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Thomas Frank has already played for silverware, travelled to the Etihad and overseen a North London Derby, yet a home game against Fulham has suddenly become the most significant fixture of his tenure so far.

The Dane has scuppered two huge opportunities to assert himself in N17 by overseeing victories, or at least admirable performances, in the pair of outings that matter most to the fanbase.

However, the brave, canny and courageous displays many believed Frank would facilitate when we encountered Chelsea and Arsenal were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Spurs produced the two worst attacking showings of the Premier League season so far, with the manager overemphasising the nullification of the opposition.

You don't quite get the feeling that Frank has left Brentford yet. The 52-year-old is still operating as if he's managing a club of, with all due respect, the Bees' aspirations. Now, their west London rivals, Fulham, have the chance to put serious pressure on the Dane when they visit N17 on Saturday night.

Clash with Fulham could be make or break for Tottenham boss

There's no overlooking just how chastening an experience last Sunday's North London Derby defeat was. Of course, Spurs were dire, but for some supporters, they came to a harrowing realisation that this Arsenal team may well do something special this season, having emerged as the Premier League's perpetual bridesmaids.

When we were meandering through our post-Mauricio Pochettino instant gratification identity crisis, the Gunners' woes supplied solace. Now, though, Mikel Arteta's side struggle to lose games of football, and that makes our current malaise much harder to stomach. For local supporters, the unbearable Gooner lurks with intent on piling on the misery, while the ubiquitous medium of social media means we're subject to the thoughts of those supporting our bitterest rivals from across the globe against our will.

Arsenal's success thrusts a feeling of impatience upon us, ironically so given the rebuild Arteta had to undergo in order to lift the Gunners into their current position.

The harsh reality is that Frank is unlikely to get the time that was afforded to Arteta, who coached through the bleakest part of his tenure while there we no supporters in stadia across the country due to Covid.

Frank is instead subject to fierce judgment from a home faithful that demands to be entertained, akin to the Romans who enjoyed days out at the Colosseum. The majority would be all too keen to deliver a thumbs down (if we were living in Ridley Scott's idea of gladiatorial times) in the manager's direction, with the primitive and insipid performances the Lilywhites have produced in N17 hardly worthy of mercy.

Spurs are still without a Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the opening weekend of the season, and the failure to secure a second this weekend will undoubtedly feel like the end times.

The stars are aligning for a diabolical evening, with Fulham winless on the road, but a spirited showing in the week against Paris Saint-Germain should at least spark some optimism. Sure, it ended in a 5-3 defeat, but that felt like Frank at his best: adaptable and aggressive.

One-off ploys aren't sustainable, though, and the manager desperately needs to impose a style that ensures games such as Saturday night's duel aren't miserable slogs reliant upon variance pulling in our favour. His squad isn't perfect, but there's talent at his disposal that hasn't been maximised yet, with risk-aversion and apparent defensive security undermining the potential fun elements of this Tottenham team.

Playmakers haven't yet come to the fore, while youth has either been used sparingly or erroneously.

Still, there's no reason why the "intelligent" Frank can't evolve. He's been a disappointment so far, but the Dane deserves a little more time to at least attempt to put things right, and implement ideals that are capable of appeasing a fanbase that's seemingly never wanted to endure the "painful rebuild" Poch warned about all those years ago.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank shocked fans by benching arguably his most talented player and inarguably his most expensive summer signing, Xavi Simons, in two of the most important games of the season back to back. Frank, out of nowhere, discarded Simons against both Arsenal and PSG, with the Lilywhites losing both games by a combined score of 9-4.

Now, obviously, losing 5-3 to PSG is a lot better than losing 4-1 to Arsenal, and Spurs were lined up much better against the Parisians with Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Pape Matar Sarr all getting starting opportunities against the reigning Champions League and Ligue 1 winners.

However, Spurs clearly missed Simons in both games. Maybe they could have beaten PSG with that extra attacking oomph from their main central playmaker, and they probably would have created significantly more against Arsenal with Simons in there, too.

Thomas Frank hasn't been doing what's best

Granted, Simons hasn't done much this season with no goals and a measly assist in the Premier League, but he's still adjusting. He's not someone Spurs can, should, or can even afford to give up on, given what is invested in him and he the game breaking talent he has.

Frank seems to have a vendetta against Simons and isn't using him correctly, instead benching him in the big games as opposed to facilitating tactics to bring this unique weapon into the game. But as he told reporters ahead of the upcoming Premier League rivalry clash against London side Fulham, Frank isn't chalking up Simons as a flop, but rather a Premier League newcomer who is still adjusting.

The Danish manager said, via The Spurs Web, “Xavi has been fine. As we’ve seen with other players coming into the Premier League for the first time from other leagues, it’s not straightforward in any way. It’s a completely natural part of the development or adjustment to the league. Different games, different abilities, so yeah.”

In the same time span that he has struggled with Spurs, Simons has played very well for the Netherlands national team. And he was an exceptional player for PSV and RB Leipzig in all the competitions he played in, including the Europa League and Champions League. So the idea that he isn't good enough for the Premier League is a complete fallacy.

As with Florian Wirtz in Liverpool, Simons just needs a bit of time. He will come good. And Frank can help that by giving him the ball more and not isolated him tactically, as opposed to benching him. Frank sounds like he is on Simons's side, and it also sounds like he's ready to give the Dutchman another run in the starting lineup again, which Spurs fans will hope to see.

Tottenham Hotspur didn't score an upset win over PSG on Wednesday night in the Champions League, but they looked much more lively and like an actual, competent team against the reigning champions in a fiery 5-3 defeat that could have actually been a win if it weren't for a few sloppy, surprising defensive errors.

Randal Kolo Muani was obviously the star man for Tottenham as a whole with two goals and one assist, leading the attacking line with aplomb against his parent club as he made his strongest bid yet to be the new permanent resident at the No. 9 position at the N17.

But behind Kolo Muani were the young midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who were welcome additions to the Tottenham starting XI in the aftermath of Sunday's North London Derby debacle. Frank had to respond with real changes to the lineup and his tactical system after such a 4-1 flop defeat to Spurs most hated rivals, and for months, Spurs supporters were clamoring for the high upside duo of Gray and Bergvall to get their shots.

Tottenham's lineup vs. Fulham should be obvious now, too

After missing a bit of time with injuries, the Swedish and English internationals stepped in and vastly upgraded the team, showing that they are both the future and present of the team - and not the slow moving tandem of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha.

Following the PSG game and with another local rival on the horizon in the Premier League in Fulham, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank simply had this to say about the young, rising double pivot of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, via The Spurs Express, when asked about them starting together in league action: "I think if you perform like they did against the European champions away from home, you're ready to start in the Premier League."

Yeah, no kidding. Gray and Bergvall were always ready to be the main options as a 6 and 8 pairing - or even as dual 8's. Bergvall is the best dribbling progressor on the team and Gray the best passing progressive midfield. Gray is everything Bentancur isn't in terms of being a passing anchor, while Bergvall brings much more attacking quality and dynamism than the highly defensive Palhinha.

If Bergvall and Gray could then prove their meddle against arguably the best midfield in European football, led by Ballon d'Or candidate Vitinha, then you had better believe they are going to be the best options for Spurs going forward and have the quality to boss a team like Fulham.

Randal Kolo Muani was the man of the hour on Wednesday night in the Champions League, and while Tottenham Hotspur fell 5-3 to reigning champions PSG, who had already beaten Spurs this season in the Supercup, the match itself was honestly a positive response from the horrid and entirely unacceptable 4-1 North London Derby loss to Arsenal.

If it were not for a litany of uncharacteristic defensive errors, Tottenham may have very well pulled off an upset victory against the Parisians. Kolo Muani was clearly the star man and main catalyst of that effort with two goals and an assist against the club that is his parent club.

Tottenham have been begging for someone to rise up above the fray as the solution at the striker position, and Kolo Muani, for this game, did just that. He's always looked a cut above the other options all around; he's just a better footballer in terms of his hold up play and creativity.

Randal Kolo Muani just needs the consistency

On Wednesday night, Kolo Muani showed that ruthless finishing Tottenham need from him, and manager Thomas Frank was filled with praise - and also gave the Frenchman some additional verve to show that level for Spurs consistently going forward.

Frank said of Kolo Muani, via Lilywhite Rose, "It was exciting. You just see the link-up play last night. The exciting thing was around the first goal, the vision with the header towards goal for Richy. His first goal, quick reactions and finishing. Then showed the pace and clinical in the finish. Now it's about doing it consistently, every game."

The big key that Frank highlights is the link up play, because Spurs need to see their striker do more to bring the wingers into the game and score goals. Kolo Muani up top with Richarlison proved to be a huge boon for the Tottenham offense, and while Richy will get credited with yet another goal, this was a perfect example of the assist provider being the real creditor of that goal.

Since he's been dealing with a dead leg and a jaw injury, Kolo Muani hasn't been able to get on the pitch enough to show that consistency, but if he can stay healthy and keep playing like this, the striker job is his. And when Dominic Solanke comes back, it could be a matter of Kolo Muani and Solanke co existing together as a striker duo, lifting each other up in the starting lineup rather than competing.

No matter what, Brennan Johnson will always live on in Tottenham Hotspur history and in the hearts of the fans for scoring the decisive goal in Bilbao to grant Spurs their first Europa League title in 41 years. That timely strike against Manchester United was worth a whole lot, but on the strength of his entire play, Johnson hasn't quite been worth the 47.5 million pounds the club paid to Nottingham Forest for him.

Johnson is great at scoring goals and poaching them, and you won't find many wingers on this planet who are as good at being in the right place at the right time to bungle one home. And even recently for the Welsh national team after being benched for poor play, Johnson came right in and smacked a banger to remind fans that he has real quality with that left boot of his.

The problem is that Johnson can't get games in the starting lineup consistently because when he does play, he struggles at everything else a winger needs to do. He can't defend, he can't take players on enough, he doesn't progress the ball, and he doesn't create chances at a high enough clip. Johnson shows flashes of the one-on-one ability and chance creation, but, too often, his head is in the clouds.

Thomas Frank is a fan but...

Tottenham fans have been saying this for a while, and now their manager, Thomas Frank, told reporters, via Lilywhite Rose, this truth out loud for everyone to hear:

"I'm very aware that Brennan has got some very good qualities, scoring goals running in behind, arriving in the box, I really like everything about him. So it's all about how you create that team where we perform, how do we get the best players in, what type of player do we play in positions to make it click, we also need that little bit of depth to keep the freshness and energy. That's the challenge."

Coming into the season, Tottenham fans were excited to see how Frank could help Johnson develop, as he was very high on the Wales international as a potential Brentford transfer; it's just that the Bees couldn't make a competitive enough offer to beat Spurs to the punch.

But now that Frank has Johnson at his disposal, nothing is developing positively for him. As Frank says, he's wanting to get Johnson games, and while he is a fan of his, Frank is basically saying that in trying to get the best players on the pitch and fill a cohesive squad that can do all the things to win games, Johnson often doesn't fit in the balance because of his deficiencies.

Fulham's trip to north London is a huge game for Thomas Frank and his Tottenham side, with the Dane starting to feel the heat after last week's derby defeat.

Spurs haven't won a Premier League game in front of their fans since the opening weekend of the season, and our woeful showing at the Emirates last Sunday saw the manager lose a big chunk of the fanbase.

There were positives to take from the chaotic defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, during which Spurs played with intent and aggression. Frank said he recognised his side at the Parc des Princes, but that improvement will count for little if they fail to show up on Saturday night.

Supporters not only want three points, but they expect to be entertained. Frank's football has so far left plenty to be desired, and plenty will be calling for his head if Fulham turn the Lilywhites over.

The visitors haven't won away from home in the league all season, but they've enjoyed some success against Spurs as of late. Marco Silva's side are unbeaten in three in this fixture, and they'll arrive in N17 on Saturday off the back of a hard-fought victory over Sunderland last Saturday.

Here's our preview of Saturday's crucial game under the lights.

Tottenham vs. Fulham: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Tottenham vs. Fulham kick off?

Tottenham vs. Fulham kicks off on Saturday 29 November at 20:00 BST.

When is kick off? Saturday 20 November, 2025

What time is kick off? 20:00 BST

Where is it played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Referee:Â Stuart Attwell

Tottenham vs Fulham head-to-head record (last five games)

How to watch Tottenham vs. Fulham on TV & live stream

Tottenham team news

Cristian Romero's booking in the North London Derby was his fifth of the season, so he'll be suspended for Saturday's game. Kevin Danso will come into Frank's defence and partner Micky van de Ven.

There isn't all that much change on the injury front, with no timescales provided regarding the returns of Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke. We're yet to see Kota Takai in action either, but at least Ben Davies is back in training.

There were more systematic changes from Frank in the week, but despite the success, I'd be surprised to see such a narrow midfield utilised at home on Saturday. Randal Kolo Muani has to keep his place, though, as does Lucas Bergvall. Xavi Simons should also come into the XI, having been used off the bench in Spurs' previous two outings.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs. Fulham:Â Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Kolo Muani.

Fulham team news

Fulham have far fewer injury concerns than Spurs, but the two they're without on Saturday have hurt the Lilywhites in the past.

Antonee Robinson has been one of the Premier League's best left-backs over the past couple of years, but he's barely played this season due to a knee injury. He'll miss Saturday's game, too.

The visitors are also without Rodrigo Muniz for the long haul due to a hamstring issue. Raúl Jimeñez has been in good scoring form this season, though, and he scored the winner against Sunderland last weekend.

Fulham predicted lineup vs Tottenham: Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Cairney; Wilson, King, Iwobi; Jimeñez.

Tottenham vs. Fulham score prediction

I'm not going to lie. This game really scares me. I've detested our recent trips to Craven Cottage, and I'm already envisioning Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi wreaking havoc on Saturday night, with Jimeñez bound to score an acrobatic goal.

However, I don't want the Frank era to die such a rapid death. Some are willing it to this weekend, but I hope the Dane ploughs through and wins a few more hearts and minds back with a convincing enough display against the Cottagers.

Thomas Frank must've had his Rihanna playlists blaring in the build-up to Wednesday's trip to Paris Saint-Germain, with his fluid diamond midfield setup helping his team compete with the European champions.

Spurs ultimately fell to a 5-3 defeat at the Parc des Princes, having taken 1-0 and 2-1 leads on either side of half-time. A quick second-half collapse allowed PSG to coast somewhat, but Frank had produced the sort of coaching display that saw him revered during his time at Brentford.

However, it's unlikely for the same system to be rolled out at home to Fulham this weekend. This is a huge game for the manager, with the horrors of last Sunday still fresh in the memory, and the Dane not only needs to triumph on Saturday night, but supporters are craving panache.

With that in mind, here's the team he could pick for the Cottagers' visit.

Tottenham predicted XI vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario (GK) – He's conceded 11 in his previous three outings, but there's been no talk of a potential switch between the posts.l

Pedro Porro (RB) – Frank needs more out of Porro. The Spaniard is, overall, having a decent enough season, but he's got much more quality as a playmaker than he's shown under the manager so far, especially in recent weeks.

Kevin Danso (CB) – Cristian Romero is serving a one-game suspension, so Danso will come in for the captain.

Micky van de Ven (CB) – The Dutchman has partnered Danso on a few occasions this term, but it hasn't always gone to plan. Let's hope the pair of standout recovery defenders prosper as a partnership this weekend.

Destiny Udogie (LB) – Udogie has to come back into the team on home soil. We need him flying up and down the left flank, aiding Spurs' balance in possession.

Midfielders

João Palhinha (CM) – The Portuguese midfielder has featured in all 20 games this season, appearing off the bench on Wednesday. He may not be necessary here, but I think Frank brings him back into the team.

Lucas Bergvall (CM) – Frank will be signing off on his own P45 by starting the dreaded midfield partnership under the lights this weekend. I don't think he opts for a youthful pivot, but Bergvall has to play after his showing in Paris.

Xavi Simons (AM) – Some are concerned about Frank's overlooking of Xavi on the big occasions, but let's not forget that the young Dutchman is just a couple of months into his Tottenham career. Moreover, this is a significant game despite the calibre of opposition, and Xavi will surely have a big role to play in deciding whether Spurs entertain.

Forwards

Mohammed Kudus (RW) – It's been a quiet few weeks for Kudus, and this would be a timely occasion for him to rediscover the form from his first two months in north London.

Randal Kolo Muani (ST) – While Richarlsion performed admirably in the week, Frank has to keep Kolo Muani in the team. Having dealt with fitness issues at the start of his loan, the forward should only get stronger from here on out.

There have been a lot of changes at Tottenham Hotspur this year. They have finally won a trophy in the Europa League, which ended a 17-year trophy drought. A new manager has come in with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou. Perhaps what will have the biggest impact on the club is that Daniel Levy is no longer the chairman.

Levy was hugely involved with player deals, and many Spurs fans believed he could be a bit tight. Now with Levy gone, Tottenham could soon turn into big spenders. This would inevitably lead to a changing of the guard, and here are three players who might just be on their way out.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma is one of many players that Brighton have helped develop before making a profit on. They signed him from Olympique Lyonnais for around £15 million before selling him to Spurs for £25 million.

The midfielder was a solid player for Spurs in the Premier League and helped them win the Europa League last season. However, a knee injury meant that any transfer over the summer was off the cards. He had been linked with West Ham United, Juventus, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahce. It is unlikely that we will see Bissouma in a Spurs shirt again.

Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke also played a key role in Spurs' Europa League victory last season. He scored five goals with four assists in 13 games in the tournament. The striker also did well in the Premier League, finding the back of the net nine times, with three assists in 27 games.

So far this campaign, he has made just two league appearances before sustaining an ankle injury. This has led to Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani asserting themselves as Frank's preferred strikers. Solanke is still contracted to Spurs until 2030, but will likely leave if he is not getting regular game time.

It is a shame that Solanke has suffered this injury, but it's unfortunately been a tale of his time at Tottenham so far.

He played for Chelsea and Liverpool at the start of his career. However, he did not really get a chance at either club. Solanke then made his name at Bournemouth, but now at Spurs, it must be challenging for him not to be able to make the most of his opportunity back at one of English soccer's biggest clubs.

Ben Davies

Ben Davies has been a great servant to Tottenham Hotspur since he joined them from Swansea City in 2014. In total, he has played 348 times for Spurs, scoring nine goals, with 28 assists from left-back. He is yet to play this season; the Welshman made the bench on occasions before suffering a hamstring injury.

Davies was back amongst the substitutes against PSG, but did not get on. It would have been a tough game to throw Davies on for his first club game of the season. Despite not playing for Spurs, Davies has still featured for Wales. He made his 100th appearance for his country in a defeat to Belgium in World Cup qualifiers.

Wales are in the playoffs to qualify for the tournament in North America next summer. It would hugely help Craig Bellamy's side if Davies could get some game time with his club. Davies is in the final year of his deal with Spurs, and he is now 32. Therefore, his deal will likely not be renewed, but Tottenham will no doubt ensure that one of their longest-serving players will get the send-off that he deserves.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has faced the wrath of the fans after losing 4-1 to Arsenal in the North London Derby, committing the almost unforgivable sin of playing like a defensive bottom feeder club in the biggest game of the season - and still getting the doors absolutely blown off him by MIkel Arteta.

Although Spurs lost another high profile matchup on Wednesday night against PSG in the Champions League, they were significantly better in a 5-3 loss and actually did create some things. If it weren't for uncharacteristic defensive errors, they may have very well won the game, too.

A key positive of the match was Frank finally starting young midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. For weeks - months, even - Spurs supporters were decrying Frank for not consistently starting these two future superstars, as they had both been quality whenever called up on in the 2025/26 season.

They can be vital to Tottenham's success

Bergvall was already vital to Spurs success in 2024/25, and Gray was a similarly touted teenage sensation when joining Tottenham. The latter had actually been even more impressive to start the 2025/26 season, and as the best player to get out of sticky positions deep in midfield to progress the ball with his passing and dribbling, he was the player Spurs fans wanted to see much more than the mediocre Rodrigo Bentancur.

Gray and Bergvall helped Spurs out against the elite PSG midfield, and Thomas Frank finally had to say some nice things about the young midfielders. He told reporters after the game, via The Spurs Express, “Very impressive. Two young players, said from the beginning, that I believe a lot in.”

While it may be true that Frank believes in Gray and Bergvall - and he really did praise them in the opening weeks of the season - it is also true that actions are more important than what is said at the press conferences.

And by actions, Frank was clearly not valuing Gray and Bergvall appropriately. With all due respect to Joao Palhinha, who has been a great loan addition to the Spurs squad with his pure defensive chops, Bergvall and Gray is a much more promising and much more important long term double pivot for Tottenham Hotspur than the Palhinha and Bentancur duo.

Frank deviating from Gray and Bergvall was an inexplicable error, and Spurs supporters can only hope that the PSG game, combined with his press conference quote, will lead to a more clear admission from Frank that he needs to use these guys more often going forward.

Although Tottenham Hotspur turned in a significantly better performance against PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday night, they didn't win either. And it isn't exactly difficult to be a lot better than losing 4-1 to Arsenal in an all time cowardly performance.

So while Thomas Frank and Spurs did mount a response against the reigning Champions League winners, the Danish manager still has a lot of work to do before he can say he was won back even half of the good will he completely tossed in the bin after the debacle in the North London Derby.

There are so many sticking points with Frank as Tottenham manager that he needs to address, and one of them that he didn't address against PSG - and only exacerbated - was the rough start to life for Xavi Simons at Tottenham.

Thomas Frank has left Xavi Simons isolated

A truly special player in European football and league play for both PSV and RB Leipzig, Simons was a can't miss signing that the Spurs front office did brilliantly to seal over rivals Chelsea, and yet Frank has turned him into a shell of himself.

When on the pitch, Simons has been isolated in the middle of the formation with nobody to link with or feed off of, as Frank has left him to die with his horrid attacking tactics. But that's even if Simons gets on the pitch, because Frank has been benching him in important games.

Once again, Frank cast Simons aside against PSG, meaning he benched him against both Arsenal and PSG in arguably the two most high profile back to back fixtures of the entire 2025/26 season. It's quite the statement made by Frank, who almost seems to have a personal vendetta against the new signing bubbling under the surface

Even in press conferences, Frank takes little shots about how Simons isn't integrating enough, but it's so hard to shine when a manager takes away your biggest strengths - and takes the ball away from your feet when your biggest strength is carrying the ball and driving at opponents. But when your coach prefers to clog up the pitch and play negatively, then starting someone the fans want to see succeed who plays the opposite like Simons becomes a problem.

Tottenham supporters have to be fed up with how Frank is treating their biggest signing of the summer. Simons is capable of a lot more than what Frank is allowing him, and it's decisions like this that could eventually prove to be the former Brentford man's undoing.