Thomas Frank got some breathing space on Tuesday evening as Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League.
Thomas Frank was under serious pressure heading into the Champions League fixture against Borussia Dortmund after Tottenham Hotspur’s stoppage-time 2-1 defeat to West Ham over the weekend.
The Dane, who was booed off the pitch by the Tottenham fans at full-time whistle vs. West Ham, went for lunch with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and Nick Beucher on Monday amid calls for him to be sacked after dire performances and results for more than two months. While he revealed that no assurances were given by the top officials, the Lilywhites, hit severely by injuries and suspensions, stepped up under the lights on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
Spurs overcame the challenge of Borussia Dortmund at home, thanks to first-half goals from Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke. The 26th minute red card to Daniel Svensson played into the hands of the hosts, giving them more energy and confidence to take the game to their German counterparts rather than sit back, soak pressure and hit hard on the counter attack.
BBC pundit gives Thomas Frank sack warning after Champions League win
It felt as though a defeat against Borussia Dortmund, which would have been a fourth loss in a row in all competitions, would have been curtains to Thomas Frank’s seventh-month reign in north London. Instead, a 2-0 win over the Bundesliga side is likely to buy the 52-year-old some time. A positive display from his injury-ravaged side could even give him more than that.
Last weekend, Frank and Co. were booed off the pitch at full-time whistle as West Ham snatched an injury-time winner via Callum Wilson. It was clear several fans had turned on Frank during the defeat by the relegation-battling West Ham side, with large numbers singing “you are getting sacked in the morning” at him.
Despite the morale-boosting win over Dortmund, BBC Sports reporter Sami Mokbel feels the Tottenham gaffer is just one defeat away from entering crisis mode again. He praised the Lilywhites for beating Nico Kovac’s side, but warned Frank that a defeat to Burnley at the weekend would put the spotlight straight back on him once again.
“Despite tonight’s performance and result, and credit to them they pulled off a performance for their manager, but if they lose to Burnley at the weekend, then he’s right back under the cosh,” Sami Mokbel said.
“That will be the problem moving forward for Thomas Frank, he’s always one defeat from a crisis.
“And I think the Tottenham board are aware of that. They are aware of all the difficulties and the problems that need sorting with the squad, but I think they’re also aware of the ill feeling towards Thomas Frank from the supporters.
“I think that will be a difficult one for him to navigate.”
Tottenham have to beat Burnley for Frank to stay in the job
Tottenham have enjoyed contrasting fortunes in the Champions League and the Premier League this season. They have been solid in the European competition but struggled to churn out results in the English top flight. Spurs have lost way too many games in the league for their liking, and Frank must find a solution to end the rot.
Up next for Spurs is a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley. It will be a big challenge for Frank’s side, irrespective of the Clarets’ position in the table. This shapes up as an important fixture for both sides, given their respective situations. From Tottenham’s perspective, Frank has to motivate the players to perform at their best on the pitch and build on the win over Dortmund. Anything other than a victory against a relegation-threatened side might be the end of the road for Frank at White Hart Lane.
