The Sun

THOMAS FRANK is facing a crunch fortnight in his Tottenham tenure as the pressure mounts on the struggling Dane.

The Spurs chief has won just 11 of his 31 games in charge and was booed off AGAIN after Saturday’s FA Cup exit at home to Aston Villa.

Fans have been cranking up the heat both in stadiums and on social media, believing the performances and results have not been good enough, with many calling for Frank to go.

The unwavering support the club hierarchy have shown Frank so far will be put to a serious test if he fails to win his next two league games.

First up is Saturday’s home game against West Ham, who are widely regarded as one of the worst Hammers sides in years.

Losing on your own turf to the Irons – who are managed by former Spurs chief Nuno Espirito Santo – would be a humiliation too much for many fans to bear.

Spurs then host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League – the one positive from Frank’s tenure so far – before travelling to another relegation candidate in Burnley.

Tottenham, who are 14th in the Premier League table, are six points off fifth-placed Brentford – the club Frank left to join the North Londoners in the summer.

Fail to beat both West Ham and Burnley and that gap could increase considerably, dramatically reducing the chances of the current Europa League holders qualifying for European football this term.

Both Frank and the club spoke of the need to “compete on four fronts” after appointing him in July.

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That followed the ruthless axing of Ange Postecoglou, who had delivered the club’s first trophy in 17 years with the Europa League miracle in Bilbao, but bit the bullet for finishing 17th in the Premier League.

Yet Frank has presided over a campaign so far where the team are out of both domestic cups, ironically exiting them at earlier stages than under Postecoglou last term.

They are also languishing in the bottom half of the table and have won just three of their last 14 matches in all competitions.

Supporters have been critical of Frank’s style of play and damningly, tickets for February’s home league games to Manchester City and Newcastle are on general sale.

Punters can even buy four tickets per person for the fixtures.

In seasons gone by, rarely have tickets for premium matches like those been on general sale, let alone with so many available to purchase for one individual.

It points to a disconnect between the fans and the football that is being served up right now.

And it is likely to set alarm bells ringing for the club and Frank, who must prove he is the right man going forward over the next two weeks.

TOTTENHAM and Aston Villa players were involved in a mass brawl straight after their FA Cup showdown came to an end.

Referee Craig Pawson had only just blown the final whistle when both sides came to blows.

Villa booked their place in the fourth round thanks to sealing a 2-1 win in North London.

Morgan Rogers, who grabbed what proved to be the winner, needed to be calmed down when there was a massive bust-up.

The England man, 23, had to be dragged away by Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven after Joao Palhinha had made him FURIOUS.

Spurs’ midfielder was seen leaning his head into Ollie Watkins and pushing him after being goaded at the final whistle.

And Rogers raced to defend his team-mate in front of the travelling Villa supporters.

Subs, coaching staff and even STEWARDS were involved in the ugly scenes as they tried to break the tension.

Rogers and Palhinha, 30, had already been involved in a flash point in the final stages of the clash.

A strong tackle from the Portugal man left Villa’s talisman in a heap and he was booked.

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The result has led to there being increased pressure on Tottenham chief Thomas Frank.

Although the Dane only took charge six months ago, his side were booed off the pitch by the supporters.

Emiliano Buendia put Villa in the driving seat just before the first half’s midway point.

And Rogers doubled the away side’s advantage seconds before the interval.

IT MIGHT not be the end for Thomas Frank, yet.

A second half revival that might have brought extra time suggested there is something in this Spurs squad.

From the depths of what looked set to be a dismal, depressing defeat at the interval, which brought another relentless, incessant deluge of disdain from the stands at half-time, Tottenham found some spirit and desire against Aston Villa.

But if there is a real team there, it increasingly feels like someone else will be in charge of it, Frank’s departure a matter of time, inevitable and coming soon.

In the end, that second half effort was not enough to climb the mountain their defensive deficiencies had created in the opening period, exposed by clinical finishes from Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers.

While Wilson Odobert gave them hope, as Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani both turned up to show they can impact a game after all, it only added to the sense that it is the players who decide when they will perform, not the manager.

The home fans, too, finally got animated and behind their side, at last out-shouting the belligerent Villa supporters who had mocked them in the opening period.

Yet despite all the huff and puff, the reality is that Villa did not have to play well to win.

When it mattered, they were better in every department, Buendia and Rogers simply underlining that brutal fact.

An evening that started with the home fans standing together in honour of Martin Chivers and Terry Yorath risked ending with a chorus of utter disapproval, all goodwill long gone.

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It’s one thing to wear a shirt commemorating Tottenham’s remarkable 1901 FA Cup winning feats.

But that is no excuse for playing like the Southern League team Spurs were 125 years ago for the first 45 minutes.

As the Villa fans gleefully predicted that Frank will be “sacked in the morning”, outing him as “an Arsenal fan” – he will NEVER live that coffee cup down – there were no songs of support in response.

Those Villa goals, too, explained why.

Even with Emery picking a team that balanced his own winning instincts with the knowledge that Villa have bigger fish to fry, Spurs were unable to make any impression.

The opener, mid-way through the first half, summed up Tottenham’s defensive dysfunction.

John McGinn was left in space and Spurs were immediately in trouble.

The Scot fed Donyell Malen, who dragged both Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso inside, releasing Buendia into the huge hole left through the inside left channel.

The Argentine had time to pick his spot and smash past Guglielmo Vicario into the roof of the net.

While Frank’s side had made a brighter start, possession does not equal penetration, just one shot from Odobert, straight at stand-in keeper Marco Bizot.

Buendia’s goal pricked even that fragile veneer of belief.

When Richarlison pinged his left hamstring before the half-hour, Frank, his chalkboard out for the home players on the touchline, opted for Kolo Muani.

Rogers flashed a shot past the far post as Spurs were easily bypassed, a signal of what was to come.

And two minutes into stoppage time – after Kolo Muani carelessly ran offside before prodding Simons’ pass into the net – Spurs were punished again.

Tel’s pass was cut out, and Malen was left in space on the right.

His ball in was cleverly flicked by Buendia, allowing Rogers to pick his spot and pass into the corner of the net.

The jeers were telling. Frank seemed powerless and broken, standing hands on hips and hoping for something to happen.

Spurs had shown no imagination or verve, playing in a straitjacket of fear. And with the fanbase no longer interested in listening to excuses.

Yet from deep within themselves, perhaps because it was so bad, Spurs found a belated response.

Much of that came through Simons and Kolo Muani, who had previously shown little to suggest they really want to be on N17.

The Dutch schemer, calling for the ball and finding room to play, forced a save from Bizot before Kolo Muani shrugged Lamare Bogarde off the ball, drove forward and teased to Odobert, who drilled into the far corner.

Suddenly it was Spurs on top, Simons and Odobert both forcing diving stops as the home fans found their voices, urging them forward.

They might have lost those voices again had Porro not cleared off the line to foil Buendia, an intervention that kept the tie alive, before Simons was denied by the flag after scampering through.

That kept faith alive and Frank sent on Dominic Solanke, his first appearance since August, hoping to extend the contest.

It was to no avail. Another home defeat and out of the Cup.

There were only some boos at the final whistle, this time as the stadium recognised the effort and commitment. But that should be the minimum. Frank is running out of time.

TOTTENHAM begin their FA Cup campaign TONIGHT as they host Aston Villa in the third round.

Spurs get a much-welcomed break from Premier League action after a poor run of form that has seen them win just one of their last six games.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has come under fire as his side have slipped to 14th in the table.

The Dane will be hoping for a good cup run as he looks to lead Spurs to their first domestic trophy since 2008.

But drawing Villa in the third round is as tough as it gets at the moment, with Unai Emery‘s men in fine form of late.

Tottenham will be hoping for a change of fortunes as they wear a brand-new kit for tonight’s FA Cup clash.

Why are Tottenham wearing a special kit in the FA Cup?

Tottenham are wearing a stunning special edition kit against Aston Villa to mark the 125th anniversary of their historic 1901 FA Cup-winning team.

Spurs became the first and remain the only non-league team to win football‘s oldest competition.

The North London outfit played in Southern League Division One at the time and they defied the odds to beat top flight Sheffield United 3-1 in the FA Cup final replay.

The special edition kit pays homage to the team that achieved the historic feat in 1901.

A heritage crest, along with Spurs’ sponsors’ logos, features on the Lilywhite shirt.

Tottenham’s Merchandise and Licensing Director, Duncan Pass, said: “To mark 125 years since our groundbreaking FA Cup success in 1901, we want to bring what remains a historic achievement to the forefront of popular culture with what is a truly beautiful shirt, delivered in collaboration with Nike.

“Seeing the team step onto the pitch wearing a shirt inspired by the heroes of yesteryear is sure to capture the imagination of fans young and old, creating a unique collectors’ item that will itself go down in the club’s history.”

Why do Tottenham players not have their names on the back of their shirts?

Tottenham’s special edition shirt will not feature players’ surnames on the back.

Only each player’s shirt number will be visible, just as it would have been in 1901.

Where can you buy Tottenham’s special edition shirt?

From 9am on Saturday morning, Tottenham are selling a limited run of 1,901 shirts to fans via the club’s online shop.

If you miss out, Spurs have announced that the special edition shirts that the players are wearing against Aston Villa will be auctioned via MatchWornShirt.

Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to continue its work in local schools and transform lives across the community.

RADU DRAGUSIN’S agent has dropped a huge hint that his ‘gladiator’ client is ready to leave Tottenham for Rome.

The Serie A side Roma are eyeing up a move for Spurs centre-back Dragusin, with Italian reports even suggesting a loan-to-buy offer has been made.

Florin Manea is the defender’s representative and has spoken publicly about the possible transfer, while also knocking down the chances of a switch to Fiorentina.

Speaking to RaiSport, Manea said: “I’m waiting for Tottenham to say yes to Roma before we can get to the heart of the matter.

“[On Fiorentina] With all due respect, it wouldn’t be the right path for him.

“Radu has a special bond with Italy. Gladiators are happy in Rome.”

Spurs beat Bayern Munich to the signing of Dragusin in January 2024.

But the 23-year-old sustained a serious knee injury this time last year during a Europa League clash with Swedish side IF Elfsborg.

The player was hoping to be back in August but that proved wildly optimistic and only made his return to the pitch on December 28 for the final five minutes of the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

There is an acceptance within the hierarchy at Spurs that they have not been good enough over the years at selling players.

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That was part of the reason behind the decision to sell last term’s top-scorer Brennan Johnson for £35m to Palace earlier this month.

SunSport understands Dragusin could also be moved on if the North Londoners receive an acceptable bid.

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Tottenham are back in action this afternoon as they welcome Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup.

TOTTENHAM captain Cristian Romero has been hit with an additional one-match ban after his dismissal against Liverpool.

Romero, 27, was sent off on December 20 following a second yellow card during Spurs’ 2-1 loss to the Reds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The centre-back then served an automatic one-match ban in the next Premier League fixture at Crystal Palace where the North Londoners won 1-0.

However, the FA accused the Argentina international of failing to leave the pitch promptly.

And Romero admitted the charge, which led to another one-match suspension as well as a £50,000 fine.

That means the Argentine won’t play for Tottenham on Saturday’s crunch third-round FA Cup clash against Aston Villa at home.

The FA announced: “Cristian Romero has been sanctioned in relation to the Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on Saturday 20 December 2025.

“It was alleged that he acted improperly around the 93rd minute by failing to leave the field of play promptly and/or behaving in a confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the referee.

“The defender subsequently admitted the charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission has now imposed a one-match suspension and a £50,000 fine after a hearing.

“The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course.”

Tottenham haven’t and won’t appeal the decision.

This comes after Romero’s explosive social media post following Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at Bournemouth.

Within it he claimed “other people” should be coming out to speak about the club’s struggles, “but they don’t… they only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies”.

It has been widely viewed as a dig towards Tottenham’s higher-ups, although the final line “to tell a few lies” was then removed from the post.

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TOTTENHAM boss Thomas Frank has hit back at criticism of him drinking out of an Arsenal cup.

The Dane was snapped drinking out of an Arsenal paper cup ahead of his side’s clash with Bournemouth and the picture spread like wildfire on social media.

Asked about the image after Spurs lost 3-2 to the Cherries, Frank was far from happy.

He said: “I definitely did not notice it. It would be completely stupid of me to take it if I knew. It’s a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked about it. I would never do something that stupid.”

Spurs had more of the chances and more of the ball in their game on the south coast, but a 95th-minute Antoine Semenyo goal, on probably his last appearance for the club before moving to Man City, proved decisive.

There maybe couldn’t be a worse time for Frank to be seen with anything associated with Arsenal given the two contrasting fortunes of the north London clubs.

Arsenal sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand and dismantled Spurs 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season.

On the other hand, there have been many growing pains with Frank since moving to Tottenham in the summer.

They are currently 14th in the table with seven wins from their 21 games.

Only one win in their last six games is not good enough by a Champions League club’s standards and Frank will be hoping he is given time to implement his style at the club with players that suit him.

Just in the past week, Enzo Maresca has been sacked by Chelsea and Ruben Amorim lost his job with Manchester United.

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Two men who had 18 months or less at big clubs will not give great hope to Frank if results continue as they have.

At full time, Micky van de Ven appeared to offer out a Tottenham fan, with Joao Palhinha and Pedro Porro also caught up in a confrontation with supporters.

Frank said sympathised with both parties.

He said: “I haven’t seen that situation, that’s one thing. I think it’s fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, players, staff, fans, everyone is a tough one to take today.

“I think hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction.

“And I think overall the performance was good, especially in the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more.

“That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, I’m frustrated, so that’s natural.”

MICKY VAN DE VEN appeared to offer out a Tottenham fan as Joao Palhinha and Pedro Porro were also pulled away from the away end after a late defeat to Bournemouth.

Thomas Frank’s side slipped to another loss in a five-goal thriller on the south coast.

Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth a fine leaving present before his £65million Man City move with a last-gasp wonder strike for a 3-2 win.

It saw travelling Spurs fans erupt in fury as the full-time whistle went.

But Van de Ven looked to inflame the situation further as he got involved in a tense confrontation.

The Dutchman waved his arms angrily at the Tottenham supporters and even appeared to ‘offer out’ one fan.

He was eventually dragged away by Spurs staff, but teammate Porro then got involved in another heated encounter.

Afterwards, Palhinha, who had earlier scored a stunning overhead kick, went over to the visiting supporters.

It saw the midfielder, on loan from Bayern Munich, climb over the hoardings before engaging with the angry Tottenham faithful.

Stewards made sure to intervene by keeping a small gap between Palhinha and the fans.

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And each party appeared to say their peace before the player walked back onto the pitch before departing down the tunnel.

Speaking later on, Palhinha revealed what he said to the fans.

The Portugal ace declared: “It was just the supporters were sharing their frustrations.

“We of course understand, we respect them first of all. I just said we are fighting for all the same.

“We want to win, not just the players – the staff and the supporters.

“We are trying to get the wins that, in my opinion, we deserve in the last games.”

Frank, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on the topic.

The Spurs boss: “I haven’t seen that situation, that’s one thing. I think it’s fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, players, staff, fans, everyone is a tough one to take today.

“I think hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction.

“And I think overall the performance was good, especially in the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more.

“That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, I’m frustrated, so that’s natural.”

Tottenham’s eighth defeat of the season started with them taking a fifth minute lead through Mathys Tel.

Bournemouth then went ahead thanks to goals from Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi.

But Palhinha levelled with 12 minutes left after leaping high to score a bicycle kick.

However, the Cherries had the final say when Semenyo netted a wonder goal in the fifth minute of added time to win the match.

ANTOINE SEMENYO delivered a parting gift to Bournemouth – with a 90th-minute birthday winner on his final game for the club.

The Ghanaian leaves on Thursday to join Manchester City in a £65million deal.

Some questioned why he was playing in this game given serious injury could have jeopardised the deal.

But Semenyo, who was celebrating his birthday, showed the sense in it by rifling home in injury time before walking off to a hero’s standing ovation.

It ended Bournemouth’s run of 11 games without defeat and was the perfect send-off for the man signed from Bristol City for just £10m three years ago.

Spurs, who were snubbed by Semenyo this month, thought they had fought back for a point.

Joao Palhinha’s overhead kick had made it 2-2, after goals from Evanilson and Junior Kroupi had overturned Mathys Tel’s early strike in the first half.

It left Tottenham fans to stew on yet another disappointing result under Thomas Frank.

While the image of the Dane drinking out of an ARSENAL-branded beaker before kick-off will have gone down like a cup of cold sick.

The Gunners were the last team to visit the Vitality, when Declan Rice’s double saw Mikel Arteta’s side win 3-2, which is presumably why the Cherries had cups with their badge on it.

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But the optics of having the Tottenham manager imbibing from a vessel promoting the club’s arch-rivals were awful.

If Frank was already not many Spurs fans’ cup of tea, then this image will have landed him in further hot water with them.

Semenyo received warm applause from the home fans as his name was read out before kick-off.

And rightly so after an impressive 31 goals in 109 games since joining from the Robins in 2023, earning that mega-money move to the Etihad.

Andoni Iraola’s hosts started the game like a team which had not had that winning feeling in 11 games.

And as unambitious as Spurs have been in recent months too under Frank, the visitors took full advantage.

With just five minutes played, Tel put Spurs in front.

Xavi Simons had just come back from a three-game ban and it was the Dutchman’s backheel out wide to Tel that saw the young Frenchman cut in and fire a deflected shot into the far corner.

It was a dream start for Frank – and his team’s first goal from open play in TEN hours.

Soon after, Spurs fans were singing “there’s only one Martin Chivers”, in honour of their late, great centre-forward who sadly passed away earlier in the day.

Chivers, who famously scored twice in the 1972 Uefa Cup final against Wolves, including a bullet header, would have appreciated the next goal that went in here for its aerial quality.

But the goal was not for the club whom he represented 367 times, but for Bournemouth instead as Evanilson flicked home a brilliant header to level things up.

The first time Semenyo did anything of any note came in the 35th minute as he glided round a Spurs defender and clipped in a dangerous ball which evaded everyone.

He played a part – of sorts – in the Cherries going ahead as he went to tap home another delicious Marcus Tavernier delivery.

The former Bath City man missed the cross completely, but Marcos Senesi was on hand behind to square for Kroupi to fire high into the net.

It sparked a rousing rendition of “Champions of Europe, you’re having a laugh” from the home fans.

Spurs’ travelling support, who still have the memory of their miraculous Europa League triumph in Bilbao fresh in their minds, responded by singing “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that”.

Yet back came the home fans, honing in on Frank this time by enthusiastically telling the Dane “you’re getting sacked in the morning”.

Lucas Bergvall had to be taken off when picking up a thigh problem, and banged the floor in frustration, before sub Richarlison turned the ball against the post.

Micky van de Ven thought he had won a penalty when going down in the box under James Hill’s challenge, but the spotkick was reversed following a VAR check, and he was booked.

Still, Frank’s side kept on persevering and got their rewards when Palhinha’s acrobatic effort provided Spurs with their tenth goal from a corner this term.

But birthday-boy Semenyo ensured the night belonged to him as his fairytale finish ensured exactly that for his time down on the South Coast before he joins Pep.

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