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Ramon Vega sees many concerning signs which suggest that the Tottenham hierarchy are failing in their attempted rebuild.

Spurs set a new record by falling to their 11th Premier League defeat of the calendar year against Liverpool, with the Lilywhites’ home form continuing to be a major source of concern.

The relationship between the players and the fans is also worsening since Thomas Frank arrived through the door in the summer.

The Dane’s tactics have left Tottenham fans frustrated, and one former Spurs man has questioned the direction in which the club are headed.

Ramon Vega is alarmed by recent Tottenham developments

What has made things even more challenging for Frank is that Tottenham’s assistant coach Matt Wells could be on his way out as he is in contention to take charge as the head coach of MLS side Colorado Rapids.

Meanwhile, there have been rumours that the club’s sporting director, Fabio Paratici, is in talks to take over as Fiorentina’s Head of Football.

Vega believes that these developments leave the North London club in a very precarious position at a time when they are trying to rebuild the squad.

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He said: ‘So the assistant manager of Frank is leaving the DOF is on the way out only just after a few months ago being reinstated! The dressing room is not united because there is no direction you can see!

‘So tell me, where is the rebuild or the strategy of the club? Vinai and the Board are also not communicating well with the fans to get that connection again!

‘They leave the fans again guessing and build a hostile atmosphere around the club and anger rightfully so with the most expensive tickets they pay to watch and support.’

Losing Paratici would be an alarming sign for Spurs

Paratici only officially returned to Spurs as the club’s sporting director in October, and he did so in a unique role.

The Italian joined as a co-sporting director alongside Johan Lange, which raised some eyebrows at the time.

Tottenham Hotspur are big fans of a teenage Bundesliga starlet, but the North London club will have to overcome competition from some of the biggest clubs in Europe to land him.

It continues to be reported that Thomas Frank is prioritising adding a wide-forward to his squad in January, with David Ornstein being the latest to make that claim.

A couple of days ago, it emerged that Spurs are turning their attention to a winger who has tormented defences in Germany since the start of the season.

That report came from Sport Bild, who suggested that Tottenham could battle Man United for Koln winger Said El Mala, but it has now emerged that several of Europe’s biggest clubs are in for the youngster.

Barcelona are ‘obsessed’ with Tottenham target Said El Mala

El Mala has scored six goals and three assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances this season, and according to Fichajes, his form has brought him to the attention of several European giants.

Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have all impressed by his clinical finishing and his ability to play on either flank.

The Catalan giants, in particular, are ‘obsessed’ with El Mala, who fits perfectly into Arne Slot’s direct style of play.

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It is revealed that Barca have now made the signing of Germany U21 international their ‘top priority’ as they look to reinforce their attack.

El Mala is more likely to leave Kohn next summer

Fichajes make it clear that the youngster is not expected to be on the move in January and that next summer is when a transfer is more likely.

They say that the ‘financial battle is on’ between Europe’s heavyweights, and Barca are searching for ways to finance the transfer.

More recently, Paris Saint-Germain have also started sounding out the representatives of El Mala, who is valued at €60m (£52.4m) by Koln.

Thomas Frank has revealed what he thought of the atmosphere created by the home fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the club’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool.

Frank has not been shy of criticising Tottenham supporters for the atmosphere at home this season and for booing their own players.

Spurs fans have not taken kindly to what Frank has said in the past, and the Dane’s comments in the media have only served to heighten his unpopularity among the supporters.

However, the Tottenham boss has confessed that he saw some very positive signs against Liverpool.

Thomas Frank praises ‘excellent’ Tottenham fans

The home crowd got behind the team on Saturday and created an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors, who found it difficult to shake off Spurs despite having a numerical advantage for the majority of the game.

Frank described the atmosphere at N17 as ‘excellent’ and suggested that the Tottenham supporters almost willed a late equaliser into fruition.

When asked about the crowd getting on board with the commitment shown by the team against Liverpool, the Spurs boss told Football.London: “Definitely the crowd were excellent and the fans were excellent today.

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“I think they kept us going throughout the game and especially the last let’s say 20 (minutes). They almost sucked the second goal into the net as well. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It would have been an excellent comeback.”

Frank convinced Spurs can make their stadium a fortress

Tottenham’s shocking home record in 2025 continues, with the Lilywhites falling to their 11th home league defeat of the year on Saturday, which is a new club record.

However, Frank saw enough positive signs to be convinced that Spurs can make their stadium a fortress if they produce performances like the one they did against the Reds.

When asked if the team’s home record is unacceptable, the 52-year-old responded: “I think it’s fair to say, I said from the beginning, that it’s so important that we do everything we can to make our home a fortress. And to make that home a fortress, we need more performances like we did today.

“Today, there was a few bits that didn’t go our way. I think also a great effort for Kolo Muani and if that goes in 1-1, a little bit of margin there, then probably don’t concede the 2-0. Then it’s not a goal I need to discuss.

“So all those things you need a little bit going your way. I think stats you can spin either way. Overall, we as a club need to make a home that is very difficult to come to.”

Thomas Frank has shed light on whether Tottenham Hotspur can and will appeal Xavi Simons’ red card against Liverpool.

There was little between the two teams for the first 30 minutes on Sunday, but things changed when Xavi got his marching orders for a poor challenge on Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman was initially shown a yellow card for the challenge, but the referee changed it to a red after VAR asked him to re-watch the incident on the touchline monitor.

That was far from the only controversial decision in the game, with Hugo Etikite appearing to push Cristian Romero in the back before heading home Liverpool’s second, and the Tottenham captain being sent off in stoppage time.

Thomas Frank admits Tottenham probably cannot appeal Xavi Simons’ red card

Frank stated that he has seen plenty of challenges like the one Xavi made on Van Dijk and suggested that a straight red card was harsh.

The Tottenham head coach is not too pleased that one such challenge results in a three-match suspension, but conceded that the club probably cannot appeal the red card since the tackle was reviewed by the official following VAR’s intervention.

Frank told Football.London: “The first red which I have seen before, I also said before definitely a few times at Brentford, and I have seen others, I don’t like this as a red card.

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“I think the game is, probably too big to say gone, but for me it’s not reckless and it’s not exceptional force. He is chasing Van Dijk. He is trying to put pressure and then he changes direction. Unfortunately, his foot is on (Van Dijk’s) Achilles.

“You can say ‘ah, you need to be smarter, don’t do it and all that’ but so are we not allowed to have physical contact anymore? The next thing on that is if he gets three games, which I don’t understand, how can he get three games for something which is not reckless? That is absolutely wrong and we probably can’t appeal it.”

Spurs can take heart from their performance against Liverpool

Despite having several decisions go against them and playing with a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the game, the Tottenham players battled on bravely.

The home side could have easily nicked a point at the end, which they would have anyway if Etikite’s goal had been correctly ruled out.

Tottenham Hotspur have slumped to a new low following their recent result against Liverpool, as the North London side reached a historical milestone that the supporters will be desperate to forget.

Tottenham Hotspur’s misery continued at the weekend in their clash against Liverpool in the Premier League.

A 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Premier League champions has now seen Tottenham suffer their seventh league defeat of the season after 17 matches.

Spurs are sat in 13th place and run the risk of being only three points above the drop zone if Nottingham Forest win their league clash later in the week.

Thomas Frank and Tottenham set unwanted Premier League home record

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been anything but a fortress for Spurs in the Premier League of late.

The defeat against Liverpool came on home turf, and it has seen the side under Thomas Frank set an unwanted record for the club.

According to Squawka, Spurs have now lost 11 Premier League home games in a calendar year for the first time ever in the competition.

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They have also picked up just 15 points out of a possible 54 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025.

It has been a year of mixed fortunes for Tottenham without a doubt, and this has been one of the worst eras for the club in recent memory.

However, it also represents the year where Spurs ended a nearly two-decade wait for silverware following their triumph in the Europa League in Bilbao, Spain.

While that memory remains dear to fans, Tottenham simply need to focus on improving their league displays on home soil, especially when 2026 comes around.

Tottenham Hotspur have received a boost regarding the fitness of one of their key creative sparks, Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham Hotspur fans remain largely in the dark regarding the potential return dates for several of their key first-team players currently sidelined through injury.

While James Maddison is unfortunately on course to miss the entirety of the current season, the specific timelines for the returns of both Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski have remained unknown to the public.

However, a journalist has now provided a more positive update on the situation surrounding Dejan Kulusevski as the Sweden international continues his rehabilitation.

The latest update comes from Tom Barclay, who observed Kulusevski in the mixed zone following the clash between Tottenham and Liverpool yesterday evening.

The Sweden international did not feature in the matchday squad for the encounter, but he was spotted by the journalist moving relatively freely, a sight that has been described as “encouraging” for the club.

Despite the positive visual signs, when the attacker was asked about a potential date for his return to competitive action, the playmaker declined to provide any specific comments.

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Relaying the encounter on social media, Barclay explained the situation regarding the Spurs man: “We saw Dejan Kulusevski in the mixed zone at Spurs this evening. Seemed to be moving pretty freely which is encouraging. Declined to tell us if he will be back soon.”

Why Dejan Kulusevski return is vital for Spurs

Spurs are in desperate need of their primary playmaker, particularly following the red card shown to Xavi Simons during the match against Liverpool.

Xavi Simons is now expected to miss three of the upcoming Premier League fixtures for Tottenham Hotspur, including matches away at Crystal Palace and Brentford, followed by a home game against Sunderland.

This suspension leaves a significant void in the midfield for a Spurs side that can often struggle for consistent creativity, and a return to action for Dejan Kulusevski will certainly help ease that burden for Thomas Frank.

Fabio Paratici’s time as Tottenham’s sporting director may be extremely short-lived as the Italian is being chased by a Serie A club.

Two and a half years after being forced to resign from his role as managing director of Tottenham, Paratici returned to Spurs as the club’s sporting director back in October.

The Italian will be working together with Johan Lange in that role, and according to reports, Paratici has already started working on January transfer targets for Tottenham.

However, a new update has suggested that the 53-year-old’s stay at the North London club be short-lived.

Fiorentina are trying to poach Fabio Paratici from Tottenham

It is now being reported by the likes of Fabrizio Romano that the Tottenham sporting director has been approached by Fiorentina.

La Viola want to appoint Paratici as their new Head of Football, and the negotiations between the Spurs director and the Serie A club are now underway.

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However, The Telegraph’s Matt Law has made it clear that Tottenham have not been approached yet by the Italian side regarding Paratici.

Is there trouble behind the scenes at Spurs?

If Paratici is indeed talking to Fiorentina, that suggests that he is interested in the role, which is surprising, given that he only returned to Spurs in an official capacity two months ago.

Vinai Venkatesham suggested that he foresees no problem in Paratici and Lange working together as sporting directors, but it seems there may be issues already.

While it is pure speculation at this point, perhaps the Italian disagrees with Lange and other members of the Spurs leadership on some big decisions and is keen to take up a more comprehensive role elsewhere.

Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons are both facing suspensions after being sent off in Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool.

Spurs slumped to yet another defeat at home in the Premier League on Saturday, with Reds becoming the latest side to take all three points from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, this time, Thomas Frank’s men have good reason to feel hard done by, as there was a lot of controversy surrounding the away side’s second goal.

To make matters worse for the Dane, two of his players were given their marching orders in either half.

Tottenham duo suspended after red cards against Liverpool

Simons was first shown a yellow for a dangerous challenge on Virgil van Dijk in the 33rd minute, and it was subsequently upgraded to a red card after VAR asked the referee to re-watch his horror challenge.

Xavi Simons’ straight red means that he will miss Tottenham’s next three Premier League games: away at Crystal Palace and Brentford, and at home to Sunderland.

Romero got his first yellow card for complaining to the referee about Liverpool’s second goal, and the Spurs captain subsequently received a second yellow card for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate on 66 minutes.

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Since it was not a straight red, the Argentine will be suspended for just one Premier League match.

Cristian Romero only has himself to blame

Romero’s first yellow card was understandable as his frustrations clearly boiled over after the referee did not spot the push in the back for Hugo Ekitike’s goal.

However, knowing that he was on a yellow, the Tottenham man should have known better than to kick out at Konate in stoppage time.

Frank will feel let down by his captain, who will now serve his second one-match suspension of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur might not have impressed on the pitch against Liverpool, but their fans have earned the plaudits of one of the visiting team.

Life is tough for Tottenham Hotspur fans as they continue to watch their team rack up defeats in the Premier League.

Most recently Spurs have tasted defeat at the hands of Liverpool, with goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike sealing the hosts’ fate.

Richarlison did give Tottenham a chance to draw level after scoring in the 83rd minute, but the match ended as many Spurs games have this season – in defeat.

Hugo Ekitike praises the Tottenham supporters

Ekitike will not be popular any time soon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after scoring the goal which ultimately sealed Liverpool’s victory. Worse still, the French striker appeared to push Cristian Romero in a move which has been criticised by Thomas Frank.

However, Spurs fans may enjoy Ekitike’s post match comments, as he took the time to comment on how well the home support had backed their team during the 2-1 defeat.

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He told Sky Sports: “The fans of Spurs have been unbelievable. They have pushed them and it was difficult for us. We have our fans also and they have been great today.

“When Tottenham scored, they were pushing and it was difficult. It was vey physical. It was a great war and we won.”

Spurs are improving at home in the Premier League

Tottenham have a poor record at home in the English top flight this season, but they did defeat Brentford in a 2-0 victory a couple of weeks ago.

Things might not have gone the way of Spurs on Saturday, but they were still close to getting a result against an in-form Liverpool team, despite being reduced to nine men.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has the potential to be a real fortress and Spurs must use it to their advantage. The fans certainly have a big part to play, as Thomas Frank and his team are left with a mountain to climb.

Thomas Frank has expressed his pride in Tottenham Hotspur after they fell short against Liverpool in the Premier League, but he is not nearly as happy with the officials.

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to have a really disappointing Premier League campaign after a closely contested 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Spurs had moments of control throughout the game, but were let down by individual mistakes and a lack of imagination in attack.

During the match, a number of refereeing decisions were made in Liverpool’s favour and Thomas Frank believes these cost his side a point.

Thomas Frank slams VAR for the decisions against Tottenham

Spurs ended the match against Liverpool with just nine players on the pitch, while Cristian Romero appeared to be pushed by Hugo Ekitike before the Frenchman’s goal.

Frank might be pleased with his own team’s display, but he has slammed the performance of VAR for the calls which went against Spurs.

He told BBC MOTD: “First and foremost I’m extremely proud of the players and the team. I think they gave everything and showed unbelievable mentality and worked very hard on how to deal with setbacks.

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“The way they responded to several setbacks was immense. The first one is the first red, which I think… I’ve seen it given before but I don’t like it.

“I don’t like those types of red cards because I think the game is gone if that’s a red card. I don’t think it’s reckless tackle. I don’t think it’s exceptional force. We have the referee call and that was a yellow so that’s why I don’t think that’s a red.

“We dealt well with that. The players stayed in the game, defended well, kept going. Then we concede the first goal, and then the second one is a big mistake. Two hands in the back from the striker – as far as I know the laws of football you are not allowed to do that.

“That’s fine to happen on the pitch, the referees are only human but then the VAR bails you out, which they didn’t do.

“We stayed in the game, kept going, scored a very good goal for 2-1 and keep fighting. Then I think the second yellow to Cuti [Romero], you have a little feel of the game. Two big boys fighting, Konate is going through him and his foot lands on his head, no yellow.

“Then there’s a little movement from Cuti but I don’t think it’s a second yellow when you feel the game. We stayed there and did well in terms of dealing with it.”

Frank has to be more critical of Spurs

It is not good enough for Frank to praise his team and blame VAR for everything that went wrong for Tottenham.

Xavi Simons was always running the risk of a red card due to the nature of his challenge and the push he mentions on Romero was very soft.

Ultimately, this was another match where Spurs were not good enough and if Frank wants to keep his job, he might want to focus more on fixing the issues instead of always looking to deflect.