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A chaotic second half at St James’ Park saw Tottenham secure a point against Newcastle United, although supporters still weren’t happy with the performance.

An incredible Cristian Romero brace, which included an outrageous overhead kick, cancelled out strikes from Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon as Spurs drew 2-2 against Newcastle.

In a drama-filled match, there were multiple controversial moments, with Rio Ferdinand feeling Newcastle shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty after Rodrigo Bentancur tussled with Dan Burn in the box.

Thomas Frank’s men showed great character to come back twice in the final moments, and their second-half performance was far better than what they produced in the first.

Tottenham fans react to hideous stat vs Newcastle

Heading into the fixture at St James’ Park, Frank was placed under increasing pressure after Tottenham dropped points at home to Fulham on Saturday.

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Sadly, what his side served up in the first half against Newcastle did him no favours, as Spurs failed to register a shot on target for the fourth successive league match.

Reacting to this statistic via X, one fan said: “The 4th Premier League game without a shot on target in the first half is an absolute joke. I’m Frank in but that stat is inexcusable and needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.”

“Four successive PL first halves without as much as a shot let alone an SoT…” someone else pointed out, while a third wrote: “0 shots in the 1st half of 4 straight games is absolutely diabolical but certainly not surprising when you say how poor our football is.”

“75 minutes gone not a single shot on target,” another person posted, shortly before Romero produced his heroics.

“Shot shy is an understatement, another shocking performance,” someone else stated.

“Why do I feel even an ounce of happiness getting a point at SJP after not registering a shot on target for 4 first halves in a row. This dude is conditioning us,” an eighth wrote.

Frank hails Tottenham character vs Newcastle

Newcastle is one of the hardest places to go in the Premier League, which is why Frank hailed the character his side showed in the North East.

“I think I really liked the character, the mentality in the team, what they showed after three tough games, I think it’s been,” Frank said in his post-match press conference.

“To go here, the fourth game in 10 days, the third away game, very difficult place, going down two times, being behind two times, and come back, it shows everything about the willingness and the mentality in the team.”

That being said, whilst supporters were pleased with a point, Frank must take more risks in matches and play an attacking brand of football; otherwise, fan discontent will only increase.

‘Oh crikey’ – Alan Brazil rages at what he saw in Tottenham draw with Newcastle

Newcastle were awarded a penalty against Tottenham that has caused plenty of controversy.

Tottenham secured a point in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle on Tuesday, coming from behind twice at St James’ Park to do so.

Cristian Romero scored twice for Spurs, making him their joint-third top scorer of the season, behind Micky van de Ven and Richarlison.

Bruno Guimaraes was on the score sheet for the hosts, as was Anthony Gordon, with the latter’s goal coming from the spot in a decision that has Alan Brazil baffled.

Rodrigo Bentancur penalised for holding Dan Burn

Gordon’s goal looked as though it was going to be the decisive one, though Romero had other ideas with his late overhead kick that caught Aaron Ramsdale off guard.

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However, despite the Argentine rescuing a point for Spurs, fans are still baffled that the Magpies were awarded a penalty, and Brazil agrees.

Rodrigo Bentancur was deemed to have been holding Dan Burn as a corner came in, with the 6 ft 7 defender going down quite easily.

It was given due to sustained holding, but Brazil has echoed the thoughts of many when dissecting the incident live on talkSPORT.

“One of the big talking points was the penalty given to Newcastle with the score at 1-1,” Brazil said.

“Bentancur was adjudged to have fouled Dan Burn, purely because he wasn’t looking at the ball. Oh crikey, what do you mean? How many times do you see that in a Premier League box?“

What did Thomas Frank say about Newcastle penalty?

It’s a fair case to make that most people aren’t frustrated with the foul being given, but more so with the fact that it isn’t given several times throughout the season.

Premier League referees come in for a lot of criticism, with the majority of it down to the fact that they fail to show any consistency with their decisions, and Tottenham have fallen victim to several of those already this season.

This incident was no different, and Thomas Frank believes it was an error made by the officials.

Via BBC Sport, he said: “It was an absolute mistake from the VAR.

“The referee did good to do the ref call and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch. For me, that is never a penalty.

“I think the referee’s call on the pitch, he nailed it, and VAR can only be if it’s clear and obvious.”

Whether the incident was a clear and obvious error is certainly up for debate, but it won’t be the last time it happens this season.

Cristian Romero has reacted after Rio Ferdinand was left raging at the decision to hand Newcastle a penalty against Tottenham.

Tottenham rescued a 2-2 draw against Newcastle late on at St. James’ Park on Tuesday.

The Lilywhites came back twice thanks to a Romero double, but controversy struck when the Magpies were awarded a penalty in the second half on 2 December.

Spurs fans felt robbed after the decision to penalise Rodrigo Bentancur, and the football world has come together to substantiate their position.

Rio Ferdinand fumes at Newcastle penalty decision

Referee Thomas Bramall was directed to the pitchside monitor after VAR spotted Bentancur holding Dan Burn during a Newcastle corner.

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It looked like a tussle between both players, with an argument to be made that Burn actually ended up impeding Bentancur.

However, the Tottenham midfielder was deemed to have committed a “holding offence”, and the hosts were awarded a penalty which Anthony Gordon slammed home.

The incident has caused widespread outrage on social media, with Manchester United legend Ferdinand coming to the Lilywhites’ defence.

“Disgraceful decision to reward Newcastle penalty… whoever is controlling the VAR should be ashamed, and the ref who then reviews and should also be.

“Well done Newcastle,” he told his followers via X on 2 December.

While Romero’s 95th-minute overhead kick rescued the visitors, Tottenham fans were unimpressed with the decision and were quick to criticise.

Amongst this, the Spurs captain also made his opinion on the situation known when he retweeted Ferdinand’s X post.

Either way, most fans will feel that their side deserved to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with all three points.

Thomas Frank weighs in on penalty debate

After Tottenham’s shock 2-1 defeat to Fulham at home in the Premier League, Thomas Frank needed the game against Newcastle to produce something of substance.

The Lilywhites were overrun for most of the game, but were clinical in the moments where it mattered.

“It was an absolute mistake from the VAR,” said Frank after the game.

“The referee did good to make the call, and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch. For me, that is never a penalty.

“Even speaking to some from Newcastle, they don’t think it’s a penalty and we need consistency.

“I think the referee’s call on the pitch, he nailed it, and VAR can only be if it’s clear and obvious.”

Frank has come under immense pressure at Tottenham after several difficult results, with fans quickly losing faith in the Dane.

While it would’ve been an ugly win, three points away from home certainly would’ve boosted morale among the players and fans.

But some things are simply not meant to be, and Frank will need to offer a quick response against his former side, Brentford, on Saturday.

Kevin Danso once again proved his worth for Tottenham against Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle was an interesting and controversial affair at St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s penalty was the most spoken about event of the night, with most fans believing that Dan Burn prevented Rodrigo Bentancur from watching the ball before supposedly being dragged down.

Meanwhile, Tottenham captain Cristian Romero netted a spectacular brace to salvage a point late on.

Kevin Danso tops clearance stat once again

Danso also started for Thomas Frank in Spurs’ draw to Fulham, which came at the expense of Romero, who was suspended for that one.

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Micky Van de Ven hasn’t been the same since Tottenham’s shock 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, so resting him on 2 December made sense too.

However, the Netherlands international may need to accept a peripheral role in the near future after his teammate’s colossal performance against the Magpies.

Danso recorded 11 clearances versus Newcastle, including one goal-line clearance and seven headed clearances.

This doesn’t come as a surprise, given that Danso leads the clearances per game stat in the Premier League this season.

But after such a strong performance against Newcastle, Tottenham fans can expect the Austria international to feature more frequently for their side, which won’t be good news for van de Ven.

Kevin Danso learned from his mistakes against Newcastle

Guglielmo Vicario was flamed in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Fulham after he was at fault for their opponents’ second.

The Italian keeper dribbled off his line and into the corner to clear the ball, but ended up leaving the goal unmarked and conceded soon after.

While Vicario was rightfully to blame, not one of Spurs’ defenders took the initiative to guard the goal line while their keeper was preoccupied.

Danso was the closest to the goal, but failed to take action during the 30-second sequence.

A similar situation took place against Newcastle, only this time Vicario wasn’t dribbling in the final third.

But when faced with a Newcastle attack, Danso made sure he covered the left side of the goal and cleared the ball once the shot came in.

While he lacked initiative against Fulham, Danso has clearly learned from his mistakes.

Newcastle’s penalty against Tottenham has sparked delight thanks to Thomas Bramall’s controversial decision.

Cristian Romero equalised twice for Tottenham to snatch a point at Newcastle with a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night, and ease a bit of sack pressure on Thomas Frank.

The Spurs captain’s first was almost immediately cancelled out when Rodrigo Bentancur was penalised for holding Dan Burn at a Magpies corner mid-way through the second half, following a VAR review.

Bramall was sent to the screen and awarded the penalty, with Jamie Carragher claiming it was “harsh” on the Sky Sports match commentary, and both Jamie Redknapp and Micah Richards questioning the consistency in the decision in the broadcast studio after the final whistle.

Keith Hackett hails Newcastle penalty award vs Tottenham

But former PGMOL boss and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett is extremely pleased with Bramall and wants “grappling” at corners to be further stamped out.

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Such infringements are frequently allowed to slide in the Premier League but the former top flight official feels they are against the rules and wants to see them punished more frequently.

He exclusively told Tottenham News: “At last!! I send my congratulations to referee Thomas Bramall and VAR for penalising the grappling offence by Spurs’ Bentancur on Dan Burn and awarding a penalty kick decision to Newcastle United.

“If we are going to see a reduction in these grappling offences we need more referees to follow Bramall’s course of action.”

Bentancur escapes brainless incident

Tottenham fans might justifiably ask why their struggling side are suddenly the ones who get penalised for something that seems to happen every week up and down the league.

But by the letter of the law Bentancur fouled Burn and by giving the officials the opportunity to actually do their job properly, by never looking for the ball and using both hands to impede Burn, he was wrong.

Were it not for Romero delivering a 95th-minute overhead kick to steal a point it would have been the reason why Spurs had been beaten in a fourth-consecutive game.

There are such fine margins when a team are down on their luck so throwing away a vital equaliser – Romero’s first was just moments before the penalty which Anthony Gordon scored – could have sunk Spurs.

Frank has criticised the decision to award the penalty, but will surely need to warn his midfielder to be smarter, while all can rightly praise Romero for leading from the front when his team couldn’t have needed it more.

Tottenham twice fought back to level at Newcastle thanks to Cristian Romero as they escaped with a point to ease some pressure on Thomas Frank.

An uneventful first 70 minutes was notable more for the ongoing lack of anything in terms of a threat from Spurs going forward, with only Randal Kolo Muani have any real urgency in attack.

But despite Guglielmo Vicario rebounding from his error against Fulham in the Tottenham goal he couldn’t keep a clean sheet, with Bruno Guimaraes firing a Nick Woltemade lay off into the far corner in the 71st minute.

Frank, facing questions over his Tottenham job, made a triple substitution and almost immediately equalised out of nowhere through two players already on the pitch, with Mohammed Kudus producing his first piece of attacking brilliance to cross for Romero to dive and head into the bottom corner ahead of Dan Burn.

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It was Spurs’ first attempt on target in the game in the 78th minute, but after climbing the mountain of actually troubling the opposition net Rodrigo Bentancur quickly threw it all away by conceding a slightly harsh, albeit totally needless, penalty for holding Burn at a corner, which Anthony Gordon converted.

But even more unexpectedly Romero again equalised, this time with an overhead kick, in the 95th minute, sparing Spurs a fourth-consecutive defeat and more problems for the manager.

Romero wows in captain’s performance

With Micky van de Ven surprisingly left on the bench by Frank in favour of Kevin Danso it was all the more crucial for Romero to stand up at St. James’ Park.

He takes the headlines for a stunning brace at the other end, both finished superbly despite the second coming off his shin.

The blunt Tottenham attackers could all take a few lessons from their captain, but a few crucial blocks in defence were also important.

Aside from the move for Guimaraes’ opener Spurs were never really pulled apart at the back, although Vicario made some good saves, which is a credit to the senior centre-back.

But with sack speculation ready to reach overdrive around Frank the Dane simply had to avoid defeat, and with so little attacking trust from the expensively-assembled Spurs forward options it really was invaluable for the manager to get two vital goals from his defender.

Thomas Frank to be furious with Bentancur

Had Spurs lost this Frank’s job may well have truly been on the line, not least thanks to the self-inflicted manner of the second Newcastle goal.

It seemed unlikely that Tottenham could muster one goal, let alone two, so having stolen a beauty from Romero’s header Frank will have been raging to see Bentancur concede a spot kick almost immediately.

It was hardly the worst foul ever but the Uruguayan had his back to where the ball was coming from throughout and made no attempt to do anything but impede Burn as the corner came in, with the Englishman’s huge size probably working in his favour given how awkward it made the entire thing look.

Bentancur hadn’t exactly been pulling up trees elsewhere with his overall performance, as he seemed to largely jog around in midfield without making much of an impact.

He was bailed out hugely by Romero’s late, late equaliser, but Frank might not trust him with the pressure on for a while either way.

Tottenham player ratings vs Newcastle

Guglielmo Vicario – 8

Pedro Porro – 5

Cristian Romero – 9 – Man of the Match

Kevin Danso – 6

Destiny Udogie – 6

Pape Matar Sarr (off for Gray ’87) – 6

Rodrigo Bentancur – 2

Lucas Bergvall (off for Simons ’77) – 6

Mohammed Kudus (off for Odobert ’87) – 6

Brennan Johnson (off for Tel ’77) – 4

Randal Kolo Muani (off for Richarlison ’77) – 6

Substitutes

Xavi Simons (on for Bergvall ’77) – 5

Mathys Tel (on for Johnson ’77) – 5

Richarlison (on for Kolo Muani ’77) – 4

Archie Gray (on for Sarr ’87) – 5

Wilson Odobert (on for Kudus ’87) – 6

Tottenham are heading towards a potentially pivotal period of their season, and that could include conducting business in the January transfer window.

Spurs harbour ambitions of qualifying for Europe once more in 2025/26, although their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday saw Thomas Frank’s men drop down to 12th in a congested Premier League table.

The Lilywhites have now failed to win any of their previous four league matches, and as a result, Frank has been placed under pressure despite making a solid start to life in North London.

In some cases, supporters are right to question the Dane’s decision-making, but he also hasn’t been helped by individual errors.

Guglielmo Vicario was slammed for his error during Tottenham’s loss to Fulham at the weekend, and the Italian could exit the club next year.

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Tottenham set £22m asking price for Guglielmo Vicario

According to Corriere dello Sport, Inter Milan have kept Vicario on their transfer radar after failing to sign the Italian in the summer of 2023.

At the time, the Serie A giants were waiting to sell Andre Onana, but the Cameroonian goalkeeper’s late departure prevented sporting director Ausilio from making a move for Vicario.

Spurs, of course, benefited from Inter’s transfer blunder, although the 29-year-old has a desire to return to Italy after moving to England from Empoli.

Corriere dello Sport claim that Tottenham could demand around €25million (£22m) for their first-choice goalkeeper, and that would land them £5m in profit.

A decision to sell Vicario ultimately depends on whether Frank can locate a replacement, as it’s unlikely they’ll offload him midway through the season.

What Ange Postecoglou said about Vicario

Whilst Tony Cascarino blasted Vicario for his mistake against Fulham, there is perhaps a reason why the talented shot stopper hasn’t performed at his best.

Bryan King told Tottenham Hotspur News that Vicario isn’t enjoying Spurs training, which is impacting his performances on the pitch.

During Ange Postecoglou’s time in charge, though, the Italian mostly saved their blushes between the sticks, even when the opposition unloaded a barrage of attacks.

That is why Postecoglou recognised Vicario as ‘outstanding’, especially after their 2-1 win over Everton in December 2023.

“Vic was outstanding today with a couple of brilliant saves,” the Australian said via Tottenham’s official website. “He’s been brilliant from day one for us, and we haven’t always needed him like we did today.

“Other times, it’s probably one or two saves a game, if that, he’s been important in our build-up and in our organisation, but today we needed his goalkeeping. It wasn’t just the saves he makes. They’re so strong from corners and put so much pressure on the goalkeeper, and I thought he stood up really well.”

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan says the Eagles won’t be able to keep Oliver Glasner amid growing Tottenham links.

Rumours are intensifying over Tottenham sacking Thomas Frank after a poor string of results has left the Lilywhites scrambling for any remaining hope for success under the head coach.

Glasner has been linked with the Spurs job recently, and now it seems like all signs are pointing towards the Austrian replacing Frank at N17

In a recent update, Jordan has claimed it’s “obvious” that Glasner will leave Crystal Palace after contract concerns.

Simon Jordan is adamant that Oliver Glasner will leave Crystal Palace

The Lilywhites won’t struggle in luring a fresh head coach to N17, with Xavi reportedly high up on Tottenham’s list to replace Frank.

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Glasner has worked wonders with Crystal Palace, and after last season’s success, the Eagles have found themselves playing European football this campaign.

But with the 51-year-old’s contract expiring in the summer, Spurs could be set to make a cheap swoop for the Palace head coach.

On Tuesday, Jordan was discussing Glasner while on talkSPORT and suggested that the current Crystal Palace chairman, Steve Parish, will be to blame for letting the head coach go.

Jordan said: “I think Glasner is leaving. He’s on a four-year contract, and he’s got six or seven months left on that contract.

“It’s obvious he’s leaving, and it’s obvious that he’s not going to stay, and you’ve [Parish] have done nothing to help the situation.”

Palace sold Eberechi Eze in the summer, and Jordan is hinting that Parish has not done enough to convince Glasner that he will be backed beyond his remaining time left at the club.

Glasner would be a step in right direction for Spurs

Tottenham want to go big in the January transfer window, but initial plans may have now come to a halt following the uncertainty surrounding Frank.

There will be doubts over whether the head coach can turn results around, and if he doesn’t, the Lilywhites may very well turn their attention to Glasner.

Glasner has a glowing record at Crystal Palace, a much smaller club than Tottenham, and has arguably led the Eagles to overachieve in recent times.

He, unlike Frank, has shown his team plays with an identity, something that Spurs seem to lack at the moment.

Tottenham are expected to spend big in the January transfer window.

Antoine Semenyo is a major target for Spurs, with Bournemouth facing a £65million release clause in his contract at the start of the winter window.

Thomas Frank is under real pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and with injuries mounting, new signings are desperately needed.

That could see several new faces through the door, something that rarely happens midway through the season in North London.

Having said that, Frank will have his fingers crossed for change.

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Tottenham set for rare January transfer window

Dan Plumley believes that Spurs’ spending in January will depend on where they are after Christmas, with an expected spend unlike them at this time of year.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, the football finance expert revealed that money is no issue for the Lewis family; it’s whether they are prepared to spend it.

“They don’t tend to spend in January; it would be unlike them,” Plumley said.

“Again, the situation is different at the club this year than in previous years, and there is that inconsistency with them that we keep coming back to; they look like they’re on a run, and then they’ll chuck in a couple of horrible performances.

“They’re still in the Champions League, that is a big factor, that will dictate the state of play in the January window and of course, where Tottenham are in the Premier League.

“You’ve got to be in and around that top four, and if they’re not, that might be when we see them dip into their pockets.

“Spurs can spend, there’s no doubt, we’ve said that numerous times, which is why they’re linked with the likes of Antoine Semenyo.

“The money is not an issue at this stage, it’s are they prepared to spend it? That will depend on where they are in the mix after Christmas and where they can realistically finish this season.”

How are Tottenham performing?

Out of the Carabao Cup, eyes are on the Premier League and Champions League for Spurs.

Ahead of Tottenham facing Newcastle at St James’ Park on 2 December, the Lilywhites sit 12th in the Premier League, six points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

With Spurs also two points adrift of the top eight in the Champions League, Frank needs to prove himself worthy of more financial backing in January, before it is too late.

Six games separate Tottenham and January, and it may take winning them all to secure heavy financial backing in the transfer window; only time will tell.

Michael Carrick has been installed as the favourite to take charge of Leicester City if they sack Marti Cifuentes in the coming days.

Carrick, who made 75 total appearances for Tottenham between 2004 and 2006, has been out of work since being sacked by Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

After Ange Postecoglou was axed by Daniel Levy in the summer, Carrick was briefly a candidate to be the new Tottenham boss before Thomas Frank took over.

Carrick was also listed in the running to take charge at Celtic after Brendan Rodgers left the Scottish champions in October.

Michael Carrick bookies’ favourite to be new Leicester manager

The 44-year-old former England midfielder is now in pole position to take charge at Leicester as their form continues to worsen in the Championship.

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According to Football Insider on Tuesday, Leicester have given Cifuentes an ultimatum – secure a favourable result against Derby this weekend or go.

The Foxes are currently 16th in the Championship and have won just three of their last 14 league fixtures, most recently a 3-2 home defeat to fellow strugglers Sheffield United.

One major bookmaker has opened the market on who could replace Cifuentes, with Carrick installed as the 6/4 favourite.

Former Rangers and Southampton manager Russell Martin (2/1) and ex-Spurs striker Robbie Keane, who is impressing in charge at Ferencvaros (4/1) are also in the running.

Gary O’Neil (5/1), Kevin Muscat (6/1) and Martin O’Neill (8/1) are slight outsiders in comparison to the front-runners.

What’s been said about Michael Carrick’s managerial career?

Middlesbrough appointed Carrick as their manager in October 2022 when they were 21st in the Championship table.

He managed to oversee an impressive rise up the standings, achieving a fourth-placed finish before Boro lost to Coventry in the play-off semi-finals.

Unfortunately for Carrick, it was all downhill from there as they finished eighth the following season before slumping to 10th last term before he was axed.

Carrick’s Middlesbrough record:

Ex-Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho previously said Carrick “has qualities that we believe can make him a good coach” when the former midfielder was a coach alongside him at Manchester United.

Middlesbrough’s previous director of football Kieran Scott said Carrick is “calculated” and “calm”, while Vincent Kompany said: “His brain and the way he thinks is definitely something that makes him stand out, not just as a manager, but also when he was a player as well.

“I understand why people will put the two of us together, but I think it’s difficult to draw comparisons between us because we are all on our own trajectory. I look at Michael Carrick and I am impressed with what he is doing.”