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Brennan Johnson made a piece of history after being sent off in Tottenham’s Champions League win against Copenhagen.

Tottenham secured a 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night, just days after Spurs’ disappointing defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League.

This will be precisely the response that Thomas Frank would’ve wanted to see from his team after back-to-back defeats.

Despite some shock decisions throughout the game, it’s safe to say that it was Spurs’ best performance of the season.

Brennan Johnson scores and then sees red vs Copenhagen

Johnson opened the scoring against Copenhagen with a sensational finish from the right side from a tight angle.

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However, after netting his first-ever Champions League goal, the right winger saw red for a sliding challenge on Marcos Lopez, which caught the heel and then the calf of the defender.

The feat means that Johnson has made history as the first ever British player to score and be sent off during the same Champions League game, according to OptaJoe via X on 4 November.

While Johnson would’ve been disappointed with his actions, the red seemed to suit the Lilywhites quite well.

Indeed, Spurs went on to score two more goals after the altercation, including a stunning solo goal from Micky van de Ven, who is Tottenham’s top scorer this season.

All things considered, the game can be considered a massive win for Frank and Tottenham after a difficult couple of weeks.

How did Brennan Johnson perform before the red card?

Along with Xavi Simons, Johnson was Spurs’ best player before the red card.

Indeed, the right winger’s goal came from his only shot of the game, according to Sofascore, in a game that was both eventful and clinical for the Europa League winner.

As well as this, Johnson won two of his five ground duels attempted and lost possession just three times in 57 minutes played.

After such an impressive performance, Johnson will be kicking himself for his split-second decision, which led to the red card.

Either way, his display would’ve definitely given Frank something to think about moving forward, albeit the Wales international will now have to serve a European ban.

Ange Postecoglou is unlikely to return to Celtic this season.

Managerial updates have been the theme in North London for several months now, with Ange Postecoglou’s sacking at Tottenham closely followed by the appointment of Thomas Frank.

Postecoglou landed himself a new job at Nottingham Forest, before being sacked just 39 days into his tenure, and then being linked with a return to Celtic.

However, reports on Thursday claim that a move back to Glasgow is unlikely to happen for the Australian.

Lyall Thomas reported via X that it is “very unlikely” that he will become Celtic manager, though another familiar Spurs face remains in the running.

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Former Tottenham striker could land Celtic job

Harry Kane is the most notable, but Tottenham have had some incredible strikers over the years, several of whom have an excellent record in North London.

Names like Jermain Defoe and Jimmy Greaves all feature on a long list of Spurs legends, as does Robbie Keane.

Now, according to odds provided by William Hill, Keane is in the running to become the next Celtic manager, with odds of 3/1, which have been shortened significantly from 8/1.

Despite the update claiming it is unlikely, Postecoglou remains above Keane at 5/2, with Kieran McKenna a surprise favourite at 11/8.

Throughout a nine-year spell at Tottenham, Keane made 306 appearances, with 112 goals to his name.

Robbie Keane’s managerial career to date

Since leaving Tottenham in 2008 and then again in 2011, Keane has certainly had an exotic career.

The Irishman spent time on loan at Celtic, West Ham and Aston Villa, as well as having stints at LA Galaxy and Atletico de Kolkata in India.

Upon retiring there, Keane moved into coaching, where he would spend time as an assistant at Ireland, Middlesbrough and Leeds before landing his first full-time job.

In 2023, Keane was appointed as Tel Aviv manager, where he recorded an average of 2.32 points per game from 53 games.

Now at Ferencvaros, Keane has seen his side average two points per game from his first 40 in charge, with links to Celtic emerging as a result.

Defeat at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup has seen former Tottenham players round on the poor quality of the squad at Thomas Frank’s disposal.

A limp 2-0 loss at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night saw the Dane’s men crash out of the League Cup and miss out on a chance to add to last season’s long-awaited first trophy in years.

Richarlison was singled out for criticism against Newcastle by Gabby Agbonlahor, but ex-Spurs men Jamie O’Hara and David Bentley weren’t impressed with the performance, or the rest of the playing staff.

Goals from Fabian Schar, after which Richarlison was booked for dissent over Chris Kavanagh’s refereeing, and Nick Woltemade secured the victory without too much fuss for the home side.

Jamie O’Hara and David Bentley blast Tottenham defeat

After Tottenham beat Everton last weekend they are sitting pretty comfortably in third place in the Premier League, but with the cup loss at Newcastle it is just three wins in nine in all competitions for Frank.

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Debating the performance in the North East live on talkSPORT Bentley expressed his disappointment at the visitors going out of the competition so meekly.

Adding to the assessment O’Hara then launched in on the squad as a whole, suggesting they are not of the right level to deliver proper success.

Bentley said: “I just thought Newcastle were a big, physical presence, just run over Tottenham. Tottenham just got turned over really tonight. They’ve gone up there, didn’t lay a glove on them, went through the motions.

“Newcastle are a strong team. If you’re not at it [against] Eddie Howe’s teams at St. James’ Park you come unstuck and Tottenham just weren’t at it tonight, which is such a shame.

“I like the manager, I think he’s a positive influence and he’s trying to do things right, but losing football matches, specifically like that, it’s not great is it?”

O’Hara then launched him: “I look at it Dave and I go, ‘the squad just ain’t that good’. Do you know what I mean? Newcastle have got a better team than us, let’s be honest. The midfield are better, the strikers are better, Woltemade’s come in, he’s a good player, scoring goals. The back four’s decent, strong.

“I’m looking at us and Brennan Johnson, weak. Richarlison, don’t look like he can score any more, I don’t know what’s happened. I look at it and go, ‘we play alright, we play some nice football, but we ain’t like a proper side are we?'”

Chelsea clash beyond huge for Thomas Frank

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday in a game that could be a major indicator for how life will be under Frank long term.

It was almost exactly two years ago that the first significant warning signs emerged of what was to come for Ange Postecoglou in the very same fixture as Spurs’ early-season joy came crashing down with a 4-1 defeat to former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine and the Australian are both gone now, while Nicolas Jackson who scored a hat-trick that day against the nine-man hosts is out on loan at Bayern Munich.

But another damaging defeat to their London rivals could spell trouble for Frank amid an inconsistent run of form, although equally if the former Brentford boss records a first win in five against Chelsea it would be a welcome statement of intent.

Thomas Frank decided to give a new role to a Tottenham star against Newcastle, as the stats prove it was a bad decision.

Tottenham lost 2-0 to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, as the coach will be looking for an instant response on Saturday against Chelsea.

Richarlison continues to struggle for Tottenham, as the need for a striker is more clear than ever with Dominic Solanke still sidelined through injury.

However, Frank didn’t help himself when he made one change to the Lilywhites’ lineup that nobody would have seen coming.

Joao Palhinha suffered at centre-back vs Newcastle

After Micky van de Ven scored a brace against Everton on Sunday evening, the Dutchman was handed a rest in the midweek clash with Newcastle.

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With Cristian Romero still out, it meant that Frank saw Joao Palhinha as the only other option to put next to Kevin Danso.

Palhinha, unsurprisingly, looked out of sorts in centre-back, and it’s an experiment that Frank needs to learn from.

Although Palhinha was not entirely at fault for either of the goals, Tottenham certainly lacked leadership in their midfield against the Magpies.

Palhinha has been excellent in midfield for Frank, and the Portuguese needs to be put back in his best position instantly against Chelsea.

Frank needs to make calculated decisions

While it’s understandable that Frank may have wanted to rest van de Ven, the majority of Spurs’ side against Newcastle featured regular starters, as it makes no sense as to why the Dutchman was benched.

If Frank wants to seriously compete for trophies this season, he needs to take more risks.

Frank has made some questionable decisions for Spurs so far, and sometimes, the calls are never justified with good reason.

Tottenham fans will want Frank to make more calculated and processed decisions that make them confident that their head coach does, in fact, know what he’s doing.

Thomas Frank has fewer outfield players available than Ange Postecoglou around the same time in his first season.

Tottenham were criticised when they sacked Postecoglou weeks after he had won the UEFA Europa League with the club.

Postecoglou later moved to Nottingham Forest but was sacked after an abysmal string of performances.

But while he may be looking for his next adventure, Postecoglou is still someone who greatly interests Spurs supporters.

Mostly for winning them silverware for the first time in 17 years, but some fans still lie awake at night mulling over the injury crisis while he was at the helm. However, upon second glance, his injury woes may not have been as bad as initially believed.

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Thomas Frank is faring worse than Ange Postecoglou when it comes to injuries

It was widely reported that Tottenham’s Archie Gray will be sidelined for several weeks due to injury.

Meanwhile, Wilson Odobert picked up a knock in Spurs’ goalless draw to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, which saw him benched against Everton and unavailable to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

As a result, the Lilywhites only have 14 outfield players able to feature in Tottenham’s upcoming game against Chelsea on 1 November.

However, in a surprising turn of events, Spurs had 15 outfield players available around the same time during Postecoglou’s first season.

While it must be remembered that players like Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin were injured before Frank’s arrival, the stat does vindicate Postecoglou to an extent.

Indeed, it all started to go wrong for the Lilywhites in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 6 November 2023.

Destiny Udogie picked up a muscular issue before receiving a second yellow against the Blues, while Cristian Romero, who was also shown red, and James Maddison both suffered injuries against Chelsea.

Thus, most fans will be hoping that a repeat of this does not happen this time around.

Ange Postecoglou’s injury crisis was not as bad as it seemed

Injuries were the reason, agreed by most Tottenham fans, that their team gave up top spot in the 2023/24 season and the reason they came 17th in the 2024/25 season.

However, this does not seem to be the case, at least where the first season is concerned.

The Lilywhites suffered fewer injuries in Postecoglou’s first season than in the 2022/23 period, according to a report from Howden Group Holdings.

This makes the claim that injuries derailed Spurs’ season seem quite far-fetched.

However, injuries definitely played a role in Tottenham’s results in his final season, suffering 41 separate injuries, which was the second highest in the league.

Therefore, while there is some truth to injuries influencing Postecoglou’s time in North London, it’s far from the whole truth.

Thomas Frank has been backed to go into the January transfer market with serious purpose and strengthen his Tottenham side with three key signings for its spine.

Despite being third in the Premier League Tottenham’s Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle on Wednesday makes it just three wins in nine across all competitions.

With significant injuries to the likes of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevsky already biting the Spurs squad is seen to need significant reinforcements at the earliest opportunity, according to former midfielder David Bentley.

Dominic Solanke is also unavailable and Son Heung-min is now long gone, leaving Richarlison catching heavy criticism up top for Tottenham, and striker is seen as an obvious priority.

Thomas Frank urged to sign trio for Tottenham spine in January

An impressive display against PSG in the Super Cup coupled with another away victory at Man City early in the season had hopes high under Frank.

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But despite some positive results in the weeks since there have been too many draws and a lack of Tottenham consistency overall.

Bentley reacted to the 2-0 loss at St. James’ Park live on talkSPORT in a conversation with Jamie O’Hara, and detailed his hopes for how the manager will address what he has at his disposal.

“I think they’ve got to go into the market and make a bit of a statement,” he said. “Purchase at least two or three players down the spine of the team.

“Just add a little bit more class… They need to get some goals, they need to get more creative players. I don’t know who they’re gonna go into the market and buy but they definitely do need [to].”

“They need a striker”, O’Hara cut in.

And Bentley replied: “Yeah they do need a striker, yeah.”

Tottenham full of inconsistent goalscorers

It’s easier said than done but simply throwing money at the problem is a risky way to fix things, and historically it hasn’t been Frank’s way.

That was largely out of necessity at Brentford, and he had an excellent track record of getting the best out of the likes of Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo while he was there.

It doesn’t appear that the Dane is particularly taken by Richarlison given his usage after a good start to the season while Mathys Tel remains goal-shy.

If Solanke, and to a lesser extent Randal Kolo Muani, can get fit and stay fit there is reason to believe the manager could get things firing but he just hasn’t had a proper chance to find out yet.

Thomas Frank drops Xavi Simons in five changes – Tottenham predicted XI vs Chelsea

Thomas Frank is in need of a win against Chelsea after a disappointing result in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Newcastle United dominated Tottenham in a 2-0 victory in the Carabao Cup at St. James’ Park on 29 October.

While Frank has an abysmal record against Newcastle, the defeat reflects the Spurs’ inconsistency this period, winning seven and losing four games in all competitions this season.

But in football, things carry on moving, and Tottenham will need to pick themselves up when they welcome Chelsea at home in the Premier League on 1 November.

Mathys Tel to replace Richarlison after disastrous Carabao Cup performance

Richarlison was heavily criticised for his performance against Newcastle, which hardly comes as a surprise given that it was disastrous from beginning to end.

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Indeed, the Brazilian took four shots, three of which were on target, according to Sofascore.

At first glance, that doesn’t seem too bad, and one could conclude that Aaron Ramsdale had an incredible performance.

And yes, that is all true, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Richarlison arrived late to at least three excellent crosses delivered into the box.

His passing wasn’t all that impressive either:

Mathys Tel showed more promise in 12 minutes than Richarlison had all game when he was substituted on, completing 100 per cent of his passes. As a result, the young striker will likely replace the Brazilian against Chelsea on Saturday.

While Randal Kolo Muani is an option, given Frank’s cautious approach all season, he’s likely to go with Tel, who’s played more minutes this season.

Brennan Johnson actually had his first good game in a while for Spurs against Newcastle and could’ve had a couple of assists if Richarlison was more clinical.

As a result, Frank could move him back onto the left wing ahead of Lucas Bergvall, who would be demoted to the bench with Mohammed Kudus returning to the right wing.

Meanwhile, Xavi Simons wasn’t half bad against the Magpies, completing 100 per cent of his dribbles and making two key passes. However, the Dane could opt for a more defensive approach in a move which would see Simons enter the field as a substitute.

This would result in Frank returning to a 4-3-3 formation rather than the 4-2-3-1 used against Newcastle, with Joao Palhinha returning to the midfield from the defence, as well as Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr retaining their starting spots.

Micky van de Ven will likely come in for Palhinha as centre-back, and fans will be pleased to see Guglielmo Vicario replace Antonin Kinsky, given the latter’s unconvincing display.

Newcastle game highlights what Thomas Frank must change against Chelsea

Tottenham struggled to create meaningful chances against Newcastle in what has been a recurring issue for the Lillywhites.

Indeed, Spurs generated 0.94 expected goals against the Magpies, with their best chance of the game being an attempt from Sarr on goal outside of the box.

While Kudus has been Tottenham’s best creator this season and his absence was no doubt felt, the team should still be able to create with the likes of Simons and Bergvall in the midfield.

Chelsea are a strong attacking team, creating around 2.8 big chances per game and keeping the game level would be a tough ask for the Lilywhites.

As a result, Frank will need to organise Spurs in a formation which guarantees goals on Saturday.

Jamie O’Hara alluded to Tottenham’s inability to look threatening against Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Tottenham lost 2-0 to Newcastle at a noisy St. James Park in the Carabao Cup, as Thomas Frank will now need to focus on other competitions in which the Lilywhites can still be successful.

Xavi Simons has been criticised for his performances, and once again looked unable to make an impact for Spurs on Wednesday night.

Richarlison offered little attacking presence up front, as Tottenham are so clearly in need of one man to make his first appearance under Frank.

Jamie O’Hara’s claim shows Tottenham miss Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski has been out with a knee injury since May, but luckily for Tottenham fans, the 25-year-old is aiming for a return in November.

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Last campaign, Kulusevski had his best season for the Lilywhites yet, and, unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to play under Frank up until this point.

Venting on X, O’Hara summed up exactly why Tottenham are in desperate need of their versatile attacker to return from injury, sooner rather than later.

O’Hara commented: “Shambles tonight, don’t look like scoring. It was a tough draw, but I expected a bit more of a fight. Have to just accept that we’re not that good.”

Kulusevski would bring creativity and goals back into this Tottenham side from open play, as bold claims were made on the attacker last season.

Dejan Kulusevski could explode under Thomas Frank

Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham called Kulusevski Tottenham’s “best player” in April, as the Swede has yet to make his first appearance for Frank.

Last campaign, Tottenham fans saw the best of Kulusevski, and under Frank, he is just waiting to transform into one of the best players in the world.

With Mohammed Kudus next to him, Kulusevski could be another point of difference for Tottenham when he returns, as there’s still much to be excited about at N17.

What Thomas Frank has already said about Jarrod Bowen as Tottenham ready £52m bid

Thomas Frank could be set to bring Jarrod Bowen to Tottenham.

Graham Potter wouldn’t discuss Bowen’s exit at West Ham earlier in the year as links away from the London Stadium continued to build.

The England international remained in E20, but Tottenham fans still want Bowen to complete a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

West Ham have said they don’t want to sell Bowen in the past, as the claret and blue outfit remain keen on keeping their captain.

The Hammers are now in a precarious position, and Frank could make a move to sign Bowen, especially after previously showing admiration for him.

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Tottenham preparing offer for Jarrod Bowen at West Ham

Tottenham have monitored Bowen for many months but have seemingly never made a true approach to sign the wideman.

The Lilywhites haven’t been afraid of signing players from the Irons after bringing in Mohammed Kudus for a sizable fee over the summer.

The Ghana international has proven to be a superb addition for Spurs, and that could act as the perfect blueprint to land the Englishman.

Fichajes reported on 29 October that Tottenham have emerged as the prime candidate to sign Bowen off the back of a precarious situation at the London Stadium.

The 28-year-old has a huge career decision to make as he assesses the risks of leaving the Hammers to join an outfit with higher expectations.

Spurs could prove to be a landing destination for Bowen, with Frank’s side said to be preparing a £52million offer to convince West Ham of a move.

What has Thomas Frank said about Bowen?

The Danish head coach hasn’t been afraid of discussing the forward in the past and could now be set to work with him in N17.

Back in his Brentford days, Frank spoke highly of the former Hull City star ahead of a clash with Graham Potter’s West Ham side.

Speaking in February 2025, he said: “I remember Bowen from the Championship. He has been their [West Ham’s] go-to, main threat, more or less from the first season he signed.

“He is the guy that drives the team, he can score all sorts of goals – outside of the box, counter attack, dribbling, finishing, arriving in the box – there’s no doubt that he’s a key player we need to keep quiet.“

The Bees boss also remarked that “Bowen was unplayable” when the forward netted a hat-trick against Brentford last season.

It is clear that Frank admires Bowen’s ability and that he now has a perfect opportunity to work with him in North London.

Tottenham fans were not happy with their team’s performance against Newcastle, with Brennan Johnson in particular at the centre of frustrations.

Thomas Frank‘s Tottenham lost 2-0 to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday night in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, with the Magpies advancing to the quarter-finals.

Antonin Kinsky had a poor game for Tottenham, as the backup goalkeeper will have only harmed his playing chances further.

Johnson was urged to start against Newcastle, and after Frank put his trust in the forward, the Tottenham fans made their feelings clear on his performance.

Brennan Johnson was sarcastically cheered off by Spurs fans

Johnson made a positive start to life under Frank after he scored in both of the Lilywhites’ first two Premier League games.

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Since then, Johnson has been on a downward slope, with a lack of game time, and trust shown in him by Frank.

According to journalist Ryan Taylor, cheers from the travelling Tottenham support came when Johnson’s name was read out over the tannoy at St. James’ Park.

What Johnson has done in the past with criticism will make for an interesting couple of weeks ahead.

Tottenham will now get the best or worst version of Johnson

Last season, Johnson faced backlash online over performances, which prompted the winger to remove his presence on all social media platforms.

The move was a good decision from Johnson, as after that, the forward went on his best goalscoring run in a Tottenham shirt.

Now, after limited game time and criticism by the fans, Johnson may have a similar response by letting the talking do the work on the field.

However, there is also a possibility that the cheers may have knocked his confidence, which won’t help anybody in a Tottenham persuasion.