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Thomas Frank faces the most pivotal game of his Tottenham tenure on Saturday.

A home defeat against relegation-threatened London rivals West Ham, who are 18th and are on a 10-game Premier League winless run, would be simply unthinkable for Frank.

And with West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo also under huge pressure, it is a game which Sky Sports' Tim Sherwood has labelled as 'El Sackico'.

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But Frank's press conference on Thursday did not give the impression that his job would be under threat if Spurs were to lose to the Hammers.

In fact, it felt like the Dane had been given some good news over the last few days.

And I get the impression that he has probably been told that he will have at least the coming matches to turn this around, and even possibly until the end of the season.

This felt like a press conference from August or September, when things were rosy for Frank. His answers on Thursday were long, he smiled throughout, and there was an air of defiance.

And why wouldn't there be after a positive week of change for Frank ahead of Saturday's crunch clash.

On Wednesday, he was handed a "top signing" in Conor Gallagher following his £34m arrival from Atletico Madrid.

Then a day later, two announcements came - Frank had hired John Heitinga as his new assistant first-team coach, while at boardroom level, Carlos Raphael 'Rafi' Moersen was appointed director of football operations in a newly created role.

My understanding is that Rafi is not Fabio Paratici's replacement after the co-sporting director's exit at the end of the January transfer window was confirmed on Wednesday.

Rafi will work closely with sporting director Johan Lange in what Tottenham believe is a modern, high-performance football structure, as we wait and see whether Paratici will be replaced.

Can Frank win fans over?

So it has been another week of change at Spurs - and Frank will be hoping for more change on Saturday: the mood of the fans.

Boos once again greeted the full-time whistle after last Saturday's FA Cup third-round home defeat to Aston Villa.

That loss was Tottenham's seventh in their last 13 games, while Frank's side are winless in 2026.

It is why most fans have just not taken to Frank, with some frustrated at his defensive style, while others are upset at things he says in press conferences. The Arsenal cup blunder at Bournemouth has not helped either.

But even before a ball is kicked on Saturday, there could be an air of frustration with protests planned - although it will be intriguing to see the attendance at these protests following the signing of Gallagher.

What is for certain is that if things go wrong against a relegation-threatened London rival, then a toxic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be hugely troublesome for Frank.

The Lewis family and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham will be there, and if they notice the crowd's unhappiness, then there could be a real issue.

Frank knows that only a win laced with attacking intent will appease his detractors.

Does Frank deserve to be under pressure?

After the Villa defeat, Frank looked like a man under pressure.

But I do have sympathy for the 52-year-old because this squad is not good enough.

If Tottenham were to sell all of their players right now, then arguably only Micky van de Ven and maybe Cristian Romero would go to a bigger club, like Real Madrid or Barcelona.

But then some fans believe that the squad is better than 14th in the Premier League.

The problem for Frank has been that key members of this squad - James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke - have all been missing, with only Solanke just returning from injury.

There has also been so much change going on around Frank at the club, including Daniel Levy's shock exit in September.

This week has been evidence of the new era at Tottenham, and perhaps Frank needs to be given a bit more leeway following the dramatic revolution.

What Frank can control, though, is the style of football, which has rightly contributed to the pressure on him.

A better free-flowing Spurs with the shackles off will help the ex-Brentford boss turn things around.

But ultimately, for Frank, he will just want the victory on Saturday in what many feel is a win-or-bust game.

Thomas Frank faces the most pivotal game of his Tottenham tenure on Saturday.

A home defeat against relegation-threatened London rivals West Ham, who are 18th and are on a 10-game Premier League winless run, would be simply unthinkable for Frank.

And with West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo also under huge pressure, it is a game which Sky Sports' Tim Sherwood has labelled as 'El Sackico'.

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But Frank's press conference on Thursday did not give the impression that his job would be under threat if Spurs were to lose to the Hammers.

In fact, it felt like the Dane had been given some good news over the last few days.

And I get the impression that he has probably been told that he will have at least the coming matches to turn this around, and even possibly until the end of the season.

This felt like a press conference from August or September, when things were rosy for Frank. His answers on Thursday were long, he smiled throughout, and there was an air of defiance.

And why wouldn't there be after a positive week of change for Frank ahead of Saturday's crunch clash.

On Wednesday, he was handed a "top signing" in Conor Gallagher following his £34m arrival from Atletico Madrid.

Then a day later, two announcements came - Frank had hired John Heitinga as his new assistant first-team coach, while at boardroom level, Carlos Raphael 'Rafi' Moersen was appointed director of football operations in a newly created role.

My understanding is that Rafi is not Fabio Paratici's replacement after the co-sporting director's exit at the end of the January transfer window was confirmed on Wednesday.

Rafi will work closely with sporting director Johan Lange in what Tottenham believe is a modern, high-performance football structure, as we wait and see whether Paratici will be replaced.

Can Frank win fans over?

So it has been another week of change at Spurs - and Frank will be hoping for more change on Saturday: the mood of the fans.

Boos once again greeted the full-time whistle after last Saturday's FA Cup third-round home defeat to Aston Villa.

That loss was Tottenham's seventh in their last 13 games, while Frank's side are winless in 2026.

It is why most fans have just not taken to Frank, with some frustrated at his defensive style, while others are upset at things he says in press conferences. The Arsenal cup blunder at Bournemouth has not helped either.

But even before a ball is kicked on Saturday, there could be an air of frustration with protests planned - although it will be intriguing to see the attendance at these protests following the signing of Gallagher.

What is for certain is that if things go wrong against a relegation-threatened London rival, then a toxic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be hugely troublesome for Frank.

The Lewis family and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham will be there, and if they notice the crowd's unhappiness, then there could be a real issue.

Frank knows that only a win laced with attacking intent will appease his detractors.

Does Frank deserve to be under pressure?

After the Villa defeat, Frank looked like a man under pressure.

But I do have sympathy for the 52-year-old because this squad is not good enough.

If Tottenham were to sell all of their players right now, then arguably only Micky van de Ven and maybe Cristian Romero would go to a bigger club, like Real Madrid or Barcelona.

But then some fans believe that the squad is better than 14th in the Premier League.

The problem for Frank has been that key members of this squad - James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke - have all been missing, with only Solanke just returning from injury.

There has also been so much change going on around Frank at the club, including Daniel Levy's shock exit in September.

This week has been evidence of the new era at Tottenham, and perhaps Frank needs to be given a bit more leeway following the dramatic revolution.

What Frank can control, though, is the style of football, which has rightly contributed to the pressure on him.

A better free-flowing Spurs with the shackles off will help the ex-Brentford boss turn things around.

But ultimately, for Frank, he will just want the victory on Saturday in what many feel is a win-or-bust game.

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Tottenham have completed the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £34m.

Aston Villa also approached Atletico over Gallagher, wanting him on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, but the LaLiga club weren't keen unless it was an obligation to buy.

Sky Sports News reported that Spurs were in the market for a midfielder after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury. Gallagher has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal.

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"I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club," said Gallagher.

"I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch.

"I know how great the fans are, I'm really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together."

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank said: "Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad.

"He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, LaLiga and with the England national team.

"Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.

"I'm excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team."

Gallagher, 25, signed for Atletico in the summer of 2024 for around £38m.

He brings plenty of experience in the Premier League, having made 136 appearances in the competition for the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea prior to joining Atletico Madrid.

Spurs confirmed the extent of Bentancur's injury on Tuesday, after the South American midfielder underwent surgery on his right hamstring.

A statement from the club read: "The Uruguay international midfielder suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture at Bournemouth last week and will now commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff."

Elsewhere, no member of Thomas Frank's first-team squad is currently allowed to leave the club.

Mathys Tel has interest from Paris FC and Radu Dragusin from Roma - but they are still part of Frank's plans.

Spurs are also finalising a £13m deal for Santos left-back Souza. The 19-year-old is being brought in to provide cover and competition for Destiny Udogie.

Analysis: Gallagher signing shows Spurs are backing Frank

Sky Sports News' James Savundra:

"He will bring plenty of energy to that midfield which Tottenham need right now. There is clearly an issue when it comes to creativity which I'm not so sure Conor Gallagher is going to resolve.

"When players like James Madison and Dejan Kulusevski become fit, they will help with that. But, he's got the capacity to win the ball high up the pitch. He's a pressing machine. A really enthusiastic personality which will add plenty at a time where there is a need for more positive voices in the dressing room.

"He provides leadership and drive in the middle of the pitch. Rodrigo Bentacur, who has arguably been one of the most impressive central midfielders for Tottenham, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury for the next three months. Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray were the only senior central midfield options.

"With Gallagher coming in, you'd expect him to start. It's a real statement of intent from Tottenham in terms of backing for Thomas Frank. Removing a player in Brennan Johnson who wasn't a clear part of Thomas Frank's plans, and bringing in a player who Thomas Frank thinks can make a difference in a season that has offered very little highlights for Tottenham thus far."

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Tottenham have completed the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £34m.

Aston Villa also approached Atletico over Gallagher, wanting him on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, but the LaLiga club weren't keen unless it was an obligation to buy.

Sky Sports News reported that Spurs were in the market for a midfielder after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury. Gallagher has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal.

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"I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club," said Gallagher.

"I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch.

"I know how great the fans are, I'm really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together."

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank said: "Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad.

"He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, LaLiga and with the England national team.

"Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.

"I'm excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team."

Gallagher, 25, signed for Atletico in the summer of 2024 for around £38m.

He brings plenty of experience in the Premier League, having made 136 appearances in the competition for the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea prior to joining Atletico Madrid.

Spurs confirmed the extent of Bentancur's injury on Tuesday, after the South American midfielder underwent surgery on his right hamstring.

A statement from the club read: "The Uruguay international midfielder suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture at Bournemouth last week and will now commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff."

Elsewhere, no member of Thomas Frank's first-team squad is currently allowed to leave the club.

Mathys Tel has interest from Paris FC and Radu Dragusin from Roma - but they are still part of Frank's plans.

Tottenham have completed the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £34m.

Aston Villa also approached Atletico over Gallagher, wanting him on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, but the LaLiga club weren't keen unless it was an obligation to buy.

Sky Sports News reported that Spurs were in the market for a midfielder after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury. Gallagher has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal.

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"I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club," said Gallagher.

"I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch.

"I know how great the fans are, I'm really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together."

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank said: "Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad.

"He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, LaLiga and with the England national team.

"Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.

"I'm excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team."

Gallagher, 25, signed for Atletico in the summer of 2024 for around £38m.

He brings plenty of experience in the Premier League, having made 136 appearances in the competition for the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea prior to joining Atletico Madrid.

Spurs confirmed the extent of Bentancur's injury on Tuesday, after the South American midfielder underwent surgery on his right hamstring.

A statement from the club read: "The Uruguay international midfielder suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture at Bournemouth last week and will now commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff."

Elsewhere, no member of Thomas Frank's first-team squad is currently allowed to leave the club.

Mathys Tel has interest from Paris FC and Radu Dragusin from Roma - but they are still part of Frank's plans.

Tottenham's joint sporting director Fabio Paratici is to leave the club and join Fiorentina following the end of the January transfer window, three months after returning to the club.

The Italian had originally left Spurs in April 2023 after his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year ban was rejected by Italy's highest sports court, but returned to north London to work alongside existing sporting director Johan Lange in October last year.

Paratici will depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again at the end of January, with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham explaining the Italian executive had expressed his desire to move back to his native country.

Venkatesham said: "We have agreed that Fabio will return to Italy following the conclusion of the January transfer window, in line with his wish to move back home.

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"We thank Fabio for his contribution to the club and wish him well for the future. Our management structure is designed to be resilient to personnel changes, and it will be business as usual moving forward."

Paratici said: "I want to thank Vinai and the board of Tottenham Hotspur for accommodating my desire to return to Italy and join Fiorentina.

"I have loved my time at the club, however this opportunity, together with the need to be based in my homeland, has led me to this decision.

"Spurs is a club that is very close to my heart. It has great people working for it, who are as passionate about the project as I am and want to bring sustained success. I have no doubt that they will achieve that and I will be watching closely from Italy."

Analysis: No surprise over exit - and no clear replacement

Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge:

"It's not really a surprise at all. There have been rumours and talk about him moving back to Italy, this was his second spell as sporting director but I understand this is a personal decision.

"There have been murmurings about potential disagreements but that's not the case. The other question is whether he gets replaced, and it's not certain that there will be a replacement.

"If you see the statement it talks about the resilience of the management structure and how it is business as usual going forward.

"This is a very different Tottenham in this window, it's the first time in 25 years Daniel Levy isn't signing the cheques and the whole hierarchy are part of that now.

"Paratici is a very popular figure at Spurs, that's why he was brought back in and he's been central to a number of signings.

"A lot of them have worked, some others haven't - Emerson Royal, Manor Solomon, for instance. It's been up and down but he'll still be a part of Spurs' transfer business for this window.

"He'll play quite a big part, one of the reasons he was so well liked at Spurs is that his contacts book is like the Yellow Pages. He leaves on very good terms."

Paratici leaves Spurs without lasting legacy

Sky Sports' David Richardson:

Why would Fabio Paratici leave Tottenham less than four months after re-joining for a club sat inside the Serie A relegation zone?

Paratici's initial time as managing director at Spurs lasted just under two years after he resigned, having lost an appeal in Italy against a 30-month ban as punishment for his role in alleged false accounting at Juventus.

But he returned to the Premier League club in October as a sporting director alongside Johan Lange, who was promoted from his role as technical director, and under chief executive Vinai Venkatesham

Paratici will reportedly have complete control of footballing matters at Fiorentina, whereas his standing at Spurs has diminished in the post-Daniel Levy era compared to his first spell when he oversaw the appointments of Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Nuno was sacked after less than four months and Conte, having taken the club into the Champions League, followed after he publicly criticised the club for having won so few trophies.

Paratici's work in the transfer market has mostly been a success at Spurs. The likes of Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have been good value additions, while last season's Europa League triumph was built on the performances of Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.

Others like Richarlison and Yves Bissouma haven't hit the same heights.

Paratici's final act at Spurs will be to guide them through an immensely important January window at a time when the team needs reinforcements, with some fans already tired of Thomas Frank's approach. Conor Gallagher will bring tenacity and experience to the midfield, but Paratici's short-lived time at the club leaves him without a lasting legacy.

Gallagher completes medical ahead of £34m move

Conor Gallagher has completed his medical with Tottenham ahead of sealing a £34m transfer from Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher is expected to sign a five-and-a-half-year contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Elsewhere, no member of Thomas Frank's first-team squad is currently allowed to leave the club.

Mathys Tel has interest from Paris FC and Radu Dragusin from Roma - but they are still part of Frank's plans.