Lewis family surely can’t sack Thomas Frank after 22-year Borussia Dortmund first vs Tottenham
Thomas Frank has undoubtedly put the Lewis family in a difficult position as Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Things haven’t been great for the Danish manager in N17, with fans calling for his dismissal after Spurs lost 2-1 to West Ham United.
However, the former Brentford boss has certainly bought himself some time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after winning the three points against the Bundesliga outfit on 20 January.
Cristian Romero gave the hosts an early lead in the 14th minute before Daniel Svensson was shown a red card for a high boot on Wilson Odobert.
Just before the break, Dominic Solanke scored in hilarious fashion on his Champions League debut, leaving the North London outfit’s hierarchy with a tough call to make regarding the 52-year-old head coach.
Borussia Dortmund fail to record shot in first half vs Tottenham
Tottenham dominated the opening minutes of play at home and deservedly took the lead through Romero.
While the visiting supporters were the loudest for some moments in the first half, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful slowly found their voice as the game progressed.
Svensson’s sending off gave Spurs the initiative to put the game to bed quickly, and Solanke’s goal gave the hosts a comfortable cushion from there on.
Nico Kovac’s team were unable to take a shot in the opening 45 minutes, the first time since Opta’s record started in 2003-04 that the Bundesliga outfit have failed to do so in a single half of a Champions League game.
| Team | Matches | Points |
| 1. Arsenal | 7 | 21 |
| 2. Real Madrid | 7 | 15 |
| 3. Bayern Munich | 6 | 15 |
| 4. Tottenham | 7 | 14 |
| 5. Paris Saint-Germain | 7 | 13 |
| 6. Sporting CP | 7 | 13 |
| 7. Manchester City | 7 | 13 |
| 8. Atalanta | 6 | 13 |
The North London outfit’s dominant display has surely given Frank something to hold on to, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for him, as the fanbase may not be convinced by just one performance.
As things stand, Spurs are destined to qualify automatically for the knockout stage of the competition, and the Lewis family could potentially jeopardise that by sacking him before the final game of the league phase.
Gareth Bale identified exactly who can save Thomas Frank at Spurs
Frank looked like a dead man walking after losing to West Ham, but things can change quickly in football, and his job looks secure for now.
Tottenham have lost nine of their 22 Premier League games under the Danish manager this season, but their Champions League form might save him.
Speaking post-match on TNT Sports 1 about Solanke, Gareth Bale said, “It’s nice to have that player who’s a target man you can bounce it off. Today, he showed that fight, that grit. He was chasing down every ball.
“It was great for him to get his first Champions League goal tonight, which will only give him more confidence, and hopefully he can have a run with no injuries now and help his team to climb back up the table in the Premier League.”
Spurs travel to Turf Moor next in the league, and Frank needs to ensure another positive result to keep the momentum at the North London outfit.
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