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Tottenham breathe sigh of relief as Newcastle star ruled out of Premier League showdown

Tottenham will be looking to get back to winning ways against Newcastle United on Tuesday after three defeats on the spin.

Fulham beat Tottenham 2-1 in North London on Saturday evening, a result which went down very badly among Spurs supporters in the ground.

Thomas Frank hit out at fans who had booed Guglielmo Vicario during the game, after the Italian goalkeeper gifted the Cottagers their second goal.

Spurs will hope that they can put all that controversy behind them by securing all three points at St James’ Park on 2 December, and they have now received a boost to their hopes.

Yoane Wissa ruled out of Tottenham game

Over the summer, Tottenham were linked with Yoane Wissa from Brentford, but the DR Congo international eventually completed a move to Newcastle.

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Immediately after making the switch to Tyneside, though, Wissa suffered a knee injury, meaning that he is yet to make his debut for the Magpies.

The former Brentford man is close to a comeback, but Eddie Howe has confirmed that he won’t be fit to face Tottenham on Tuesday evening.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, Howe said: “He (Wissa) had an 11 vs 11 game this week while we were at Everton. He will have another one this week, and we will see where he is.

“There has been no change. He is working back, and he is doing well; everything is positive, but he will be back involved when we think he is able to contribute to the group.”

Tottenham face big challenge away at Newcastle

Even without Wissa, Newcastle will still provide a stern test for Tottenham and Frank, especially at St James’ Park.

Howe’s side have won their last six home games across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup back in October.

This season, Newcastle have only been beaten by Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona at St James’ Park, underlining their strength in the north east.

Frank is likely to face increased sack calls if Spurs fail to get anything from their trip to Tyneside, so it is a vitally important game for the Dane’s future at the club.

Tottenham are level on points with Newcastle in the Premier League as it stands, and would fall below the Magpies with a defeat.

Thomas Frank has been criticised for his treatment of Xavi Simons this season.

Tottenham signed Simons from RB Leipzig over the summer during the final days of the window.

While Simons has shown glimpses of brilliance at Spurs, his signing has been a disappointment thus far.

With the entire team underperforming, as well as the expectations placed upon him, the Netherlands international has been singled out for his performances in North London.

However, Simons’ inconsistent performances are a reflection of Frank rather than himself.

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Xavi Simons needs minutes at Tottenham

Simons came off the bench in Tottenham’s shock 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday. Meanwhile, he was a rotational option against Arsenal and PSG.

The attacking midfielder is considered one of the best talents of his generation, yet Frank seems convinced to let him rot on the bench while his team struggles creatively.

Big Champions League nights are why Tottenham signed him, and Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, is convinced that Simons needs more minutes to find his best form.

“When we signed Simons and Mohammed Kudus for a combined £110million, both on big money, wages-wise, you don’t imagine that they think to themselves, ‘Oh, I’m looking forward to them being rested for Fulham at home instead of playing PSG away and Champions League,'” Wenham said.

“This is the game that those players will want to play in. On the big stage, everyone watching around the world, the talked about games. The idea is that he could become a poster figure of the club after Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.

“And he’s just not starting these games, and I get he’s young, and I get he needs time to acclimatise to the Premier League, but he didn’t start against Arsenal, didn’t start against Chelsea.

“He does need to be played into form. Frank needs to give him game time until it clicks, even if he sort of slightly underwhelming.

“To keep starting him and starting him, and eventually it will click for him because the undoubted attributes with him are obviously there.”

Thomas Frank must build around Xavi Simons

Objectively, Simons is one of Tottenham’s most creative players. But he’s not benefiting from the style of football Frank’s playing.

The Dane has mostly attacked in a ‘U’ shape where ball progression has mostly been carried out via the wings.

This has seen Simons receive less of the ball which has rendered him ineffective during several attacking sequences. Furthermore, the fact that he has limited forward runners to play into good goal-scoring positions doesn’t help matters.

The Netherlands international has shown what he can do while at Leipzig, but the longer Frank fails to build around Simons at Tottenham, the longer Spurs will struggle to create in the build-up phase.

Tottenham have been warned that Dusan Vlahovic’s signing could cause chaos at Hotspur Way.

Spurs are in a dire situation in the Premier League, with Tottenham’s latest 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday making it one win in five league games.

Thomas Frank has come under huge pressure at Tottenham as a result, with several candidates already being fronted as replacement options.

The Dane needs to regain control soon, and the only way forward could be for Tottenham to arm Frank with reinforcements this winter.

But not all their targets will change the Lilywhites for the better this season.

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Bryan King: Dusan Vlahovic could disrupt Tottenham’s equilibrium

Tottenham are interested in signing Vlahovic after their disappointing start to the season.

The Serbian international is contracted with Juventus until 30 June 2026 and could leave on a free transfer next summer.

However, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King believes a big-name signing such as Vlahovic could cause chaos in North London.

“If he comes in, then that’s going to upset the applecart straight away,” King said.

“The likes of your Cristian Romeros and Micky van de Vens and the other big-name players would all start querying about wages.

“It’s a lot of money to be paying somebody who hasn’t really set the world alight at Juventus. Is this the right player?

“They’ve now signed three strikers in the last four years, and not one of them has really kicked in yet.”

Tottenham should stick with Randal Kolo Muani

Tottenham signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on summer deadline day, and the French international has impressed since.

He netted a brace and assisted in Spurs’ 5-3 defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League, which has Tottenham fans running to his corner.

The striker has definitely added another layer to Spurs’ attack with his excellent link-up play and versatile playing style.

It has gotten to the point where Dominic Solanke’s spot in the starting line-up may not be secure if his strong displays continue.

With Vlahovic’s transfer a potential net negative, and Kolo Muani settling in well, the obvious choice would be to sign the loanee striker permanently this summer.

And given his excellent start in North London, there will be a few among Spurs’ hierarchy who’ll be regretting the decision not to add a purchase option to his loan deal.

Tottenham will be hoping to improve their Premier League form with a win over Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Tottenham’s 5-3 defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League wasn’t all bad, with the Lilywhites’ attacking display the best it had been in months.

This gave Spurs supporters confidence in Thomas Frank and their team heading into Tottenham’s Premier League clash against Fulham.

However, Spurs suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which made it just three wins in their last 21 home games.

As a result, the Lilywhites will travel to St. James’ Park with a must-win attitude.

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Form guide

Tottenham: W, D, L, L, L

Newcastle: W, L, W, L, W

Team News

Cristian Romero will return to the fold, having been suspended for Tottenham’s defeat to Fulham due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

It remains to be seen whether Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin will feature against the Magpies.

Furthermore, Kieran Trippier is still sidelined with a long-term hamstring injury for Eddie Howe’s side. Yoane Wissa returned to training last week, while Nick Pope did not travel to face Everton and remains a huge doubt for the clash.

Meanwhile, William Osula and Sven Botman are unavailable for the confrontation.

Predicted lineups:

Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Gray, Bergvall; Kudus, Kolo Muani, Odobert

Newcastle: Ramsdale; Livramento, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes

Prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Tottenham

Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup was not a fun affair for the Lilywhites.

Frank’s side failed to convert their chances back in October:

The ball just didn’t want to go in, but it would be foolish to use the past to predict the future.

Indeed, the Lilywhites have performed well away from home in the Premier League this season. Much better than Spurs’ three games won in their last 20 home games.

With their goalscoring form on the rise, Tottenham News predicts a 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

Goals will be scored and goals will be conceded which is why a one point end seems fitting for such an occasion.

Tottenham have had the third fewest shots in the Premier League this season, as pressure heats up on Thomas Frank.

The Dane came into the North London club with a big reputation and got off to a great start.

However, recent weeks have seen the results turn sour, with Tottenham’s defeat to Fulham on the weekend resulting in further criticism.

Frank is now under heavy pressure at Tottenham, with Spurs’ lack of attacking outlet being a huge problem.

Tottenham are simply not shooting

Tottenham’s terrible attack under Frank has been consistently criticised.

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There have been multiple occasions this season where Spurs have simply sat off opponents and offered little to nothing up top, with the Chelsea game being one of the best examples of this.

Now, Opta on 1 December insists that Tottenham have only had 124 shots in the Premier League this season.

This is a damning stat, with only Wolves, at 122, and Burnley, at 104, having less.

The fact that Spurs are still so high up in the league is down to the fact that they have overperformed their xG by 8.98.

Therefore, this, combined with their terrible shot count, suggests that Frank’s sacking is inevitable.

Teams simply cannot keep getting results without scoring, and now that the points are starting to dry up, a change may well be needed.

What has Thomas Frank said about Tottenham’s recent form

Tottenham’s recent form has been dire in the Premier League.

Spurs are now without a win in four matches, a run that includes a 4-1 hammering against Arsenal.

Ahead of Tottenham’s game against Newcastle, Frank spoke to BBC Sport on 1 December and discussed their recent fall off.

He said: “This result leaves us in a place where we have lost another game. Every game has a single story, this game we lost in the first six minutes.

“We just need to keep working. The second half was much better and hopefully something we can use to learn.”

Thomas Frank has been warned against being “bolshy” when his position is under pressure at Tottenham, by Alan Pardew.

Tottenham lost 2-1 at home to Fulham on Saturday night, with Guglielmo Vicario’s glaring error to allow Harry Wilson to score the second after just six minutes causing boos towards the keeper from the home fans.

Following the final whistle Frank called out the response from the stands, branding those involved as “not true” Spurs supporters.

But while ex-Newcastle and West Ham boss Pardew can see where the Dane is coming from he doesn’t think the Tottenham manager currently has a leg to stand on.

Alan Pardew warns Frank to be careful at Tottenham

Spurs haven’t won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League since conquering lowly Wolves on the opening day of the season.

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And Pardew says that, with Frank’s job increasingly under pressure at Tottenham, he can’t be throwing his weight around when he isn’t getting his side to deliver in front of the home fans.

Speaking live on talkSPORT the former Crystal Palace and Charlton manager said: “[Booing] is part and parcel of the thing. I can understand him trying to protect his players a little bit and being bolshy. Is that a word I can use? Yeah, being a bit bolshy. He’s the manager saying, ‘I don’t like it, I don’t want it’.

“He ain’t in a position to do that at the moment, and he’s on very thin ice I think… and I go by the people I know that love Spurs.

“It’s that home form. That’s the golden rule. You’ve got to win your home games. You’ve got to send the punters home happy.”

Toxic atmosphere may be too much for Frank to recover from

The age-old debate about whether fans can boo their own team or not always boils down to the fact that yes of course they can as long as they aren’t veering into abuse.

They are paying customers and boos are the way that performers are shown the dissatisfaction from their audience.

But whether they should do so or not is another question, since most supporters who regularly attend games would consider themselves part of the match in that their presence and support is supposed to provide an advantage to the home side, and booing the players necessarily makes it harder for all involved at Spurs to succeed.

So both sides are right to a degree, but that probably won’t matter if Frank keeps up the way he is going currently, because few managers last if the fanbase turns against them.

At this stage it is going to take the former Brentford boss and his players turning things around on the pitch first to get the fans back onside, and they will simply have to do that in spite of whatever is happening in the stands for now.

The issue is that the product on the pitch seems to be getting worse rather than better after three defeats in a week, and if the reaction from the stands continues to follow it might be irrelevant who is right or wrong when a new face and a new start might become the only way to change that.

Tottenham’s takeover could be back on the cards.

Tottenham fans are growing frustrated with the direction of their club, and while Thomas Frank has shouldered some of the blame, a lot of it still stands with Levy.

Spurs supporters have been waiting for the day they have a new man in charge, though chances of that happening seemed to crash when Brookly Earick pulled out of a deal.

However, that takeover could be back on the cards in the near future if his latest Instagram story is anything to go by.

Brookly Earick spotted in Heathrow as Tottenham rumours grow

Earick was accused of using Tottenham to build up his own reputation, as opposed to holding a genuine interest in taking over.

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The American businessman was very loud on social media about his interest, but very little surfaced in the end, with the rumours then just completely fading away.

However, Earick posted an Instagram story on Monday showing him landing at Heathrow Airport, which could be an indication that a potential deal is not over yet.

Whether it is related or not remains to be seen, but if Earick is back in contention to take over, the interest needs to be backed up with evidence, and not just claims posted across social media.

It emerged in September that Earick wanted to buy Tottenham for a world-record sum of money, and that could be back on the cards ahead of Christmas.

John Wenham has already warned Tottenham of potential issues

Earick recently founded Redacted RnD, which is a company that focuses on technology, media and sport, alongside an investment fund called Algorith Capital.

He also has a background in blockchain investments, which are commonly associated with high-risk, high-reward situations.

Ultimately, this was the warning sign for John Wenham back in October, when his interest was made to look serious.

Speaking to Tottenham News, he said: “Honestly, he looks like someone who’s got way too much money too soon from Bitcoin or something.

“I can imagine him being an absolute disaster. It sounds awful to say, but just look at the pictures of him, and you’ll see what I mean.”

After the whole debacle over the last two months, it remains to be seen whether Tottenham would even listen to the interest, or whether it is even there anymore to start with.

Training conditions could be to blame for Guglielmo Vicario’s shocking form at Tottenham.

Vicario made a huge error against Fulham as Thomas Frank’s side fell to yet another defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Italian didn’t cover himself in glory as Vicario was slammed in the Fulham defeat as he struggled outside of his early error.

Tottenham fell to defeat against Fulham, sparking unsavoury scenes in North London that players in N17 have since slammed.

Vicario was arguably to blame for the 2-0 loss, but it could be the antics of training down Hotspur Way that are having a negative impact on the Lilywhites.

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Tottenham training sessions blamed for Guglielmo Vicario form

Frank is facing the pressure of the sack at Tottenham after a hugely frustrating start to life since his cross-capital move from Brentford.

The Dane has generally struggled to get the best out of his new side, with Spurs’ home form being a particular concern in recent months.

The head coach can’t advocate for errors like that of Vicario, as he rushed out of his goal and ultimately handed Harry Wilson an empty net to aim at.

He was quick to blame the defenders in front of him, with former Tottenham scout Bryan King suggesting this could point towards frustration emerging from training sessions in North London.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “I don’t think they’ll move him on yet.

“They brought Kinsky in, who looked like he could be a decent replacement, but he started making mistakes. I think you’ve got to look at the goalkeeper work, to be honest.

“What kind of training are they doing?

“Vicario is a goalkeeper who, especially last year, has made great saves and can keep his team in the game, but there’s always a mistake in him.

“He’s not good from crosses, and some of his decision-making has been poor.

“He has a great tendency to blame defenders when goals go in, but he should look at himself in the mirror because it’s becoming too regular now.

“To me, it doesn’t look as though he’s enjoying training or playing matches. He’s conceded nine goals in 11 games, that doesn’t look to me like part of a settled team.“

Tottenham to stand by Vicario after Fulham mistake

There are calls for the ex-Empoli man to be replaced in between the sticks, with the January window fast approaching.

Frank already has Vicario and Kinsky at his disposal, and it can be argued that funds would be better spent elsewhere in the squad.

The Italian made have been at fault for both goals against Fulham, but that doesn’t look likely to be enough to bring in a winter replacement.

Should he continue to drop clangers, Frank will have no choice but to make a change, although he may have to look closer to home if he is to find the route of the problem.

Ange Postecoglou still appears to be in the running for nearly every single Premier League job.

Despite Postecoglou being sacked by Tottenham after a horrendous league season, the Australian is still fancied by many who face trouble.

Nottingham Forest turned to Postecoglou at the start of this season, but he was also sacked after a dismal start at the City Ground, where Sean Dyche is now in charge.

Postecoglou is fancied by Leeds, but intriguing developments at Liverpool could see everything change.

Arne Slot under real sack pressure at Liverpool

Many thought Arne Slot was defending Postecoglou during his time at Spurs last season, with Liverpool picking up a 6-3 win in North London.

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The shoe is now on the other foot, though, with the Reds growing restless over the Dutchman.

Liverpool beat West Ham 2-0 on Sunday, and it was desperately needed after heavy defeats to PSV Eindhoven, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Slot was facing boos with some even saying he should be sacked.

Major bookmakers have even started taking money on who could replace the Liverpool boss if he were sacked, with Postecoglou sixth-favourite at 14/1.

As shared by Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher warned Slot before Liverpool’s win over West Ham that he had a week to save his job, with seven points needed.

The Reds take on Sunderland and Leeds United next.

Could Liverpool appoint Ange Postecoglou?

In short, anything can happen in the Premier League.

Postecoglou will always be remembered fondly at Tottenham, with Spurs lifting the Europa League to end a 17-year wait for major silverware under his watch.

Liverpool still appear to have faith in Slot, but sitting eighth in the Premier League will not be accepted for much longer, so Slot will be on red alert.

Postecoglou being fancied by Fenway Sports Group appears highly unlikely, though crazier things have happened in the Premier League before.

Thomas Frank needs to secure a win more than ever as Tottenham travel to Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Tottenham suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, with fans far from happy in North London.

This comes after Spurs were smashed 5-3 by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League just days before.

With six defeats in their last 10 games, Frank is under huge pressure at Tottenham to deliver results.

And this makes Spurs’ upcoming trip to St James’ Park all the more important on 2 December.

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Xavi Simons benched for the fourth consecutive time

Cristian Romero will likely replace Kevin Danso after he was sidelined against Fulham for accumulating too many yellow cards.

Meanwhile, Djed Spence should come in for Destiny Udogie after a lacklustre performance on Saturday.

While Guglielmo Vicario was at fault for Spurs’ second goal, he admitted his mistake after the game, which will likely go down well with Frank.

As a result, he, along with Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, should retain their positions.

Xavi Simons came off the bench against Fulham for the third consecutive time.

Tottenham signed Simons from RB Leipzig over the summer, but the attacking midfielder has been sparsely used by Frank.

Despite this, the Dane could opt to keep Simons on the sidelines in favour of starting a midfield of Lucas Bergvall, Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray once again.

Wilson Odobert could replace Richarlison, who was uninspiring against Fulham, while goalscorer Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani will likely start at Newcastle.

Tottenham should not make this mistake against Newcastle United

Tottenham’s last encounter with Newcastle ended in a 2-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup back in September.

There were many things the Lilywhites got wrong that game, but the biggest was failing to convert their chances.

Yet Spurs failed to score a single goal while their opponents netted two.

It was an abysmal display, and if Tottenham want to have any chance of advancing their Premier League position, they must be as clinical as they are creative.