Tottenham now come up against an in-form Newcastle United side in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Tottenham’s slump in the Premier League continues, with Thomas Frank struggling to reverse the club’s fortunes. The Lilywhites remain out of form and have now extended their winless run in the competition to four matches. They sit in the bottom half of the table, placing Frank’s job under increasing scrutiny as the pressure mounts.
The North Londoners suffered an embarrassing defeat to Fulham last weekend. It marked their sixth consecutive Premier League home game in which they have dropped points this season, further highlighting their dismal form at N17 under Frank. The scoreline was poor, but the performance was even worse. Spurs were two goals down within the opening six minutes and never managed to gain the momentum needed to turn the result around.
The loud boos echoing around the stadium at full-time were enough to show the growing disconnect between the players and the fans. Frank’s side have shown little promise in recent weeks, and the supporters’ patience is wearing thin. The Danish tactician’s job is already under threat, and he may face the sack if he cannot spark a turnaround in the upcoming matches.
Tottenham face an uphill task of securing a result against Newcastle United
Tottenham’s next challenge comes against Newcastle United, a team they have already fallen to this season. The Magpies have hit form at the perfect moment, winning their last two Premier League games. To make matters worse for Spurs, Eddie Howe’s team are on a six-match winning streak at home in all competitions, making the upcoming contest appear one-sided on paper.
Sharing similar views, Paul Merson has also backed Newcastle ahead of their clash with a struggling Spurs on Tuesday night. Writing for Sportskeeda, Merson stated:
“Tottenham are under severe pressure now. Even though both Newcastle and Tottenham are on the same number of points, their trajectory is the exact opposite. Newcastle are on the rise by winning their last two, while Spurs have now lost twice in a row! Tottenham take one step forward and then go three steps back.”
The pundit added:
“Frank is under serious pressure after his comments too. I expect Newcastle to win this game. So basically, it will be a cup final for Frank when Spurs face his former club Brentford on Saturday. 3-1 to Newcastle.”
Merson believes Tottenham and Newcastle are heading in completely different directions, with Spurs struggling for consistency in the Premier League this season. The Lilywhites show flashes of promise under Frank but repeatedly slip back to square one. Merson has backed Newcastle to extend their winning run, predicting a 3-1 victory over the North Londoners.
A must-win game for Thomas Frank?
As Merson notes, this match carries significant weight for Thomas Frank. It is now a must-win situation for the Danish manager, with his side at risk of slipping to 14th in the Premier League if they lose at St. James’ Park. A win, however, would bring them closer to the European qualification spots, which remains Spurs’ target for the end of the season.
There are no new injury issues for the Lilywhites ahead of their trip to the north of England. However, Frank may be forced to make some big decisions regarding team selection if he hopes to secure all three points against Newcastle. His side will need to start on the front foot and deliver a performance that shows real promise in order to regain the supporters’ confidence.