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Thomas Frank has now moved to clarify suggestions about taking the handbrake off while pointing to three players who have driven a change in Tottenham’s form.

Results have certainly improved in north London over the past few weeks after Tottenham Hotspur secured two wins on the bounce in their last two outings.

It was not just about getting the three points, as Spurs were actually the better side in those two games, with Frank’s side playing on the front foot and controlling large stretches of both matches.

That, however, has not always been the case in north London, with Thomas Frank often criticised for his pragmatic approach, which had led to growing fan dissatisfaction earlier in the season.

Thomas Frank explains Tottenham form improvement and refutes handbrake claims

The Tottenham boss has now opened up on what has changed for Tottenham following the upturn in results, and he addressed suggestions that Spurs had suddenly become more expansive.

Speaking to the media, Frank was clear in his response, first pushing back on claims that he had told the team to cut loose before highlighting the three players driving this positive run.

He said, via the official Tottenham channel: “I would not say we have taken the handbrake off. Three players I would like to mention. Richy is in a very good place, also physically.

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“Mo Kudus, after a great start to the season, injury, a little dip, back to good levels. Xavi is also at a good level. I think all three of them in form and sharp at the same time helps.

“The relationships, principles and patterns we are working at are getting better and better.”

Frank must find balance in his Spurs team

Indeed, the forward players have been more impactful, and that is down to the changes made behind them, with the midfield and full-backs offering cleaner progression through the thirds.

Frank has tweaked his personnel, bringing in players who are more positive in possession, which has helped them threaten the opposition goal more frequently in games, and that shift has allowed Spurs to sustain attacks with greater consistency.

Of course, it is a welcome development, but finding balance is the big question here for the Dane, as Tottenham need to be a threat in attack while also remaining solid at the back, especially against sides who aim to exploit space in transition.

Brennan Johnson is attracting interest from a Premier League club ahead of the January transfer window, but there is one factor affecting whether he will be able to depart Tottenham Hotspur.

Brennan Johnson returned to Tottenham Hotspur as a hero after the summer, having scored the goal which won his team the Europa League final.

Despite the arrival of Mohammed Kudus over the summer, the Welshman maintained his spot in the first-team, switching to the left side of attack.

However, he appears to have fallen out of favour with Thomas Frank and is now behind Wilson Odobert in the Spurs pecking order.

Tottenham could receive a bid for Brennan Johnson from Crystal Palace

With Johnson struggling for game time, he could be on the move when the transfer window reopens next month.

According to The Telegraph, Crystal Palace are interested in the 24-year-old, as Ismaïla Sarr is currently injured and is scheduled to play at AFCON.

However, Tottenham will decide whether a move will take place, with the North London club also considering whether to freshen their squad in January.

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Spurs should not be reluctant to sell Johnson

Tottenham fans will be forever grateful to Johnson for what he delivered in Bilbao, but he has been knocked out of the first-team by a player who is still a long way from reaching his potential.

Although the winger has a fairly decent goal record, he often struggles to make an impact on the pitch, and things are not about to get any easier.

Dejan Kulusevski will eventually return from injury, and a new left-wing signing could be on the cards in the near future. It would make sense for both Spurs and Johnson to arrange a permanent transfer.

European football expert Andy Brassell is confused by reports suggesting that Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing a young Serbian starlet.

According to reports, discussions are ongoing at Spurs about adding another central midfielder to their squad in January.

A 20-year-old is thought to have caught the eye of the North London club, with reports indicating that Tottenham are battling Newcastle United for Aleksandar Stankovic.

Stankoiv is turning a lot of heads with his impressive performances for Club Brugge since swapping Inter Milan for the Belgian club in the summer, but one expert is not convinced he is what Spurs need.

Andy Brassell questions logic of Tottenham’s interest in Aleksandar Stankovic

Brassell has suggested that the Serbian international is not what Tottenham Hotspur need in the January transfer window.

He suggested that Stankovic is very similar in profile to the two midfield destroyers that Spurs have: Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha.

When asked about the speculation over the Club Burgge man’s future, Brassell told talkSPORT’s Joe Brophy: “When you look at those clubs that have been linked with him, I don’t know why Spurs would want another of that type of midfielder, if I’m being perfectly honest.

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“He’s a better set-piece deliverer than either Palhinha or [Rodrigo] Bentancur. But I think you look at them and think, do they need another player like that?

“Unless they’re not keeping Palhinha, presumably. Maybe that’s part of it. But he’s developing really, really quickly as well.”

Do Spurs need another number six?

Reports over the last few weeks have indicated that Tottenham are looking at the likes of Conor Gallagher and Ruben Neves.

That suggests that Thomas Frank feels that he needs another body in the middle of the park.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to send a big signal of backing to Thomas Frank over the next few weeks, according to a Premier League club’s former CEO.

Over the past few months, it has been widely reported that ENIC want to make some statement signings to signal their ambition in this new era for Tottenham.

Several sources have claimed that Spurs are willing to make big investments in key positions across the squad.

In fact, it was even reported by TEAMtalk a couple of weeks ago that Thomas Frank will be handed a transfer kitty of £100m for the January window.

Thomas Frank will be backed by Tottenham despite poor results

Some may wonder if Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles over recent weeks would have changed their thinking about backing the Dane with big funds.

In fact, some outlets have claimed that Spurs have started exploring alternatives for Frank as a precaution, and if that is the case, they may be hesitant to invest in players suited to his tactical approach.

However, the former Aston Villa and Everton CEO believes that Tottenham will show faith in the former Brentford boss and will send him a clear signal by making money available to spend in January.

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Wyness told Football Insider: “I do think the owners will want to show they’re not knee-jerk and they will want to see a longer-term strategy. I believe the executive team with Vinai [Venkatesham] have got enough experience to also not become knee-jerk and also to try and provide the tools going forward.

“I think he’ll turn it around. I think in January we’ll see him active, very active in the window and I think that will be the start of him putting his own stamp on the playing squad and moving things forward. But no, this is one that they’ve got to stay the course, stick with him and things will start to turn around.

“Let’s not forget where they finished last season and I think as long as he can finish in the European places, I think he’s going to finish somewhere around seventh or eighth, that is still my belief. And if he does that, then I think everybody will be happy and on we go. But now is not the time to lose your head. It’s time to stay calm and Spurs have got to move forward, but they’ve got to be active in January.”

Why Spurs fans should not expect big additions in January

We know that only 10 per cent of all transfer business is done in the mid-season transfer window, as clubs are hesitant to let any of their key players go.

As a result, the pool of players available during January is considerably lower than it is in the summer.

The Tottenham hierarchy may feel inclined to wait for more ideal targets to become available in the summer rather than blowing a hole in their budget with less-than-ideal signings mid-season.

The latest update on Marcus Rashford’s future comes as a major blow to Tottenham Hotspur after they made advances towards the forward.

The on-loan Man United man has been exceptional since his loan move to Barcelona, managing 16 goal contributions in 20 appearances so far this season.

It first emerged last month that Tottenham had held a discreet meeting with Rashford’s representatives over a move to N17 next season.

It subsequently came to light that Spurs had offered the England international a ‘leading role’ in their team amidst Barcelona’s difficulties in agreeing a permanent deal for the player.

Marcus Rashford does not want a Tottenham transfer

TEAMtalk have now offered a blow by revealing what the United academy graduate’s plan is for next season.

The outlet claims that Rashford is showing no interest in playing for any other club apart from Barcelona next season.

He has informed United that he only wants a move to the Camp Nou, and this situation is ‘causing problems’ among the Red Devils hierarchy.

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The outlet adds that the 28-year-old has shunned interest from every other club that has called and has even turned away lucrative advances from Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona’s stance on Rashford is causing problems at Man Utd

TEAMtalk say that Barcelona have informed United that they want Rashford to stay beyond the end of the season.

However, the Catalan giants are having trouble activating the £30m option to buy due to their financial issues.

United were hoping that interest from Tottenham Hotspur and PSG would enable them to get fair financial value for Rashford, but the forward has now made it clear that he is not willing to even talk to other clubs.

Rubem Amorim’s side are now worried Barca could not ask for a reduction in the price of the England star or potentially even another loan for next season.

Thomas Frank has provided the latest injury update on his Tottenham squad ahead of their Premier League encounter with Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to keep their winning streak going when they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday.

Spurs did not take a point off Forest last season, and they will be desperate to correct that when they take on Sean Dyche’s men this weekend.

Tottenham are 11th in the Premier League table while Forest are 17th. Both sides will be aiming for victory here as they look to continue their resurgence up the table.

Frank’s men dropped into the bottom half of the table following a winless November run, while Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a run of three wins in their last five league outings.

Tottenham injury news as Thomas Frank assesses squad before Forest

Thomas Frank comes into this league fixture with a few injury worries limiting the manager’s options.

James Maddison made an appearance on the Hotspur Way pitch last weekend, but remains a long way out and is set to miss this encounter.

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Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai continue to work their way to full fitness despite playing for 45 minutes a week ago, and remain doubts for this game.

Ben Davies got some minutes under his belt after a long spell out when he came on against Prague during the midweek; valuable minutes for the centre-back who is looking to build match sharpness.

Dominic Solanke remains out with no recent update from Frank, while Dejan Kulusevski continues to work on his recovery, having missed the last seven months following a patella injury.

Destiny Udogie’s hamstring problem is the freshest injury knock for Tottenham, and the full-back’s return has been pencilled in for next year.

Thomas Frank has now provided a further update on the fitness of his Tottenham squad ahead of the clash with Forest.

He told the Tottenham media team, “Everyone that was available for Slavia will be available for Forest.”

On Brennan Johnson, he added: “I expect him to be available for Forest, he trained today.”

The date and time of Tottenham’s FA Cup clash with Aston Villa has now been announced as Thomas Frank faces a tough early test.

There has been plenty of debate on what will constitute a successful first season for Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur.

That is partly down to the fact that Spurs had such a contrasting season last term, finishing 17th in the Premier League while also winning their first European trophy in 41 years.

Some pundits have suggested that Frank has to finish in the top six to keep his Tottenham job. That may or may not be true, but the Dane also has to deliver a good cup run, which makes the FA Cup extremely important for the Lilywhites.

With Spurs out of the Carabao Cup, there was plenty of attention on the FA Cup draw earlier this week, and it was not a favourable draw for the Lilywhites.

Thomas Frank would have hoped for a lower league side first up, but Tottenham were drawn against Aston Villa at home in the third round of the FA Cup.

It has now been confirmed that the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be played on January 10, with kick-off at 5.45 pm.

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Spurs will fancy their chances against Aston Villa

Aston Villa may be flying high in the Premier League, but there was not a lot between the sides when they met in North London back in October.

Both sides will likely make changes for this fixture, given the tight schedule, which may make the game a bit of a lottery.

There will be hunger in the Tottenham squad to win another trophy this season on the back of their Europa League success last term, and one would expect the players to treat this like a Premier League or Champions League fixture.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are growing anxious over the pace of Dejan Kulusevski’s rehabilitation, with the midfielder’s recovery appearing slower than many had expected.

Dejan Kulusevski has yet to make a return to the training pitches at Hotspur Way as he continues to work his way back to full fitness.

The midfielder injured his knee back in May and has since undergone surgery to his patella, but his return to action is taking longer than many had hoped.

Tottenham have looked to cope without the Swede, who hit double figures for goal involvements last term, with their available players deputising; however, many supporters are still eager to see him back in the fold.

Video footage on social media has now surfaced of Kulusevski putting in the hard work at the gym as he looks to get back to full fitness.

Spurs fans, however, are not too pleased with the midfielder’s progress, with many still in shock at how long his recovery is taking and questioning why he has not started using his legs.

One fan said: “IT’S A BIKE DEKI USE YOUR LEGS!!” Another stated: “Not using his legs at all is concerning.” A third supporter joked: “I can see Teddy Mitchell come back to EastEnders before Kulu coming back.”

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A fourth fan predicted: “I do not know much about medically related, but he still has not started any leg workouts, which means he is still so far from coming back, atp Maddison will come back before him.”

Fans continued to echo a similar sentiment: “Never see him using his legs lol.” Another added: “This guy is still not doing legs exercise… Think he is still far from starting fr Spurs.”

Sweden are also waiting for Kulusevski’s return

It is not just Tottenham who are desperate for a Dejan Kulusevski return, with Sweden also keen on seeing the attacking midfielder back in action.

The Swedish national team is currently in the race for a World Cup spot with two qualifying games to come, and they need one of their talismans to be available.

Graham Potter is the latest to provide an update on Kulusevski’s injury, stating that the midfielder is putting in the work to make a return next year, with hopes he can be ready for the qualifying games in March.

Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend, and Thomas Frank faces a key decision over which players he must bring back into the fold if he is to take three points at Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action on Sunday, and it is Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest that stands in their way.

A victory at the City Ground will see Thomas Frank’s side make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League following their win last time out against Brentford in matchweek 15.

Forest did the double over Spurs last season, beating them home and away, and Frank will be hoping that his side can get one over the Tricky Trees.

The Dane has not been scared to shuffle his pack, but we believe that if he can make three changes to his squad ahead of this clash, Tottenham’s chances of a victory will greatly improve.

Here are the changes we believe Frank should be looking to make.

Tottenham need Mathys Tel on the left

The left side of Tottenham’s attack is perhaps the most underwhelming area in the squad right now, and that is because you never know who will be starting in that position.

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We have seen it all this season, with Xavi Simons, Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel, Randal Kolo Muani, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert all getting a run in, but not one of them has impressed out wide on the left.

Thomas Frank has even hinted that he has had to rotate so much on that side because no player has held that spot and given him no reason to change with consistent top displays.

The Dane has also praised Tel’s effort in training while expressing belief that he can come good on the left for Spurs.

Tel received a major confidence boost as he was included in Tottenham’s Champions League team and got his first minutes against Slavia Prague.

His involvement in the league, though, has been scarce, and if he is included here, given that he will be looking to prove a point, he could very much be a game-changer for Tottenham.

Spurs should start Randal Kolo Muani up front

Richarlison is Tottenham’s top scorer in the league this season with six goals; however, when it comes to leading the line, the Brazil international often struggles as a lone forward.

Muani, however, is the exact opposite, as he gives Spurs a lot more, whether he is the lone forward or paired with Richarlison.

His hold-up play, link-up play, dribbling and out-of-possession work are at a level above Richarlison’s.

He missed out from the off during the midweek encounter against Slavia Prague, and we expect that Frank will call him back to the side this weekend as he chases all three points.

The forward could pretty much be the difference between an average performance and a top display from Tottenham and given that he is rested, he should bring much needed enegry and freshness to Spurs’ attack.

Tottenham midfield needs Lucas Bergvall alongside Archie Gray and Xavi Simons

Tottenham have looked very attacking in recent weeks, and one of the reasons for that is the freshening up in the middle of the park.

The double pivot pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha, which was a main feature during the early parts of the season, has been used more sparingly in recent weeks.

Frank has instead turned to Archie Gray alongside one of his more defensive-minded midfielders, and that has helped keep the balance of the team.

Tottenham will have to take the game to Forest, and the way they set up could pretty much determine what their intent is from the off.

A midfield three of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Xavi Simons will send the message that Spurs are going for this and are desperate for all three points.

But Frank will be wary of Forest’s midfield as well, which could be very physical with Elliot Andersen in superb form.

Chris Sutton has made his prediction for Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Nottinghan Forest and it should come as no surprise for anyone who has been following his weekly column.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to secure a third consecutive victory across all competitions after defeating Brentford and putting three goals past Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

However, Spurs will need to get the better of Nottingham Forest, a team who got the better of them on two occasions last season.

The hosts of Sunday’s game made a poor start to the season, but have been in much better form over the past month.

Chris Sutton logs his usual Tottenham prediction

Former Premier League forward Chris Sutton was a big fan of Ange Postecoglou and he kept his optimism towards Spurs last season. However, he has often been critical of the club since the arrival of Thomas Frank, predicting a high number of draws.

Sutton predicted Tottenham to draw 1-1 with Fulham last month and he made the same score prediction when Spurs played Brentford.

It will therefore come as no surprise that Sutton has once again gone for a 1-1 draw, as he lacks confidence in both teams.

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The ex-Chelsea star told BBC Sport: “Nottingham Forest’s Europa League campaign is a problem for their boss Sean Dyche, because it is a distraction from their relegation fight.

“Of course Forest want to do well in Europe but if you asked Dyche what his priority is then it has to be climbing the table.

“As for Tottenham, I still don’t know what we are going to get from them. Yes, they have won back-to-back home games against Brentford and Slavia Prague but that doesn’t mean they have turned the corner.

“A lot depends on what kind of team Dyche puts out on Thursday against Utrecht but if he focuses mostly on Spurs then I can see this being a very tight game.

“I have already gone for a lot of draws this week, but this is another one where I don’t feel confident backing either team to win it.”

Sutton’s prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs must rediscover their form away from home

Much was being said of Tottenham’s superior performances on the road a few weeks ago, but a lot has changed since then.

Spurs have gone five consecutive away matches without a victory in all competitions, recording two draws and three defeats.

Despite this, Frank’s team can still reclaim their crown as the best performing away team in the Premier League with a win over Nottingham Forest. The question is, will Tottenham be able to get the result they need? Well according to Sutton, a victory is not on the cards.