Football London

We asked our Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to name the starting line-up they reckon Thomas Frank could go for

Spurs are back in action in the FA Cup third round on Saturday with the visit of Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The north London outfit fell to a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night thanks to a last gasp Antoine Semenyo goal. Thomas Frank's side had opportunities to win the game themselves before the hosts' late winner and the Spurs boss will be hoping to take the slightly improved attacking performance at least into the clash with Villa.

Unai Emery's side sit third in the Premier League and will pose a difficult test for Tottenham, especially with their form over the past year in N17.

We asked our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to name the starting line-ups they reckon Frank could select.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent

Frank's injury update on Thursday brought bad news for the supporters with Mohammed Kudus out until April with a quad injury, Rodrigo Bentancur set to miss a prolonged period with a hamstring problem and Lucas Bergvall due to be assessed for what appeared to be a reoccurrence of his injury against Crystal Palace.

That leaves Frank with Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha as his only fit central midfielders. At the back, the Spurs boss had a couple of potential changes to make with either or both of Kevin Danso or Ben Davies potentially coming in.

In attack, the Dane needs to leave something on the bench to be able to bring into the game and after a disappointing display at the Vitality Stadium, Randal Kolo Muani could be the man who finds himself relegated among the substitutes.

Gold's XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Palhinha, Gray; Tel, Xavi, Odobert; Richarlison.

Ryan Taylor - Sports reporter

Thomas Frank needs to go strong this weekend as it’s clear he’s on thin ice with Tottenham supporters.

Perhaps another trophy is the only thing that can currently save their season. For that reason, I think Vicario starts ahead of Kinsky between the sticks.

Van de Ven needs a rest or he’s going to get injured so I’d pick a back-four of Porro, Danso, Romero and Spence.

In midfield, Gray starts with Palhinha while in attack, I’d go for Tel, Xavi and Odobert behind Richarlison. Randal Kolo Muani will be key from the bench as Spurs’ squad is seriously depleted at the minute.

I’d also be keen to have Luca Williams-Barnett on the bench and I would not be scared to use him.

The Tottenham Hotspur head coach has been speaking about the centre-back after his explosive social media post this week

Thomas Frank has made it clear that Cristian Romero will remain Tottenham's captain and not be fined despite calling out key figures at the club on social media.

The Argentine took out his frustration after Spurs' 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth in an Instagram post that took aim at those inside the club who he believes "tell a few lies", before later deleting those four words but still leaving a powerful message that was liked and replied to by a number of his team-mates.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," the 27-year-old had said to his 5.1 million followers. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies. We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

It's not the first time Romero has taken aim at the Tottenham hierarchy. In June, after Ange Postecoglou's sacking and an hour after Frank's appointment, he posted a message to the Australian which included the line "from day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist."

Frank and Spurs' technical director Johan Lange spoke with Romero on Thursday morning about the post and the head coach confirmed the skipper would remain in his post.

"He is our captain, he’s not been fined. It's an internal thing, but we haven’t done that," said the Dane. "I think there are a lot of ways to deal with different situations. We’ve chosen to have a good conversation with him, understand where he stands, handle it internally and that’s everything I have to say."

Following a match which saw Micky van de Ven have an altercation with a travelling Spurs fan after the final whistle and in a season with some disciplinary issues among the squad, Frank was asked whether there was a stage in which he would draw a line and say "no more".

"Yes, of course. I’ve done that before with people being late, there was the [Yves] Bissouma situation," he said. "You talk about having to draw a line, I think if it’s the exact, same situation that they do. You can make a mistake, but don't make the same mistake twice."

Here's every word Thomas Frank said on Thursday afternoon ahead of the FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa on Saturday

Thomas Frank dished out plenty of injury news and the latest on Cristian Romero at his press conference ahead of Tottenham's FA Cup third round clash with Aston Villa.

The Spurs boss was speaking the day after Spurs' 3-2 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday night in the Premier League. Mathys Tel and Joao Palhinha strikes were futile as Evanilson, Junior Kroupi and Antoine Semenyo brought the Cherries' run of 11 matches without a win to an end.

There were further problems after the game with Micky van de Ven having an altercation with one of the away supporters, captain Cristian Romero blasting people within Tottenham in an Instagram post and a photo of Frank drinking coffee from an Arsenal cup going viral.

There' was also bad injury news to come from Frank on Thursday regarding Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way

Do you have injury updates on Bergvall, Bentancur, Kudus and Kulusevski?

Yeah, Lucas is being assessed today, we know more later today with him. Same with Rodri, Rodri's hamstring injury looks like a bigger one, unfortunately, we don't know the timeframe of that, we also will know later. Kudus is unfortunately a bigger one to the tendon in the quad, so that's one where we expect him back after the March international break. And then the latest on Dejan Kulusevski is that we know it's a complicated injury, if there's one person that can accelerate that, it is Dejan, he's a top pro and got a top mentality.

The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. Got an injection to help that 10 days ago, we know in three to four weeks if it's settled, and when it's settled hopefully he'll be on the grass and from there we'll see what's happening.

How tough is it to turn around the tide after the fall out from Bournemouth result?

I think it's, as I said last night, I think our away fans were very good throughout the game, they were backing us, singing, supporting, exactly as they should do and we hope they would do. Everyone will be happy when we win more games, it's as simple as that.

What did you make of Cristian Romero's Instagram post?

I think after Cuti became the captain, he's done a lot of good things right. I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch, I'm happy with.

I'm actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking up at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally. Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally.

Was it along the lines that a message like that doesn't help?

No of course, I think we all know that, so we had a good conversation about things.

To turn things around, do you need to bring players in? If I were to say to you that the squad will remain unchanged between now and February 2, is that acceptable?

I think there's a couple of things in it. I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

And if you get that from those games, it's different. So that's what we're focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It's no problem, I can face all the questions, I'll take all the blame, I'll take all that.

Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that. So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it's almost the perfect storm.

In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it.

In terms of bringing in players though, is that not imperative?

Oh, I forgot to answer that. Oh. I will repeat my answer. We're working very, very, very hard to see if we can improve the squad. Johan, Fabio, Vinai, everyone in and around the club, recruitment department is doing that. January is a very, very, very difficult window.

It's very important to get short-term success and long-term success. Everything is linked. So players we are bringing in, it's because we think they can improve the squad and the team.

Is there any positive injury news you've got on the horizon, like maybe Destiny or Dom close to being back for you?

Yeah, both of them trained. Both of them are getting closer, definitely. Dest is a bit closer than Dom, obviously, because he's only been out for five weeks-ish. So that's, of course, less than six months. But both of them are positive and improving.

When you're trying to attract players in the transfer window, Is it unhelpful for the image of the club to see the captain talking out against or about the club as it creates a bit of a sideshow when you're trying to get people through the door?

I think, especially in football, the most important thing is to keep the noise out. Then you can see there's this situation with the post from Cuti. There could be others where it's maybe not that positive or a lot of people speaking.

When we want to attract players, we need to tell our, as close to possible, unbiased story and a good story about this fantastic, beautiful club and why you should come to the club. I'm pretty sure that clever players and agents can look through if there's a little bit of noise.

I think it's very important to stress that even though there's noise, the club is very aligned. Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned. Ownership is very aligned. We know it's a tough spell that we need to get through.

Do you feel like Romero was trying to protect you in a way by saying other people should be speaking?

Yeah, could be. Could be. I have a very good relationship with Cuti and he has done well, but long-term success, everyone is aligned. Me, players, captain, leadership, which we are.

It seems from Romero’s post that he is not aligned with certain key figures, saying it is the same people not speaking, is that fair to say and is that a worry?

I think as I say, that I can’t and you probably need to ask him. It is not that often he does do the press, so you need to wait until you speak to him, but what I know he is has been here for five years, that’s one thing and what I know is I look at where I have been here for seven months and I see a very aligned club, so it’s just up to us to prove that.

You've been here seven months and only won 11 of your 30 matches, 14th in the table after 21 games, which is the exact same position after 21 games last season, do you feel like you have shown enough to get more time and do you think you will get more time?

No doubt about that. Put it this way, would we love to be higher in the table and have more points? 100 per cent. We are working very hard every single day to make sure we perform well and we land in the best possible position at the end of the season. The thing we need to look at is the game on Saturday. FA Cup, good opportunity against Villa. A very good team who is flying at this moment of time but a good opportunity to progress in the FA Cup, a tournament that is very important for the club and the fans. We’ve won it eight times in our history and I am working hard with the staff, with the players, with the leadership and this is just a tough spell. We will get through this."

You say you are working hard and you obviously are, but have we seen enough in 30 games from an attacking point of view to justify you getting the time you want?

Erm, we definitely want to do more. I think we have scored not enough (goals) but an acceptable amount of goals.

Is the style of football entertaining enough? You’re right, you have scored goals but is it in the dominant and attacking flair way that has always been in Tottenham's history?

That is absolutely right and also is a fair question, also we spoke about that. That frustration of course I share. I know the ethos of the club, it’s something we’re working very hard on and I see myself as above average, intelligent, so I am very aware of that. My teams have always produced chances and scored goals. This team will do the same. I think it is fair to say we may be lacking a little bit of the top free-floating attacking players we had in the last season. That is part of the challenge and then part of other bits that we need to work hard on every day to improve is another area.

Thomas Frank has had his say on Cristian Romero's comments on social media after the 3-2 loss to Bournemouth

Thomas Frank has revealed he and Johan Lange have had a "good conversation" with Cristian Romero following the Tottenham captain's outburst on social media after the defeat to Bournemouth.

Romero took to social media after the match and questioned why “other people” at the club are not speaking, but claimed that “has been happening for several years”. He said: "Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero wrote in a post on Instagram to his 5.1 million followers. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well. We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

However, a portion of the post has been edited. It originally read: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies."

Now, Frank has revealed he and sporting director Lange had a chat with Romero about his comments on Thursday morning. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Frank said: "I think after Cuti became the captain he's done a lot of good things right. I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch I'm happy with.

"I'm actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally.

"Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally."

He added: "I think there's a couple of things in it. I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

"And if you get that from those games, it's different. So that's what we're focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It's no problem, I can face all the questions, I'll take all the blame, I'll take all that.

"Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that. So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it's almost the perfect storm.

"In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it."

Thomas Frank provides latest Tottenham injury news with duo set for a spell on the sidelines

Thomas Frank has confirmed Mohammed Kudus is expected to be out until after the March international break with a quad injury.

The Ghana international went down off the ball during the weekend's 1-1 draw with Sunderland, with scans confirming the 25-year-old sustained an injury in his quad. Frank also confirmed Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-2 loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday, while Lucas Bergvall is waiting to be assessed after picking up a knock in the same game.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the Tottenham boss said: "Lucas is being assessed today. We'll know more later today with him. Same with Rodri. Rodri is a hamstring injury, looks like a bigger one. We don't know the extent yet.

"Kudus is a bigger one, to the tendon and quad, and don't expect him back until after the March international break. With Dejan Kulusevski, we know it's a complicated injury.

"If anyone can come back quicker it's Deki. The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee and he got an injection 10 days ago and we'll know in 3-4 weeks whether that has settled and then he can get back on the grass."

Bentancur and Bergvall started Wednesday's clash at Bournemouth, but the Uruguayan was forced off with four minutes of the game to go, while the Swedish midfielder was substituted just before the hour mark.

Kudus, meanwhile, was forced off in the first half against Sunderland on Sunday and will be out of action until April. The March international break starts on March 28, so Kudus may be back for the clash at Sunderland on April 11.

It means Kudus is expected to miss Spurs' next 13 games, including Premier League clashes against Man City, Man United and Arsenal, as well as Champions League ties against Dortmund and Frankfurt.

Elsewhere, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie also remain in the treatment room. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are at the African Cup of Nations.

Thomas Frank is holding his press conference ahead of Tottenham's FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa.

The Spurs boss is speaking to the media less than 24 hours after Spurs' 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night in the Premier League. Goals from Mathys Tel and Joao Palhinha were not enough as Evanilson, Junior Kroupi and Antoine Semenyo ended the Cherries' run of 11 matches without a win.

There were more issues after the game with Micky van de Ven having an altercation with one of the away supporters, captain Cristian Romero blasting people within Tottenham in an Instagram post and Frank himself getting caught on camera drinking coffee from an Arsenal cup.

There's also injury news to be had with Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur going off and the latest on Mohammed Kudus with the Ghanaian expected to miss a chunk of the season.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Frank. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way

Here are our Tottenham talking points after Thomas Frank's side lost 3-2 at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday evening

Nobody does a storm in a teacup - or a coffee cup - quite like Tottenham Hotspur.

The sliding doors moment for Thomas Frank and Spurs came in the 83rd minute at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday night. Had Djordje Petrovic not made a stunning full length save to prevent Micky van de Ven's header from crossing the line, then the chaos that ensued would likely have never occurred.

Instead, the drama brewed and spilled over both on and off the pitch as birthday boy Antoine Semenyo wrote his own ending to the script with a powerful low shot from outside the box that crept inside the bottom right corner of Guglielmo Vicario's net.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero - he'll be back in a moment - had made no attempt to close him down and Semenyo sprinted off to celebrate the perfect ending to his Bournemouth career ahead of his impending move to Manchester City.

It was unfortuinately fitting that Semenyo is a self-confessed Arsenal fan because the other north London club also played their part in the drama on the day when images circulated of Frank enjoying a pre-match expresso in a cup bearing the Gunners' logo.

The cup had been left over from Mikel Arteta's team's visit at the weekend and the Dane and his staff had unwittingly picked them up and used them. As they walked out on to the pitch, the pitchside photographers snapped away as normal to leave Spurs fans fuming and Arsenal supporters sniggering.

"Definitely [I had] not noticed it. I think it's fair to say that we're not winning every single football match so it would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal. Is there anyone thinking I've done that? All the staff has done it," said Frank afterwards.

"They've been in the changing room, the game before us. Its normal to take a cup, give me an espresso, I do that before every game. I think actually it's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question about that.

"I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with another logo of another club, of course I'll never do that. That's extremely stupid."

If Spurs had won it would have been simply a silly side story, but to lose only threw the cup into the storm. It's difficult to imagine that not one member of the coaching staff noticed the branding on the cups at any point while making the coffee or during the entire time of walking around the pitch with them. At Brentford, it would have meant nothing, at Spurs it created a furore.

But to be honest, 'Cup-gate' was simply window dressing to the real problems that seeped out after the final whistle.

First Micky van de Ven took exception to something one travelling Spurs fan said to him as he went over to applaud the supporters' efforts. The Dutchman lost his head and appeared to be calling on the fan to 'take this outside' or technically inside, or something along those lines.

Pedro Porro then went over to thank the fans and ended up listening to their anger. To be fair to the Spaniard, he appeared more to be jostling with the Spurs bodyguard initially trying to pull him away to let him stay and listen, rather than having a go back at the fans. Either way, Vicario eventually pulled him away to prevent any potential problems.

The same was the case for Joao Palhinha who, following his spectacular overhead kick which had levelled the game for Tottenham, went over and spoke to the frustrated Tottenham faithful.

When the Portuguese midfielder was asked if words were exchanged with the fans, he said: "No, it was just the supporters sharing their frustration. We of course understand. We respect and we are fighting for all the same.

"We want to win - not just the players. The staff and the supporters. We are trying to get the victories, in my opinion, we deserve the last few games. And it's tough to speak a lot about the momentum when you lose."

The drama was not done yet though as Romero decided on the journey home to throw his occasional grenade into the mix.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," the Spurs captain wrote on Instagram to his 5.1 million followers.

"We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

The penultimate paragraph was later edited with the final 'lies' line removed to say: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well."

The post had been liked by fellow first team stars Porro, Xavi Simons, Richarlison and Radu Dragusin.

Porro replied: "Amen. Keep going brother. We have a lot of battles left." Richarlison simply applauded while Xavi only said: "Capi", short for captain.

Romero has never been backward in having a pop at the powers-that-be at Tottenham, as recently as June taking aim after Ange Postecoglou's sacking with a post that included the line "from day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist."

Since then the Argentine World Cup winner has been made captain and signed a bumper new deal, which makes his latest outburst all the more tricky for the club to deal with.

The removed section about lies could well see him face punishment from within Spurs' walls and clarification on what he meant about 'lies' and whether it pertained to ambition promised before his new deal or anything else will remain unclear. That's because the biggest irony of all is that Romero himself rarely speaks to the media.

His one press conference this season as captain was illuminating and fascinating yet it was the only time he has addressed the English media in a group setting, aside from a couple of one-to-one interviews, over the past four-and-a-half years.

As he did with Postecoglou with a couple of past social media posts, the 27-year-old appeared to be trying to deflect the attention from the beleaguered Frank, who looked drained and furious at the final whistle, which is what a late killer opposition goal will do to you.

It has long been a problem at Tottenham that the head coach is the only one to speak publicly about the woes inside the organisation. Many a manager has remarked on it and Frank admitted as recently on Monday that it was an usual situation in England that sporting directors were not more public facing.

Daniel Levy was the focal point for fan anger for almost a quarter of a decace but the former chairman is exactly that nowadays - former. Frank praised Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham as the best communicator he has ever met and the former Arsenal supremo kicked off his tenure with a series of engaging video club interviews that went down well with the fanbase.

However, recent months have seen Spurs struggle and Frank left as the man attempting to explain it all, including why the club yet again find themselves in the position of having a sparse, injury hit squad with few options for the head coach.

Lucas Bergvall and potentially Rodrigo Bentancur appeared to join the injury list during the game at the Vitality Stadium while Frank is expected to confirm on Thursday that Mohammed Kudus will miss a chunk of the season, making Brennan Johnson's sale to Crystal Palace all the more frustrating.

January is a difficult window but Tottenham needed to prepare and plan to act swiftly and once again they have been unable to.

To be fair to Venkatesham, those at the top of clubs rarely speak publicly and there should be scope for either of Tottenham's two sporting directors Fabio Paratici or Johan Lange to speak. The problem is the awkward situation of the former's reported desire to move immediately to Fiorentina.

Tottenham are trying to take a long-term approach with Frank's appointment but the issue is that for the fans there's nothing so far to suggest that matters have even begun to improve.

If Spurs lose to Aston Villa in Saturday's FA Cup tie then the Lilywhites' season is all but over as early as January, batting a miracle in the Champions League.

it makes something of a mockery of the declaration that Postecoglou was sacked because the club needed to compete on all fronts. Nothing put in place at Tottenham since has resulted in that scenario coming to pass this season after a campaign which ended with silverware.

Spurs have looked slightly better going forward in the past couple of matches without exactly raining shots down upon the opposition goalkeeper, therefore drawing and losing the games against Sunderland and Bournemouth respectively.

They have not shed the Dr Tottenham tag either under Frank for Bournemouth had not won a single one of their past 11 games until the north London outfit rocked up on the south coast and their hosts' ills were cured.

Spurs should have won this game and did score two fine goals from Mathys Tel, again proving that he should have been getting more minutes, and Palhinha's acrobatic effort but they wasted other key chances, not least Richarlison's header against the right-hand post and Van de Ven's saved header.

The Dutchman also had a penalty awarded in his favour chalked off when VAR suggested the referee Darren England should look again after the defender appeared to hook an opponent's leg on the run rather than be brought down.

Xavi Simons was back and provided the assist for Tel with a clever backheel. Spurs do look more positive with a playmaker knitting together the lines of the team but he also faded as the encounter wore on.

At the other end, although Semenyo ended up being the departing hero for the Cherries, he was otherwise mostly ineffective before that point. Marcus Tavernier was the key player for the hosts, curling in first half crosses that culminated in goals for Evanilson and Junior Kroupi as Spurs left acres of space for the Bournemouth attackers.

"I think the second one is the biggest one. We need to accept sometimes the teams do something that is OK, but the second one we need to do better," said Frank.

On Semenyo's winning goal, he added: "The easiest thing is to say we can never concede that. I think our goal against Sunderland, after I look that back, that we can never concede.

"This one, we can never concede it anyway. I need to watch it back a little bit more calm-headed, of course, next time. Get everyone behind the ball. It's not like it's a transition where we have three, two, something looking absolutely hopeless.

"This was a situation where they've given everything, but then you finish on an angle quite far out on the side of the goal, which is not going to score every single time, but it did today."

The anger and frustration at what is happening at Tottenham was etched on Frank's face as he had to explain this defeat amid a run that now stretches to just two wins in 13 Premier League matches.

"I think it's very tough to sit here right now and we haven't got anything out of overall a good performance," he told football.london. "I think we started well, got up 1-0, conceding two goals on second phase set pieces. Especially the second one, we needed to do much better. But I really liked the character in the team and from the players, they gave everything.

"The second half, I think we were completely on top, and keep going even through disappointments and small setbacks, which we talked about before. Work very, very hard with the players and the team on that.

"Don't score inside the post from Richie, overturn the penalty, keep going, getting the equaliser, 2-2. After that, I think we are closer to winning than Bournemouth are. With the Micky header, with all the good opportunities. So, to sit here and concede in five, six minutes of extra time is very painful, very tough. But that's football."

There's football and then there's Tottenham Hotspur. It was another game that threatened positivity but instead brought the usual chaos.

Frank did not see Van de Ven's clash with a supporter after the final whistle but called for togetherness.

"I think it's fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, players, staff, fans, everyone is a tough one to take today," he said.

"I think hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction. And I think overall the performance was good, especially in the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more. That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, I'm frustrated, so that's natural."

His midfielder Palhinha had a message for the Tottenham fans after the game.

"I just want to say keep supporting because the victories will come. It's frustration as I said. I felt we were the best team on the pitch. We were the only team on the pitch that wanted to win the game," said the Portuguese.

"Football is like that. Tomorrow is another day. We need to keep pushing. We have been working hard to get wins.

"We came here to win. Today and tomorrow probably the hangover is going to be really tough, but in football we cannot think too much about what happened."

Tottenham need togetherness but right now the club, the players and the fans feel more fragmented than ever before. It should never have been that way in the aftermath of their first trophy win in 17 years.

Spurs stars are quarrelling with the fans, the supporters booed the manager yet again and the captain is taking shots at the powers that be before seemingly getting told off for it..

If ever there was a time to push Tottenham in the right direction it's now. It feels like another mid-season point when the squad is depleted, injuries abound and the fans are being reminded that the January transfer window is a difficult one.

There's only so many times the supporters can hear the same things said each season without seeing planning, preparation and execution to ensure the club does not slump into the same battered position each time the winter comes around.

They need to be better and for Thomas Frank, he needs to ensure that awkward pre-match moment does not end up being the only cup he is associated with at Tottenham Hotspur.

The post-match scenes were ugly from a Tottenham perspective and Thomas Frank must act quickly

Thomas Frank walked over to a chorus of boos once again as he applauded the Tottenham supporters after they had just watched their side lose for the eighth time in the Premier League this season.

It's not the first time the Dane has had this reception and, most probably, will not be the last. The travelling fans, packed in at the Vitality Stadium, had only moments earlier witnessed Antoine Semenyo net a last-gasp winner to secure a 3-2 win for the Cherries.

Mathys Tel had put Spurs ahead but Evanilson and Junior Kroupi ensured the lead did not last beyond half-time. Joao Palhinha’s bicycle kick looked set to earn Spurs head coach Frank a reprieve but lax defending once again cost the Lilywhites.

Micky van de Ven, who was enraged during the game after seeing the penalty he was awarded get overturned by VAR, angrily went over to the away end after the full-time whistle. The Dutchman appeared to exchange words with a number of supporters before he was ushered away.

Pedro Porro also went over and was a little more animated, with Guglielmo Vicario coming over to calm down the right-back. Joao Palhinha was then spotted speaking to supporters before all headed back into the dressing room.

Afterwards, Palhinha told Sky Sports: “It was just the supporters sharing their frustration. We of course understand, we respect, first of all. And I just said that we are fighting for all the same. We want to win, not just the players, the staff, the supporters.

“We are trying to get the victories that, in my opinion, we should deserve the last games. I just want to say, like I said to our fans, keep supporting us, because we will change that momentum. The victories will come, I don't have any doubt about that. And yeah, it's frustrating.”

Frank was asked about the matter in his post-match press conference. "I haven't seen that situation, that's one thing. I think it's fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, players, staff, fans, everyone is a tough one to take today," the Dane said.

"I think hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction. And I think overall the performance was good, especially in the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more. That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, I'm frustrated, so that's natural."

The scenes in recent weeks have been a fry cry from those seen in north London in May after the Europa League triumph. Frank has a momentous challenge on his hands and getting the players and supporters to sing from the same hymn sheet is just one of many.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero did not hold back in his post-match Bournemouth comments, with two of his team-mates coming out to support him

Pedro Porro and Richarlison have reacted to Cristian Romero's explosive Tottenham statement after the club's dramatic 3-2 loss at Bournemouth.

Spurs slipped to another loss to make it two wins in 12 Premier League matches on a damaging night for head coach Thomas Frank. Antoine Semenyo netted a last-gasp winner for the Cherries on what could be his last appearance at the Vitality Stadium ahead of a proposed move to Manchester City.

Joao Palhinha’s bicycle kick looked set to earn Spurs head coach Frank a reprieve after first-half goals from Cherries pair Evanilson and Junior Kroupi overturned Mathys Tel’s early opener. Romero took to social media after the match and questioned why “other people” at the club are not speaking, but claimed that “has been happening for several years”.

Daniel Levy left his role as chairman in September and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham was only appointed in April, but co-sporting director Johan Lange has been in place since 2023 and majority owners ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family trust, have only recently started to make more public statements through sources close to the family.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero wrote in a post on Instagram to his 5.1 million followers. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

However, a portion of the post has been edited. It originally read: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies."

Two of Romero's team-mates have come out in support of their captain, with Porro commenting: "Amen. Keep going, brother. We have a lot of battles left." Richarlison, meanwhile, also left a comment on the post, which featured just a clapping hands emoji.

Porro, Palhinha and Micky van de Ven were seen exchanging words with fans in the away end after the match, with Frank asked about the matter in his post-match press conference. "I haven't seen that situation, that's one thing. I think it's fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, players, staff, fans, everyone is a tough one to take today," the Dane said.

"I think hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction. And I think overall the performance was good, especially in the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more. That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, I'm frustrated, so that's natural."

Terry Yorath joined Tottenham Hotspur from Coventry City in 1979 and made 46 league appearances, scoring once from midfield, before leaving Spurs for Vancouver Whitecaps

The former Tottenham Hotspur player Terry Yorath has died aged 75 after a brief illness. Yorath was the father of BBC broadcaster Gabby Logan, who had to leave Wednesday's Match of the Day programme mid-show due to a family emergency.

In a heartfelt statement, his children paid tribute: "To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was Dad; a quiet, kind and gentle man. Our hearts are broken, but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel."

His son Daniel died in 1992 from a genetic heart condition at just 15 years of age. Alongside Gabby, Yorath leaves behind children Louise and Jordan, as well as grandchildren Reuben, Lois, Mila, Phoenix and Paloma.

During his international career, Yorath earned 59 caps for Wales, skippering his nation on 41 occasions. The Cardiff native made 199 appearances for Leeds United, where he began his professional journey in 1967, spending nine years at Elland Road.

Yorath secured the First Division championship with the West Yorkshire outfit in 1974, whilst also reaching the finals of the FA Cup, European Cup and Cup Winners' Cup. The midfield stalwart subsequently represented Coventry City, Tottenham, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bradford City and Swansea City.

He joined Spurs from Coventry City in 1979 for £300,000. He made 46 league appearances, scoring once from midfield, across two years at the club before moving to Vancouver.

Following his playing days, Yorath moved into coaching and management. His managerial career saw him take the helm at Swansea, Wales, Bradford, Cardiff, Lebanon, Sheffield Wednesday and Margate.

Yorath came agonisingly close to steering Wales to qualification for the 1994 World Cup, missing out by a single match. He also successfully guided Swansea to promotion to the Third Division in 1988.

He held the position of player-coach at Bradford and was assistant coach on the tragic day of the Valley Parade fire in 1985. A total of 56 fans died, while 270 were injured.

Gabby had to abruptly halt her presenting of Match of the Day during its live broadcast on Wednesday night. Mark Chapman, hastily stepping in from the radio studio at the BBC's headquarters in Salford Quays, had to fill in for her.

She had introduced the second match of the evening, Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, before departing whilst the highlights were airing.

Addressing the sudden change, Chapman stated: "We'll talk about that game in just a moment. Sadly, Gabby has a family emergency which she's had to rush off and deal with, so she's gone to do that, and I've come from the radio to finish the show."