Frank to succeed. After ripping through well known manager after well known manager, Spurs are reaching a point where they have to look back at the controversial dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino a handful of years ago and wonder how they went from being Champions League Finalists to a team that is coming off a 17th placed finish in the Premier League - and performing even worse than that after hiring a new coach and spending around 150 million pounds on the summer transfer window.

The 4-1 loss to Arsenal in the North London Derby was a last straw for many Spurs supporters, as the club turned in an apathetic and, really, cowardly performance. They were set up to fail by Frank, whose early tenure at the club looked promising but has now raised major concerns about his competency as manager.

And what Frank has done to respond to his horrid rivalry losses to Arsenal and Chelsea in which he set up his team for the worst statistical attacking performances of the entire Premier League season is simply unacceptable to Spurs fans.

Thomas Frank just doesn't get it

I'll let Frank take it from here. This is what he told reporters as his message to the Tottenham fan base after soiling his pants on Sunday against Arsenal, via The Spurs Watch:

"Performances can always be a bit up and down. In a 60-game season, there will be 10-12 perfect games, 30 or so (in the middle) and then the rest below that. You can be defeated (Chelsea and Arsenal) but the others we were still competitive... we will keep working at it."

What on earth is he talking about? He is saying that in 60 games as Tottenham manager, it is acceptable and normal for there to be more below average performances than perfect ones and that Spurs should be average in half of their games. Do the math. 60 minus 10 is 50. Minus another 30 is 20. So Frank thinks 20 below average performances in a season is acceptable.

Frank is basically saying that, in his mind, Spurs are a mid table club, just like Brentford. Because for a mid table club, being average in half the games and below average in more games than being great is indeed acceptable. For a team like Tottenham that has ambitions of competing for titles, that outcome is absolutely disastrous.

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Tottenham's dream transfer target turned out to be a huge scam

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Tottenham's dream transfer target turned out to be a huge scam - Hotspur HQ
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Tottenham Hotspur didn't sign a single established left winger in the summer 2025 transfer window to replace club legend Son Heung-min, who rode off into the sunset with his Europa League title to finish off his career in MLS.

Spurs were linked closely with Ademola Lookman and Savinho as possible high profile left wing signings to bridge the gap while Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert continue their developments. Lookman will, once again, be a topic for Tottenham in the January transfer window, but it's unlikely Savinho will be back on their radar.

Although Savinho was the No. 1 dream transfer target on the wings after Mohammed Kudus was signed and sealed for many Spurs fans, Antoine Semenyo will be the clear top target at the position from the Premier League ranks. Because while Spurs fans were clamoring for the club to pay up for the Manchester City star, Savinho has proven to be an unmitigated disaster for the Citizens.

A former Player of the Season candidate

Savinho is no longer a regular starter for City, and he has just one assist with no goals in nine Premier League appearances for City (four of them starts). He's creating close to nothing on the wings, he is offering zero goal threat, and even his ball progression has been poor. Savinho's one-on-one ability remains above average, but even that is a shell of what it was in La Liga for Girona.

While Savinho, who was once a La Liga Player of the Season candidate, has the quality to come good in different circumstances, he's been so appalling this season that Man City fans are actually the ones regretting not selling him for the cool 70 million euros they could have gotten out of a seemingly smitten Spurs.

Scam avoided is largely the refrain sung by not just Tottenham fans but also Premier League supporters in general. Spurs still desperately need a new left winger, and that need has reached alarm bell levels after their 4-1 dismantling at the hands of North London Derby rivals Arsenal.

However, Savinho is no longer the man to fulfill the position. He has looked so poor on the wing for Manchester City that their fan base is wondering if there is a worse decision maker at the position in the entire Premier League. If anything, he would be an expensive downgrade on what Odobert and Tel are doing, and that's the kind of investment Spurs can do without.

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PSG vs. Tottenham: Champions League Preview, Prediction & Lineups

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PSG vs. Tottenham: Champions League Preview, Prediction & Lineups - Hotspur HQ
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Tottenham's Champions League campaign continues in the French capital on Wednesday night, as they face the holders, Paris Saint-Germain, off the back of a chastening defeat.

Suddenly, Thomas Frank's seat is getting a little hot. The Dane has overseen two abject losses to Spurs' fiercest rivals in November, and Sunday's 4-1 humbling in the North London Derby ranks among our poorest ever performances in the fixture.

Thus, a trip to the Parc des Princes is not exactly what this Tottenham side needs, especially with a now-significant Premier League clash at home to Fulham upcoming.

Despite struggling Bodø and Monaco, Frank's men are somehow unbeaten through four outings in this competition and are decently positioned in regards to securing a top-eight berth. Spurs are tenth with eight points, and they'll leapfrog PSG in the table if they can record a memorable victory on Wednesday.

We came ever so close to upsetting the odds in our first-ever competitive meeting with the Parisians back in August, but Luis Enrique's outstanding side fought back from 2-0 down in the UEFA Super Cup before eventually winning on penalties.

The holders haven't been quite as imperious at the start of 2025/26, but they sit atop Ligue 1 and were beaten for the first time in the Champions League by an equally special Bayern Munich team last time out.

Here's our preview of Spurs' trip to Paris.

PSG vs. Tottenham: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does PSG vs. Tottenham kick off?

PSG vs. Tottenham kicks off on Wednesday 26 November at 20:00 BST.

When is kick off? Wednesday 26 November, 2025

What time is kick off? 20:00 BST

Where is it played? Parc des Princes, Paris

Referee: Felix Zwayer

PSG vs Tottenham head-to-head record

How to watch PSG vs Tottenham on TV & live stream

PSG team news

Injuries have partly prevented PSG from being utterly dominant at the start of the new season, with Ballon d'Or winner Ousmané Dembélé missing much of the campaign so far due to a couple of setbacks.

The Frenchman has been out of action since he was forced off in the first half of PSG's 2-1 defeat to Bayern earlier this month, but he trained ahead of Wednesday's game and looks set to be involved.

The hosts, however, are without Achraf Hakimi and Golden Boy Désiré Doué through injury. Warren Zaïre-Emery will likely debutise for the former, while Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are set to flank Gonçalo Ramos in PSG's frontline.

PSG predicted lineup vs. Tottenham: Chevalier; Zaïre-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves, Fabian; Barcola, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia.

Tottenham team news

Tottenham's injury situation brightened up before the derby, with Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Randal Kolo Muani and Mohammed Kudus all making the matchday squad.

While Frank oversaw an impressive showing against the European champions in the Super Cup, he'd be taking a risk setting his side up in a similar fashion on Wednesday, given what happened at the Emirates. No matter the formation, Spurs must be more aggressive out of possession.

Still, changes are expected. Former PSG star Xavi Simons has to come in, but I'd retain Djed Spence in favour of Pedro Porro. The Spaniard should've started on Sunday, but Frank preferred Spence's physicality and standout defensive attributes. They should come in handy here.

Randal Kolo Muani is eligible to face his parent club, but Brennan Johnson is suspended after picking up a red card against Copenhagen.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs. PSG: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Palhinha; Kudus, Xavi, Kolo Muani, Richarlison.

PSG vs. Tottenham score prediction

We were all dreading the Super Cup, weren't we? That turned out okay, and we can only hope this Tottenham team turn up in a similar manner on Wednesday night.

The nature of Sunday's defeat means this isn't quite the free-hit it could've been for Frank. While supporters shouldn't expect Spurs to get a result in Paris, they'll understandably want to ensure this bout is competitive.

A display akin to what we produced at the Emirates will further raise doubts over Frank's long-term viability. There has to be a response, even in defeat.

I think we enjoy more success with a direct approach and are able to at least make life difficult for the hosts, who'll have to grind out three points.

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Some Tottenham players are not happy with Thomas Frank

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Rumblings of discontent starting to emerge at Tottenham - Hotspur HQ
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Thomas Frank was never going to escape the North London Derby unscathed, given the cowardly performance his side produced at the Emirates.

The Dane set up his Spurs side with the sole focus of frustrating the league-leading hosts, who ran away with the contest after Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock towards the end of the first half.

Frank changed tack by introducing Xavi Simons at half-time, but Eberechi Eze's second goal of the contest killed Spurs' hopes of a 2010-like turnaround. Eze later completed his hat-trick to seal a 4-1 rout, with Arsenal manifesting the cohesiveness and brilliance of champions while the Lilywhites appeared bereft of purpose and intent.

It was a showing not too dissimilar to what we served up at home to Chelsea at the start of the month, and the nature of these two defeats have piled the pressure on the manager.

Some Tottenham players want Thomas Frank to change ways

The emotion of derby day meant there were calls for Frank's head in the aftermath of the defeat, and the manager rubbed up plenty the wrong way when he weaponised last season's 17th-place Premier League finish as a means of justifying the struggles we've endured at the start of his reign.

The Dane's squad is far from complete, and injuries are a mitigating factor, but Frank should be getting more out of this squad than he currently is. It's all too primitive.

Still, there's no suggestion that Spurs are preparing the guillotine. According to the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law, the club are willing to give Frank time to put things right.

However, Law also reported that some within believe the manager has contributed to the attacking malaise at the start of the season by tinkering too much with personnel, thus not allowing those in the frontline to develop the "connections" Frank often discusses as imperative.

Moreover, a few players would prefer more proactivity from the manager. There's a belief that Frank is focusing too much on nullifying the opposition, rather than playing to the strengths of his team. That has certainly been the case against the Premier League's top sides this term, although we did have success in the UEFA Super Cup and away at Manchester City.

So, while Frank will be in the job for the foreseeable, rumblings of discontent are beginning to emerge in N17. We've already seen Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence show dissent towards the boss after the aforementioned Chelsea defeat, and it's hard to imagine too many of Frank's squad being enamoured with the way they were asked to perform on Sunday.

Evolve or die, Thomas.

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