Thomas Frank all-but sacked as ‘complete mess’ unfolds at Tottenham ahead of Champions League embarrassment
Thomas Frank will remain in charge of Tottenham for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Frank confirmed he has held talks with Tottenham chiefs at his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon.
That comes amid strong suggestions that Frank was on the verge of being sacked by Tottenham at the weekend.
Spurs were beaten 2-1 at home to West Ham and are 14th in the Premier League with 22 matches of the season played.
Focus turns to European action on Tuesday and the visit of Dortmund, with the match set to be played out in front of rather embarrassing scenes.
Tottenham fans to stay away despite huge Borussia Dortmund clash
Tottenham are 11th in the Champions League standings, which would see them through to a last-16 playoff as things stand.
That would be considered a success of sorts, though there is still work to be done with two matches – the other being away at Eintracht Frankfurt next week – for that to be confirmed.
Spurs could yet finish in the top eight, though, with only one point separating themselves and Atletico Madrid in the final automatic qualification spot.
| Games | 6 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
The visit of 10th-placed Dortmund really is huge for Spurs, then, but the game is not expected to be sold out.
In a post on X on Monday evening, Sun reporter Jake Sanders posted: “Massive Champions League game for Tottenham tomorrow.
“[It’s] likely to be played in front of thousands of empty seats with a dozen players out and a manager taking charge who has all-but been sacked. Fans in the dark about what’s next. Complete mess.“
Sanders is correct in what he says about fans effectively growing disillusioned, with many now just waiting for the inevitable and for Frank to be sacked.
And it means Spurs are open to ridicule as they play such a huge game, embarrassingly, in front of thousands of empty seats.
What is needed for Tottenham to advance in the Champions League?
Spurs were comfortable 3-0 winners over Slavia Prague in their most recent Champions League outing prior to Christmas.
That followed a brave 5-3 defeat away at Paris Saint-Germain and a 4-0 home win over Monaco, so results have been encouraging on the whole.
There are still plenty of permutations that could see Spurs finish in the top eight, the top 16, or indeed outside the entire lot.
Ultimately, it is just a case of Frank’s side winning both remaining matches. Achieve that, and there is every chance of being in the last 16 without the need of a playoff.
The big question, though, is whether Frank will still be in place when those knockout fixtures come around next month.
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