Spurs boss appears increasingly unable to improve performances or results
Clock is ticking: Thomas Frank
Action Images via Reuters
Matt Verri
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Tottenham's task arriving at the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest was clear.
After confidence-boosting wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague, where the attack finally showed signs of life, this was a sterner test from which to prove a corner really had been turned.
This was a dire display from Thomas Frank's side. They were weak mentally and physically. Spurs trailed for more than an hour in the 3-0 defeat to Forest but finished the match having registered just one shot on target.
For the first two months of this season, Frank defended Spurs' start to the campaign by insisting only the defeat to Bournemouth was a truly bad performance.
Now, though, that display barely registers in the memory. Spurs could have conceded five to Monaco in October and were abysmal when losing to Chelsea two weeks later.
It's pretty evident that if no one gets the time, no one can turn this around. This is not a quick fix
Thomas Frank
Even since then, they showed up only in body against Arsenal, fell to a shocking defeat to Fulham in a match that was billed as one to turn the season around, and now failed to lay a glove on Forest.
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With Spurs now 11th in the Premier League and the list of dismal performances growing at an alarming rate, Frank is losing the fans almost as quickly. The obvious question is whether he will be given time to stem the tide.
"I can't see why not," Frank insisted after the defeat to Forest.
"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."
That might be true, but Frank's problem is that the fix required now seems to be much more significant than it was even in September.
At that stage, a few weeks into the season, Frank had shaped Spurs into a defensively resolute side with a strong away record and seemingly set up to thrive in the biggest games. The challenge, as Frank put it, was adding offensive "layers".
Three months later, Spurs have only been capable of attacking with any sort of coherence against Copenhagen, Brentford and Slavia Prague.
Aside from those fixtures, the attacking plan has amounted to little more than cross and hope. On top of that, Spurs have now conceded 16 goals in their last five away games.
Spurs have 22 points from their first 16 games Premier League games, their worst start since 2008, and still you feel results have been better than performances overall.
There are two main reasons managers might be given time when results have left their job under pressure.
Djed Spence again did little to hide his frustrations
Action Images via Reuters
The first would be that there is an identity being instilled and a clear direction for the future, one that the fans and board can believe in and work towards even if there is short-term pain.
Another reason, though, might be a reluctance to accept an appointment was wrong. Sacking a manager would be an admission of failure from the club's hierarchy and so they wait, hoping in the face of all evidence for a turnaround.
Spurs are not quite at that stage yet, but even Frank's most ardent backers would struggle to argue this Spurs side has any sort of identity.
He is right in that managers do generally deserve time. However, nearly half of the Premier League season has been played. It is simply not good enough that Spurs still do not seem to have any idea how to attack.
Frank has argued otherwise but his players, a couple of generous home fixtures aside, are not taking on board his messages.
So many in a Spurs shirt were terrible against Forest and that number of poor performances suggests a wider issue. The players do not seem to be enjoying playing under Frank.
One of Frank's key strengths as Brentford boss was developing players and getting more out of a team than the list of individuals would suggest is possible.
It is hard to look at any players in this Spurs squad currently and think they have improved under Frank so far, beyond Micky van de Ven offering slightly more of a goal threat. The attackers, generally, look lost.
The strongest card in Frank's hand currently is the lack of options if Spurs were to replace him. The managerial market will be much more appealing after the World Cup in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino likely to be among those available.
Spurs are ready to spend big again, but Frank yet to prove he’s the man to back with significant funds
Spurs coach Matt Wells would be an obvious choice to play the Ryan Mason interim role, but he has held talks over the manager's job at Colorado Rapids.
Giving Frank at least until the end of the season is therefore the preferable outcome, but this turgid football cannot be served up for another six months.
A January transfer window offers a double-edged sword. This is a squad that needs strengthening but Frank is showing little to suggest he is the man to back with significant funds.
If Spurs lost to Aston Villa next month in the FA Cup, their realistic trophy hopes would be over by January. Should Spurs still be in the bottom half too, the board would have to seriously consider why it is they would be giving Frank more time.
Significant work went into recruiting Ange Postecoglou's successor in the summer. A list of ten criteria to be a Spurs manager was drawn up and more than 30 candidates were considered. Spurs were adamant Frank was the right man and, for now, he is still being supported.
However, beyond the general belief that all managers need time, there are no compelling arguments to be confident that Frank will turn this around.
The Dane has been increasingly vocal in calling for patience. Time is running out to prove he deserves it.
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