The Sun

FROM celebrating with a couple of glasses of red to choking on a hard-to-stomach Claret.

No wonder Thomas Frank trudged off Turf Moor looking like a man with the biggest hangover in history.

Mind you, that’s how it must feel at times for the under-fire Tottenham manager, whose one-step forward, two-steps back season gave him another headache yesterday.

On Tuesday a victory over Borussia Dortmund took some of the heat off the Danish gaffer, who vowed to have a wine or two to mark the fact.

But four days after his side put one foot into the Champions League last 16 – a point in Frankfurt on Tuesday will seal it – his neck is back in the noose.

Only a last-gasp leveller from Cristian Romero stopped battling Burnley from snatching their first Premier League victory since October.

A 90th minute venomous rescuing header after Frank’s flops had gone from a goal up to 2-1 down…and had visiting fans belting out what they hope to see.

Five minutes before the break, after Micky van de Ven had drilled Tottenham ahead, they were jokingly singing “we’re staying up.”

But when Lyle Foster scrambled the Clarets’ second deep in the second half, after Axel Tuanzebe had levelled, it was no laughing matter.

From gallows humour to simply the gallows, in fact, for Spurs fans now demanding “getting sacked in the morning”.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

Followed, it should be pointed out, by a chorus of “Thomas Frank, your football is s***!”

To all intents Tottenham looked dead and buried. Their manager’s future looked similarly bleak.

Yet then Romero – if only they had a few more with his heart for a battle – finally found a way past Martin Dubravka, and Spurs were out of jail.

Well maybe not in Frank’s case. Perhaps in line for parole would be more to the point.

What a basket case club they truly are. Toe to toe with Europe’s A-listers one minute, then stumbling against a side entrenched in the drop zone.

Then again, plenty of heavyweight prizefighters – indeed Spurs are one of them – have left this part of East Lancashire with a bloody nose over the years.

Success in these parts demands grit and graft, not glitz and glamour. And muck or nettles scraps don’t come much muckier than the gloom of a wintry Turf Moor afternoon.

To be fair Spurs had just about done enough to merit a lead by the time van de Ven finally gave them one.

Yet – ironically – only after Martin Dubravka had been leaping around his box in celebration at keeping his goal intact.

First from a Wilson Odobert volley on the edge of the box, and then even more impressively when Conor Gallagher drilled in the rebound.

But you know what they say about goalkeepers being a hostage to fortune…because seconds later Dubravka was picking the ball out of his net.

Twice Burnley failed to clear Pedro Porro’s corner, initially headed up in the air by Max Esteve, then jabbed towards the edge of the box by Bashir Humphreys.

And when it fell invitingly for van de Ven 12 yards out, the Dutchman smashed it into the corner.

Punching the air one minute, looking to punch his dozy defenders the next. Such is life for a Premier League keeper, eh?

Having broken the back of the job, surely Spurs would go on and see it through.

But then again, this IS the team which is higher than Barcelona and PSG in Europe, yet was booed off after losing at home to West Ham a week ago.

So maybe not the greatest of shocks, then, when they nodded off and were caught with a sucker punch seconds before half-time.

While Kyle Walker’s cross was outstanding, the marking Cristian Romero certainly wasn’t, as Tuanzebe ghosted behind to poke in the equaliser.

Tottenham should have been back in front from the head of Dominic Solanke, who picked out Dubravka’s guts when he could have picked his spot.

What a miss that looked a couple of minutes from the end when Lyle Foster showed him how to finish.

Jadon Anthony teed him up by cutting inside and rolling the ball to his left deep in the Spurs box.

Foster’s first strike was blocked by keeper Giuglielmo Vicario, yet fell kindly straight back at the centre forward’s feet.

This time the keeper couldn’t keep it out, and neither could Destiny Udogie, as the ball trickled into the net.

Burnley fans went berserk, Spurs fans demanded blood… and although Romero’s header saved the day here, you can’t help thinking it is merely delaying the inevitable for their manager.

EUROPEAN glory was not enough to save Ange Postecoglou in the summer.

But perhaps, just perhaps, the Champions League might be enough to keep Thomas Frank in the Spurs job for another few days at least.

On a night that seemed set up to be the Dane’s Tottenham deathknell, luck finally turned his way.

First half strikes from skipper Cristian Romero and – somehow – Dominic Solanke made it four European home wins out of four for the manager who cannot buy one in the Premier League.

Frank, who had surely feared this would be his swansong, finally found everything going the way he would have wanted.

Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga remember, never recovered from Romero’s choose-range finish, especially when they were forced to play with 10 men for 65 minutes after Daniel Svensson was sent off for a studs-first challenge into Wilson Odobert’s knee.

Odobert was a darting livewire all night, while Solanke’s goal, which he knew precious little about, was evidence of how much his line-leading qualities have been missed all season.

Despite that extra man, it was tough going in the second half, fear missed with so many disappointments bringing a loss of that earlier conviction, Dortmund aware one goal could alter everything.

But this time, as the rain fell on Frank, the weight of the world came off him.

And now, despite themselves and everything that has gone on, a win in Frankfurt next week will be enough to guarantee them a place in the top eight – and potentially, against all the odds, extend Frank’s reign into March.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

How swiftly things can change.

The pre-match mood was not entirely sulphurous, although it was bubbling away underneath the surface.

Faith in Frank had seemed beyond limited in the wake of Saturday’s crushing defeat by West Ham, while his team selection was forced on him by that litany of injuries, suspensions and ineligible players.

It saw Djed Spence playing on the left of the line behind Solanke – making his first start of an injury-plagued season – but dropping into a back five out of possession.

Too often this season, even bright starts at home have soon ebbed away.

This time, for once, there was a reward.

Even before Romero somehow angled his foot to divert Odobert’s cross into the net – the winger recovering swiftly after a horrible miskick – Spurs were showing intensity.

Xavi Simons and then Solanke were a whisker away from converting clever low balls in from Odobert and then Pedro Porro and the goal galvanised the entire ground.

Soon afterwards, Simons’ side-footer was deflected wide after Odobert had escaped down the right flank once again.

On the other flank, Spence’s directness was causing all sorts of problems too, Solanke unable to get his shot away after the unlikely attacking option forced his way to the dead ball line.

And when Dortmund were reduced to 10 men on 25 minutes, Frank must have felt things were turning his way at last.

Porro appealed instantly as Svensson slid into Odobert, although nobody in the crowd raised more than a murmur.

But Swedish ref Glenn Nyberg was always going to produce the red card after being sent to the monitor. Massive advantage Tottenham.

There remains a basic vulnerability about Frank’s side, always teetering on the brink of defensive implosion, never calm.

Yet last night, for 45 minutes, they were everything they have not been in recent weeks and months, penetrative on the flanks, asking difficult questions.

And getting a further helping hand from Dame Fortune as well, eight minutes from the break.

Odobert, once again, cantered into space to deliver and while Solanke’s brains and feet did not seem to have any connection, the ball ricocheted off both heels and dribbled, ever so slowly, against the post and eventually over the Dortmund line.

Frank looked revitalised too, his side going for more.

Simons smashed over and Odobert forced a gather from Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel as the stadium resounded with the buoyant chants that have rarely been heard in recent months, while there was applause rather than boos at the interval.

Frank’s side have really struggled to put two halves together. This was their best opportunity yet.

Not that they took it and had half-time replacement Julian Ryerson’s sweetly struck free-kick hit the target, Spurs might have collapsed once again. They have form in that regard.

If anything, Tottenham looked a man light, tension increasing when Lukas Bergvall limped off, replaced by Jun’Ai Byfield, one of the six rookies on the home bench.

The pressure came, Spurs wobbled but withstood it, before Simons created space for a shot Kobel turned behind and Romero headed narrowly wide.

That released the valve, although Randal Kolo Muani, on for Solanke, failed to finish it off when Simons sent him away.

In stoppage time, Guglielmo Vicario foiled Nico Schlotterbeck before Porro’s legs ran out after Simons played him in.

It did not matter. Frank lives on, too, it seems. For now, at least.

TOTTENHAM will be without 13 first team players as they take on Borussia Dortmund tonight.

Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to West Ham left boss Thomas Frank clinging on to his job.

Following board meetings, the Spurs hierarchy opted to give Frank the Dortmund game.

But with so many first teamers missing, the Dane faces an incredible uphill battle to get a positive result.

The North Londoners have seven regulars out injured.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been missing all season due to respective knee injuries.

Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur both recently joined the injury list with hamstring issues.

While Mohammed Kudus suffered a thigh injury early on in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland earlier this month.

And Ben Davies suffered a nasty ankle fracture against West Ham.

Spurs’ botched Champions League squad also leaves them with four players ineligible, despite being fit.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

New signing Conor Gallagher featured in the Champions League for Atletico Madrid earlier this season and couldn’t have been selected.

But Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel and Radu Dragusin will also be left kicking their heels on the sideline.

Champions League rules dictate that four players in each club’s 25-man squad must be considered club trained.

To be “club trained”, a player must have spent three full seasons with the club between the ages of 15 and 21.

Spurs only have two players that meet this criteria, Dane Scarlett and Brandon Austin, meaning that their squad size had to be reduced to 23.

Earlier in the season, this led to Mathys Tel being left out of the squad, much to his dismay.

Tel, 20, came in to replace injured Dominic Solanke for last month’s 3-0 victory over Sparta Prague.

But with Solanke fit again, Tel has again dropped out.

Speaking ahead of the match, Frank revealed that Tel would have started tonight, had he been available.

The 52-year-old said: “Yeah, I made the decision. That was not a nice decision to have to make. Unfortunately, that’s football so you have to make a decision.

“And the way the rules are, the only option was either Dom or Mathys in the squad and I chose Dom because I think Mathys has done very well the last couple of games and that’s the crazy thing – if I could pick from all the players who are fit, he would start tomorrow.

“But I can only pick between the two of them and now he’s out of the squad. So that’s of course a tough one to take from Mathys.”

Dragusin returned from an ACL injury last month and has since made one brief cameo from the bench.

Bissouma, meanwhile, began the season out of favour but made his first appearance of the campaign as a half-time substitute on Saturday after returning from Afcon.

The Malian replaced Archie Gray, who went off with a knock.

Despite being a doubt for the match, it appears that the former Leeds midfielder will attempt to tough it out against Dortmund.

Xavi Simons also suffered a knock against the Hammers, but is set to play through the pain barrier this evening.

The Dutchman, 22, said: “Everyone wants to win, not only the coach but the players as well. We want to change this, especially me, I’m a guy willing to give everything to win.

“Obviously, if I had really, really, really pain, then I wouldn’t play, but it’s now a situation that I can handle myself as well, even though I have a little bit of pain. I want to play the game, I want to help the team.”

Gray, Simons and Lucas Bergvall are the only regulars in midfield that are available, with Pape Matar Sarr having been away at Afcon with victorious Senegal until Sunday evening.

Sarr missed the final through illness and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to return to Spurs contention for Saturday’s trip to Burnley.

Kevin Danso will have to deputise for Micky van de Ven alongside Cristian Romero at the back – the Dutchman suspended after picking up a booking against Sparta last time out.

Guglielmo Vicario will continue in goal, with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie likely to start as the full-backs – although Djed Spence is available.

Danso and Romero will partner up at centre-back, with Gray, Bergvall and Simons ahead of them.

Randal Kolo Muani is likely to play on the right flank, and Wilson Odobert on the left.

Solanke could make his first start of the season up front, with only Scarlett to deputise for him.

Several youngsters will be on the bench looking to get on for a Champions League debut.

Luca Williams-Barnett, who featured against Doncaster in the League Cup earlier this term, could make an impact on the wing.

While Tynan Thompson and Callum Olusesi are also highly-thought of.

Olusesi, 18, was handed a senior debut against Hoffenheim 12 months ago and earned a Europa League winners medal in Bilbao.

On Spurs’ youngsters, Simons added: “Yeah, I would say even me, I’m still young, but you can see the younger guys coming up and training every day with us.

“The excitement that they have and the willingness to play the game is immense, but I would say obviously we have to do our job and at the end, if one of them comes onto the pitch, it will be no age, no young guys, it will be football. And I think they are all ready, so that’s something nice.”

THOMAS Frank could do with Tottenham’s South Stand replicating Borussia Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall tonight.

The under-fire Dane needs all the support he can get — though the fear is fans will turn on him again if things go south against the German side.

The 17,500-seater South Stand at the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019, was inspired by the Die Gelbe Wand — the Yellow Wall — in Dortmund.

It is the massive standing terrace at Signal Iduna Park, holding nearly 25,000 of the club’s supporters — and it can strike fear into opponents’ hearts.

Spurs chief Frank needs all the backing he can get as he fights for his job.

Yet Roy Knieriem, part of Dortmund fan club Wittener Wolfe, said the magic atmosphere of the German giants’ Wall can never be reproduced.

The 38-year-old said: “You can’t replicate it. It’s unique.

“We are proud when different people tell us how amazed they are by our Wall.

“But it’s impossible to copy our atmosphere. It’s the sheer size of the Wall that makes it so special.

“They give 100 per cent to push the team forward in good times and bad times. Our passionate support can really help the team.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

“Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. It’s like a drug, my religion.”

Tottenham’s most ardent fans sit in the South Stand and can create a fantastic atmosphere.

But their displeasure can be just as powerful.

Both examples were on show in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham, when they provided a rip-roaring noise at 1-1 but sang ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ and booed en masse at full-time after Callum Wilson’s last-gasp winner.

Roy has travelled over to England for tonight’s game and knows the Spurs fanbase can be intimidating.

He added: “I’ve seen a lot of games in England.

“But the best atmosphere was at White Hart Lane. I like the old stadium so much more than the new one.”

SPURS welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Tuesday’s Champions League showdown.

To mark the clash, talkSPORT BET have launched an amazing offer for new customers with up to £40 in free bets available.

New talkSPORT BET customers who sign up and place a minimum £20 bet on football will have their stake matched in free bets up to £40!

That means if you stake £20, £30 or £40, you’ll receive the same amount back in free bets to use on football.

New to talkSPORT BET? You’ve arrived at the perfect time to take advantage of this sensational offer.

talkSPORT BET are going big in January with a brand new deal. New punters who sign-up and register an account will receive their first bet back as a free bet – matched up to the value of £40!

So if you register and stake £20 on football, you’ll get that same amount back in free bets!

It’s very simple to claim. Just Create your talkSPORT BET account via mobile web or app and hit the “Opt in” button before placing your qualifying bet.

Make your first deposit of £20 or more, and then place your qualifying bet of up to £40 (minimum £20) on any football market at odds of 1/1 or higher.

Once your bet is settled, talkSPORT BET will match the amount of your first bet, credited in Football Free Bets, up to £40.

Your free bets will be credited as follows:

*18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playing

Only gambles with money they can afford to lose

Never chase their losses

Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed

Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk

GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

THOMAS FRANK did his best to keep up a sunny disposition – despite the storm clouds gathering around him.

The Dane is fighting back the tide at Tottenham but defeat on Tuesday at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League could spell disaster.

Despite the unrelenting pressure and rife speculation that he is set for the sack, Frank put on a brave face as he headed out to training yesterday afternoon.

Smiling over to the watching media, the 52-year-old said: “All good? I’m very good, thank you, the sun is shining and we’re playing football.”

Spurs fans who watched the exchange after it was uploaded to social media were quick to point out that the sun was not, in fact, shining and that it was instead overcast and gloomy.

Yet another example of the former Brentford boss getting it wrong, they quipped.

Many supporters have lost faith with Frank after a miserable domestic campaign full of cock-ups.

Four wins in the last 18 have seen Spurs go out of both cup competitions and drop down to 14 in the Premier League, eight points off the top five.

Though performances, more than results, have got supporters’ backs up.

While the sorry tale had an element of farce at Bournemouth earlier this month when Frank was pictured holding an Arsenal-branded coffee cup.

Scenes turned toxic in the devastating 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham on Saturday, which saw Spurs fans sing ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ to Frank and boo him down the tunnel.

There is a strong chance there will be a repeat of that on Tuesday evening against an imperious-looking Dortmund, who have lost just one Bundesliga game all season.

Frank, after all, has just ELEVEN available outfield players and will likely have to field teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall in central midfield.

Some fans might already be irked at the sight of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on the match programme, alongside the words ‘Dream. Dare. Do.’

That is the same Vicario who did not ‘dare’ to deal with a corner which led directly to Callum Wilson’s last-gasp winner at the weekend.

Yet Frank still believes he can win back the supporters, declaring: “I’m not in doubt of that.

“I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again – as long as we win football matches and make sure we do that, and win enough of them, then everyone will support us.

“We have 11 [outfield] players available and we maybe have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes physically.

“So that’s why we need everyone to support us. And we want them to support us from minute one. All of us. Especially the team. Especially the players.

“Especially if it’s not going too well. We need them to support us. Because if we do get that support everything can happen. And magic can happen.”

With so many players out due to a mixture of injury, illness, suspension and ineligibility, Xavi Simons will hopefully supply that magic.

The Dutchman is going to play through the pain barrier having taken an almighty whack on his ankle off Jarrod Bowen against the Hammers.

Simons is only 22, but has vast experience compared to the list of kids that will have to fill Frank’s bench and may well be needed in the game.

Highly-rated Luca Williams-Barnett, 17, has a good chance of making his Champions League bow when fatigue sets in for the second half.

Ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Simons added: “You can see the younger guys coming up, and in training every day with us, the excitement that they have. Their willingness to play the game is immense.

“I think they are all ready.

“Everyone wants to win, not only the coach, but the players as well. And we want to change this, especially me. I’m a guy, I’m willing to give everything to win.

“And obviously, if I had really, really, really pain, then I wouldn’t play. But it’s now a situation that I can handle myself as well, even though I have a little bit of pain.

“But I want to play the game, I want to help the team and to grow into that.”

For all the domestic woe Spurs have faced, their Champions League campaign has been decent.

They are on 11 points, which could already be enough for a play-off spot.

Victory over Dortmund would give them a great chance of qualifying in the top eight to go straight through to the knock-out stage.

To do it will take a Herculean effort though and they will also be doing it without their midfield hardman Joao Palhinha, despite reports in Germany that the injured Portuguese could make himself available for his boss in his hour of need.

Yet Frank confirmed Palhinha was unavailable, before adding: “When it rains, it pours.”

The fear is it will be the Dane who will be washed up if things go badly on Tuesday.

BEN DAVIES is to undergo surgery on his fractured ankle.

The Wales defender, 32, suffered the injury in Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to West Ham.

It came as he hurt himself making a rash challenge on Jarrod Bowen in the build-up to the Hammers’ opener.

As a result, he was stretchered off after 19 minutes and Djed Spence came on in his place.

He becomes the latest casualty for Spurs which includes a number of stars including Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha.

In an official statement via their club website, Spurs wrote: “We can confirm that Ben Davies will undergo surgery today (Monday 19 January) for a fracture of his left ankle.

“The Wales international defender suffered the injury during Saturday’s Premier League fixture against West Ham United.

“Following the surgery, Ben will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff.”

It’s bad news for Thomas Frank, who is a man under intense scrutiny with Spurs 14th in the table, winless in their last four Premier League games, and out of the FA Cup.

It’s also bad news for Wales boss Craig Bellamy as his side have to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina over two legs in March – games it looks as though Davies will miss.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Davies, who has been capped 100 times for his country, would have been crucial to Bellamy’s plans for these games in an attempt to deal with the goal threat of Edin Dzeko.

Even though the former Manchester City striker turns 40 in March, he is still his country’s talisman.

Should Wales qualify, a decider against Italy or Northern Ireland for a place at the World Cup will follow.

Wales will be hoping he can return in time for late March, but at this stage it remains touch and go.

Davies’ return date will depend on how successful his surgery and rehab go.

TOTTENHAM have axed Mathys Tel from their Champions League squad for a second time.

The striker signed on a permanent basis in the summer but his fortunes have dipped ever since, and he has just three goals this season.

Tel, 20, first arrived in January last year on loan from Bayern Munich, and there is speculation he could make another loan switch this month.

His exclusion will likely add fuel to that fire, with manager Thomas Frank leaving him out of the Champions League squad for a second time.

Like he did in the summer, Frank has picked Dominic Solanke over Tel.

And but for Solanke’s continued injury woes, Tel would have not played a minute in Europe this term.

The Frenchman played 32 minutes in the 3-0 win over Slavia Prague but failed to feature Spurs’ five other league phase fixtures.

Tel will not be available for selection against Borussia Dortmund this week, but Solanke could feature after coming off the bench against West Ham on Saturday.

Asked about Tel’s omission, Frank said: “I made the decision. It was not a nice decision to have to make. Unfortunately that’s football, you have to make a decision.

“With the way the rules are, the only option was either Dom or Mathy in the squad.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

“I chose Dom because… I think Mathy has done very well in the last couple of games and that’s the crazy thing, if I could pick from all the players that are fit, then he would start tomorrow.

“But I can only pick between the two of them and now he is out of the squad.

“That’s of course a tough one to take for Mathy.”

Attention,

Our system has indicated that your user behaviour is potentially automated.

News Group Newspapers Limited does not permit the access, collection, text or data mining of any content from our Service by any automated means whether directly or through an intermediary service. This is stated in our terms and conditions.

If you would like to inquire about the commercial use of our content, please contact crawlpermission@news.co.uk.

Why am I seeing this?

Occasionally, our system misinterprets human behaviour as automated. If you are a legitimate user, please contact our customer support team here help@thesun.co.uk

Error Message

News Group Newspapers prohibits automated access, collection, or text/data mining of its content, including for AI, machine learning, or LLMs, as per its terms. For commercial use inquiries, contact crawlpermission@news.co.uk.

THOMAS FRANK is on the brink of being sacked at Tottenham.

Club chiefs are now weighing up whether to axe him before Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund in a major U-turn.

It comes after the hierarchy, previously steadfast in their support of the Dane, registered the scale of the furious fan reaction to Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham.

That loss left Spurs languishing in 14th in the Premier League, eight points off the top five and ten from the relegation zone.

Senior figures are understood to be keen to take the temperature of Frank’s squad to assess if there is still internal support for the former Brentford boss.

But there is a growing sense that the Dane cannot restore any authority and that the best move for all parties could be to bring his miserable seven-month reign to an end swiftly.

Should Frank go before the Dortmund game, recently-appointed assistant coach John Heitinga would be an obvious caretaker candidate.

That is given the former Netherlands defender, 42, has experience as a No1 at Ajax from earlier this season – albeit he only lasted five months in the job.

Ironically, Frank was a big driver of the recruitment of Heitinga, who also worked under Arne Slot at Liverpool when they won the Premier League title last term.

Former fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino would be among the candidates to take over on a permanent basis after the World Cup when he finishes his duties with the US national team.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Another name in the frame is free agent Xavi, the Barcelona legend who bossed the Catalans to the La Liga title in 2023.

Frank oversaw Sunday’s training and recovery session, as usual, with no clarity given to the players from the club over their manager’s future.

The Dane is due to take training on Monday ahead of the Dortmund game, which will be open to the media for 15 minutes from 2.15pm.

He is then due to conduct a press conference previewing the match at 3.30pm.

But club sources would not confirm last night whether Frank would be fulfilling either duty at their Hotspur Way training ground.

Frank, 52, was only appointed in June but has presided over a dismal domestic campaign, winning just seven of his 22 Premier League games and going out of both cups.

Fan anger has reached unprecedented levels with supporters singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to Frank and booing him off the pitch after Saturday’s defeat.

Spurs’ board, and in particular chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, have been supportive of Frank amid his struggles.

But they are now weighing up whether to persevere with the Dane just seven months into his reign given the poor results and how toxic the situation has become with the fanbase.

Frank’s Premier League average points per game record of 1.23 is the worst of Spurs’ last eight managers, including next-worst Ange Postecoglou (1.52) who was replaced by Frank in the summer after losing 22 Prem games in a single season.

Tottenham are down to the bare bones to face Dortmund, with midfielder Joao Palhinha among a growing list of crocked players, playmaker Xavi Simons an injury doubt, new signing Conor Gallagher ineligible and defender Micky van de Ven suspended.

Yves Bissouma, who featured for the first time all season against the Hammers, is not registered.

Speaking on Match of the Day, pundit Wayne Rooney said: “I felt for Thomas Frank at the end of the game, it’s not a nice place to be. He will feel a change is coming.

“The Tottenham fans have spoken, we have seen it before with the Tottenham fans, they aren’t happy with what’s going on. It looks like he will lose his job.”

But defeat to the Germans – particularly if the fans react in a similar manner to how they did for the West Ham game – could ramp up the pressure to untenable levels.

Defeat to West Ham has left Spurs eight points off fifth place, meaning the prospect of qualifying for Europe is diminishing.

Spurs travel to relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday and then face a horror fixture run of Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and arch-rivals Arsenal.

Pochettino, 53, retains hero status among the Spurs fanbase after an impressive spell managing the club between 2014-19 where he turned them into genuine Premier League contenders and reached the Champions League final – though they never won anything.

He has since bossed rivals Chelsea yet plenty of supporters would be fully behind his return to N17 after the World Cup this summer.