The Mirror

This January the biggest changes have been happening in the dugout rather than on the pitch with Real Madrid the latest club to make a change - moving on Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard follows Ruben Amorim and Enzo Maresca in losing their jobs in 2026 with the ex-Liverpool player leaving after Real's Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona.

At Old Trafford, Michael Carrick is closing in on the interim role after getting the nod ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It is understood that some of the senior United players went to the hierarchy and made it clear they didn't have the confidence in the Norwegian to get them back on track.

Tottenham meanwhile are making moves to bring Conor Gallagher back to England as they negotiate a £35m deal with Atletico Madrid. Aston Villa were also keen but it appears the north Londoners have edged ahead in the race. Elsewhere in London, West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta has told the club he wants to leave the capital and return to his homeland.

Man City star tipped for Italian job

Paolo Di Canio has claimed Bernardo Silva could leave Manchester City after nine seasons this summer and move to Serie A.

The Portuguese midfielder, 31, is out of contract at the end of the season.

And former West Ham star Di Canio told Sky Calcio Club: “Like other top players who are no longer very young, he could come to our league.

“I didn’t necessarily say Napoli. It could be something more unusual. Not exactly like City, but with similar principles.”

Howe bemoans Newcastle's PSR issue

Eddie Howe has reiterated that Profit and Sustainability Rules are once again hampering Newcastle's transfer business.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow night's Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City, Howe said: "Regarding transfers, everybody is really supportive.

"I think the problem for us is PSR. I don't think there is any issue with anyone saying we can't do this and we can't do that.

"It's more about what we can do, not what we can't do. The key thing for us to consider is business now versus business in the summer.

"It's value for money now, value for money in the summer, and signing the right player. If you sign the wrong player now you are carrying that for a three, four or five year contract.

"Are the right players available in January? There is a lot to discuss and a lot to consider for our short-term needs and long-term decisions for the football club."

Triantis on Baggies list

West Bromwich Albion could move to reunite the Minnesota United midfielder, Nectarios Triantis, with Eric Ramsay this month.

The Baggies confirmed Ramsay, 34, as their new head coach on Sunday evening. The highly-rated former Manchester United had previously been on the club's radar back in the summer when they appointed Ryan Mason and leaves Minnesota after two seasons at the helm.

Triantis worked under Ramsay in the United States after joining Minnesota from Sunderland in August - and Mirror Football understands West Brom's new boss would be keen on working with the 22-year-old again at the Hawthorns.

West Brom are in the market for a midfielder this month and hold an interest in Triantis, who is under contract with Minnesota until 2029.

The newly-capped Greek international is no stranger to second-tier clubs with Blackburn Rovers among those who were keen to sign him in the summer before Minnesota swooped for his services.

Barcelona make decision on Rashford

Barcelona want to keep Marcus Rashford beyond the end of his loan spell, the Athletic report.

Rashford, 28, has impressed since joining Barca on loan from Manchester United, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.

Barcelona have the option to sign the England international permanently for £28million this summer.

Rashford helped Hansi Flick's side win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, coming on as a second-half substitute in their 3-2 victory over Real Madrid.

The forward has already made it clear that he'd like to stay.

ICYMI: Arsenal handed Guehi boost

Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi reportedly prefers a move to Arsenal or Liverpool over Manchester City.

Guehi almost headed to Anfield last summer, before the proposed deal fell through, leaving his future uncertain.

The centre-back's contract is set to expire in 2026.

And Palace boss Oliver Glasner has conceded that he could depart Selhurst Park this month if a suitable offer comes in.

Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are all keeping a close eye on the 25-year-old.

However, current leaders Arsenal, who extended their lead at the top after a goalless draw with Liverpool on Thursday, have also reportedly thrown their hat into the ring.

Read the full story here.

Aston Villa plotting shock Abraham return

Aston Villa are hoping to bring Tammy Abraham back to the club, according to the Telegraph.

Abraham, 28, is currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma.

But the ex-Chelsea star could be given the chance to return to the Premier League with former club Villa.

Abraham spent the 2018-19 season at Villa Park, firing them to promotion from the Championship.

Carrick the new Man Utd favourite

Manchester United could announce a new interim head coach as early as today, with Michael Carrick now emerging as the leading contender for the role, ahead of previous favourite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ruben Amorim was dismissed from his duties at Old Trafford just last week, and ex-United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been in charge for the recent matches against Burnley and Brighton.

The club's top brass, including director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrarda, have held meetings with both Carrick and Solskjaer before reaching their decision.

Former Middlesbrough manager Carrick had talks on Thursday, while Solskjaer met with the pair over the weekend at Carrington, according to The Guardian.

There is a desire to appoint an interim boss swiftly enough to allow ample time for preparation for the Manchester derby. United are set to host Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League this coming Saturday (12.30pm).

Read the full story here.

Tottenham target ex-Chelsea star Gallagher

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on bringing former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League this month.

Spurs are on the lookout for fresh faces in the January transfer window to help Thomas Frank's struggling squad, but it remains uncertain whether the Dane will be at the helm to welcome new arrivals.

Frank's future in north London is hanging by a thread following Spurs' FA Cup third-round defeat to Aston Villa.

In an ironic twist, Villa are also interested in securing the services of Atletico Madrid's 25-year-old midfielder and have already initiated talks for a permanent transfer.

As revealed by Football London, Spurs, who are long-time admirers of Gallagher, have ramped up their interest.

Read the full story here.

Tottenham hold off on permanent deal

Tottenham will wait until the end of the season before they make a decision on the future of Joao Palhinha, according to Sky Germany.

Palhinha is currently on loan at the north Londoners from Bayern Munich and they have an option to buy the ex-Fulham midfielder for around £26m including add-ons.

Tottenham have still not made a decision and want to continue monitoring the situation.

Wolves ace could still leave

Rob Edwards has refused to rule out Jorgen Strand Larsen leaving Wolves this month as the striker is linked with moves to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

He said on the player's next move: “His commitment has never waivered. He was brilliant today in everything he did. He keeps saying to me how committed he is and how he wants to help us turn this around. While we are in the window there is always going to be speculation because we have got some good players.

“I haven’t said that (Strand Larsen will not move in January). I just said that every good player we have at the moment, there will be interest.

"If it’s right for the football club we will see, but at the moment there is nothing to talk about. He is showing his commitment to the football club.”

Man Utd's managerial plan

Man United want to have an interim manager in place by early next week, according to ESPN, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the frontrunner.

The Red Devils want to avoid the noise around their managerial vacancy dragging on and an interim appointment will cool it, at least until the summer.

Darren Fletcher assumed caretaker control initially after Ruben Amorim was sacked, and is believed to have impressed the United hierarchy. Michael Carrick is another man being considered until the end of the season.

Wilson's Fulham future unclear

Harry Wilson might be man in form but he could leave Fulham when his contract expires at the end of this season.

Marco Silva admits he is unsure whether he will remain in west London come the end of this campaign.

He said: “I don’t know if I am going to have him in one week, 15 days, three months or at the end of the season, with good or bad news. I cannot guarantee anything."

Semenyo in, Bobb out?

Antoine Semenyo was always set to replace Oscar Bobb this month, reports Sky Germany, with the youngster now set to move on with Borussia Dortmund the favourites.

The Ghanaian arrived at Man City from Bournemouth for £64m earlier this week and scored on his debut against Exeter in the FA Cup.

Bobb has a big reputation in Manchester but is route into the first-team is blocked by a number of players - with injuries not aiding his cause.

Liverpool consider Leipzig ace as Salah replacement

Liverpool have interest in RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, according to Teamtalk, but he could cost in and around the £100m mark.

The player himself has previously admitted that he wants to play for the Reds in the future and the Reds see him as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, who could leave in the summer.

O'Nien wants to stay with Black Cats

Sunderland star Luke O'Nien has confirmed that its his intent to stay with the side despite limited appearances this season.

He said: “I am going absolutely nowhere, so yeah, I’m staying at Sunderland. Someone told me that (there were links), apparently, I’m not on social media.

"I delete it when I’m not using it, so I’m at home with the kids, so someone’s told me I’m linked with x, y and z and asking if something’s really true. I’ll be staying here unless someone’s trying to kick me out, even then I’ll still probably stay. Listen, I’ve got a lot of stuff. I’m listening to the club, and I’ve got to keep getting better. I’ve got to keep pushing the people in front of me, and I’m really enjoying my life.”

Leipzig star confirms Liverpool wish

RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande has confirmed his dream to one day play for Liverpool.

He said: “Yes I do, I want to play at Anfield and I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool.

“I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”

DONE DEAL - Rangers sign Chukwuani

Scottish giants Rangers have confirmed the signing of Tochi Chukwuani from Sturm Graz.

After signing a three-and-a-half year deal, he said: “I’m super excited. Rangers are a huge club and I can’t wait to hear the roar at Ibrox.

“It’s a historic club with a huge fanbase. There are huge expectations, and this is something as a footballer you want to play in front of.

“It gives motivation every weekend to go and give 100 per cent and do what you can to put smiles on people’s faces.”

Liverpool given fresh headache

Liverpool could be tempted to dip into the transfer market for a right-back after confirming Conor Bradley will miss the rest of the season.

A statement from the Reds read: "Liverpool FC can confirm Conor Bradley has sustained a significant knee injury.

"The right-back suffered the issue in the latter stages of Thursday night's Premier League fixture away at Arsenal.

"Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days and then begin a period of rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre. No timeframe is being placed on his return to playing at this stage of the process."

Alleyne relishing loan return

Manchester City star Max Alleyne is relishing the chance to be back at the Etihad after being recalled from a loan spell at Watford.

Speaking after scoring against Exeter in the FA Cup, the defender said: “Last week’s been kind of crazy, but really enjoyed every second I’ve been back.

“Of course I enjoyed it (at Watford) but this is the biggest club in the world, in my opinion, so when they say you’re coming back, that was it. I enjoyed it and that was that."

Balotelli confirms Middle East move

Mario Balotelli has confirmed that he has signed for Emirati outfit Al-Ittifaq.

Taking to Instagram with a video announcement, the Italian wrote: "I’m here."

Balotelli was most recently with Genoa following stints in Turkey and Switzerland.

Arsenal given Guehi boost

Arsenal's chances of signing Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi have been bolstered with news that he is ready to snub Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's side have recently expressed an interest in signing the England defender, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

But according to reports, he prefers a move to either Arsenal or Liverpool.

Wilson on the way out of West Ham

Callum Wilson is set to be on the lookout for a new club within days, reports have suggested.

It was previously reported that the striker was due to leave West Ham just six months after signing. His contract would be cancelled, leaving him as a free agent.

And according to Mail Online, the Hammers are expected to come to an agreement with Wilson within the next ten days. The former Newcastle and Bournemouth man has been linked with Celtic and Leicester.

Frank drops transfer hint

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has suggested that his side are actively working to bring in new faces this window.

Speaking after his side's FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa, he said: "I think we definitely need to do everything we can to play two good halves, which is, I think every team wants to do that. Every team wants to be consistent in that aspect.

"In terms of transfer market, as I said many times, we are out there working very hard, trying to improve the squad."

Tottenham step up Conor Gallagher transfer interest as two clubs battle for ex-Chelsea star

Tottenham are in the market for reinforcements before the January transfer window slams shut and have now stepped up their interest in Conor Gallagher

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on bringing former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League this month.

Spurs are on the lookout for fresh faces in the January transfer window to help Thomas Frank's struggling squad, but it remains uncertain whether the Dane will be at the helm to welcome new arrivals.

Frank's future in north London is hanging by a thread following Spurs' FA Cup third-round defeat to Aston Villa.

In an ironic twist, Villa are also interested in securing the services of Atletico Madrid's 25-year-old midfielder and have already initiated talks for a permanent transfer.

As revealed by Football London, Spurs, who are long-time admirers of Gallagher, have ramped up their interest. They had previously attempted to sign the England international before his move from Stamford Bridge to Spain in 2024.

It's believed that Atletico Madrid are only open to discussions for a permanent deal and have no intention of letting Gallagher leave on loan this month with an option or obligation to buy in the summer.

Villa's proposal to lure Gallagher back to the Premier League has been on the table for a week, while Spurs are thought to have started informal discussions over the weekend.

Other European clubs are interested as well, but they're hesitant to commit to a permanent deal this month and would rather opt for a loan with a view to purchasing the midfielder later.

Gallagher, who has earned 22 caps for England, might be eager for a Premier League return, having found it difficult to secure a regular spot in Diego Simeone's first team.

Despite making 27 appearances across all competitions for Atletico this season, scoring twice and providing one assist, he has yet to fully win over Simeone and is frequently played out of position.

With the World Cup on the horizon, it's understood that Gallagher is eager to demonstrate his value to Thomas Tuchel in hopes of securing a place in the Three Lions squad.

Before his move to Atletico, Gallagher had a highly successful stint in the Premier League, making a name for himself during an impressive loan spell at Crystal Palace in the 2021-22 season.

He returned to Stamford Bridge to become a crucial part of the first team and even wore the captain's armband for the Blues before being nudged towards the exit in a £33million deal.

However, his time in Spain could be coming to an end, with Spurs and Villa vying for his signature.

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur players had to be separated at the full time whistle as a brawl errupted in their FA Cup third round clash

There were unsavoury scenes at the full-time whistle following Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round tie. Players from both teams clashed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Morgan Rogers and Joao Palhinha involved at the beginning of the incident.

Several players from both teams piled in as things threatened to escalate right in front of the Villa fans. Things would eventually calm down as the away side went over to celebrate with their travelling support.

Spurs fans, on the other hand, booed their side off the field after another disappointing night under Thomas Frank, with pressure beginning to mount on the head coach.

The defeat makes it just one win in the last seven games for Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions, with Unai Emery's side racing to a 2-0 lead at the half-time interval.

Emi Buendia scored the opening goal of the game for Villa, before Rogers added a second just before the half-time break.

Spurs did manage to grab a goal back in the second, with Wilson Odobert halving the deficit, but the hosts were unable to find the all-important equaliser.

When the final whistle blew, Rogers and Palhinha clashed in front of the travelling Villa fans, who jeered as the two men were separated by Micky van de Ven.

Rogers was visibly unhappy with his Portuguese opponent, with Palhina held back by his own teammates as the England international looked to confront him.

The incident was eventually calmed down and the two players separated after coaching staff rushed onto the field to defuse the brawl.

It was yet another day for Frank to forget as Spurs boss, with his side struggling to get results and taunts from the travelling Villa fans.

Frank was spotted drinking from an Arsenal coffee cup ahead of the defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League in midweek.

Speaking about the incident after the defeat at the Vitality Stadium, Frank said: "I think it's fair to say that we're not winning every single football match so it would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal.

"Is there anyone thinking I've done that? All the staff has done it. "They've been in the changing room, the game before us.

"It's normal to take a cup, give me an espresso, I do that before every game. I think actually it's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question about that.

"I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with another logo of another club, of course I'll never do that. That's extremely stupid."

Villa fans taunted the under-pressure Spurs boss with chants of "Thomas Frank is an Arsenal fan," followed by "You're getting sacked in the morning."

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Thomas Frank's Arsenal controversy, Tottenham manager's wife and multi-million pound salary

Thomas Frank is under huge pressure for results as the former Brentford manager faces the sack at Tottenham Hotspur

FA Cup football has returned to our screens and Tottenham Hotspur have a tough task in round three against fellow Premier League side Aston Villa on Saturday at 5.45pm. Unai Emery's side are absolutely flying at the moment so Spurs will have a very difficult task, although they are on home turf.

At the helm for Tottenham is former Brentford manager Thomas Frank. He and his team have really struggled to hit form in the league this season and are 14th in the table with only seven wins from 21 games. The boss is under a lot of pressure despite only taking on the role last summer but he believes he has done enough to deserve more time in charge of the club.

Speaking ahead of the Villa game, Frank was asked about the recent struggles. He replied: "Put it this way, would we love to be higher in the table and have more points? 100 per cent. We work hard every single day to make sure we perform well. We want to land in the best possible position at the end of the season.

"We need to look at the FA Cup game, a good opportunity against Villa, a team who is flying in this moment in time. The tournament is very important for the fans, we won it eight times in our history. This is a tough spell, we will get through this."

Ahead of the cup clash, Mirror Football take a closer look at the man in charge of Spurs.

Arsenal cup controversy

Before kick-off against Bournemouth in mid-week, Frank was snapped holding a cup which was emblazoned with the team emblem of rivals Arsenal. For a man already under immense pressure, this didn't do the Dane any favours.

"I definitely did not notice it," said Frank after. "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. I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with a logo of another club."

It was an unfortunate game for Spurs, with Bournemouth winning 3-2 thanks to goals from Evanilson, Eli Junior Kroupi and new Manchester City signing Antoine Semenyo.

Wife

Frank is married to Nanna Theil and she has been with him through thick and thin, according to The Athletic. In the early days of their romance, he juggled coaching duties with a psychology degree and when the couple became parents, a decision had to be made whether full-time coaching was the right option for the family going forward.

Nanna studied to become a psychologist and has also worked for the children's association. Teddy Hebo, chairman of Hvidovre, where Frank previously coached, says she is responsible for his success and has been his strongest supporter. She challenges him and when he "goes a bit wild", she brings him back down to earth.

Multi-million pound salary

When he first started coaching, Frank earned just £100 for his first job - now he is on a multi-million-pound deal with Spurs. It's reported that Frank takes home around £8m per year, which makes him the third-highest paid boss in the Premier League.

Frank, despite enduring a difficult period with Spurs right now, turned Brentford into Premier League regulars having joined in 2018.

Now he faces a tough challenge of digging Tottenham out of their current rut.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has been hit with a one-match ban following an incident in the closing stages of the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League

Cristian Romero has been slapped with a one-match ban after his conduct toward the match referee at the conclusion of Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 loss to Liverpool last month. After being shown a second yellow card during injury time, the Spurs skipper was deemed to have 'acted improperly' towards referee John Brooks.

He has already sat out of one game due to the red card itself, missing Spurs' 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the end of December. Romero has now faced further punishment for his treatment of the referee, meaning he'll be absent from Saturday afternoon's FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa.

An official statement from an FA spokesperson reads: "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 £50,000 fine after a hearing. The Regulatory Commission's written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course."

It comes as another blow to Thomas Frank and his side after a rocky few weeks at Tottenham. After some positive results at the start of his tenure, the new manager has struggled to unite the fanbase behind him, with performances lacking some spark and identity to get behind.

Audible boos and chants against the club have been heard from the stands in recent weeks, as the side sit 14th in the Premier League table. The in-fighting continued when Romero himself put out a statement on Instagram slamming some within the club for not helping the team and only talking when convenient.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero wrote. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first.

"But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club. At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

That statement had been edited, with it previously saying: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies."

That followed a frustrating 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth in midweek, as a 95th-minute Antoine Semenyo strike was the latest dagger for Frank to endure. That wasn't helped by a gaffe from the Spurs manager that saw him drinking out of an Arsenal cup before kick-off, only inciting more frustration from the fanbase - though he later denied having any knowledge of how he ended up with the drink branded by their nearest rivals.

A cup run could help calm tensions around Tottenham, but Frank will have to get past a tricky test in Aston Villa without his club captain. That only adds to the availability problems that Spurs have, with injuries once again running rampant throughout the squad.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has delivered a triple injury update, including Mohammed Kudus being ruled out until after the March international break with a quad issue

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Mohammed Kudus is set to be sidelined until after the March international break due to a quad injury.

The Ghanaian international went down off the ball during the weekend's 1-1 draw with Sunderland, with scans revealing the 25-year-old sustained damage to his quad. Frank also confirmed that Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a hamstring injury in Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth, whilst Lucas Bergvall is awaiting assessment after suffering a knock in the same match.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the Spurs manager said: "Lucas is being assessed today. We'll know more later today with him.

"Same with Rodri. Rodri is a hamstring injury, looks like a bigger one. We don't know the extent yet.

"Kudus is a bigger one, to the tendon and quad, and don't expect him back until after the March international break.

"With Dejan Kulusevski, we know it's a complicated injury.

"If anyone can come back quicker it's Deki. The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee and he got an injection 10 days ago and we'll know in 3-4 weeks whether that has settled and then he can get back on the grass."

Bentancur and Bergvall both started Wednesday's encounter at Bournemouth, but the Uruguayan was withdrawn with four minutes remaining, whilst the Swedish midfielder was taken off just before the hour mark.

Kudus, on the other hand, was forced to leave the pitch in the first half against Sunderland on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined until April.

The March international break commences on March 28, so Kudus might return for the match against Sunderland on April 11.

This means that Kudus is likely to miss Spurs' upcoming 13 matches, which include Premier League showdowns with Man City, Man United and Arsenal, as well as Champions League fixtures against Dortmund and Frankfurt.

In other news, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie continue to receive treatment for their injuries.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are currently participating in the African Cup of Nations.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank says he and Johan Lange had a good conversation with Cristian Romero this morning after his Instagram post following last night's 3-2 loss against Bournemouth. In a now edited post, the Spurs defender called out 'lies' from the club's hierarchy.

It came after Antoine Semenyo's stoppage-time winner condemned Spurs to another loss. "Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero wrote in a post on Instagram to his 5.1 million followers.

"We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football.

"All together, it will be easier." The unedited version included an accusation of telling lies.

It read: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies."

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Frank has now responded to the message. He said: "I think after Cuti became the captain he's done a lot of good things right.

"I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch I'm happy with.

"I'm actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things.

"But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally. Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally."

Tottenham are next in action on Saturday at home to Aston Villa in the FA Cup (5:45pm) kick-off with Frank under huge pressure. They then host relegation strugglers West Ham United a week later.

Frank added: "I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

"And if you get that from those games, it's different. So that's what we're focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It's no problem, I can face all the questions, I'll take all the blame, I'll take all that.

"Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that. So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it's almost the perfect storm.

"In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it."

Thomas Frank was pictured with an Arsenal coffee cup before Tottenham were beaten 3-2 by Bournemouth on Wednesday night - and with pressure mounting, it will be hard to shake off

Whether he likes it or not, Thomas Frank’s reign as Tottenham manager will be defined by a coffee cup. An Arsenal coffee cup.

There he is, the Tottenham manager pictured holding a cup with his team’s bitter rivals’ name and logo in all its glory. The picture is one of the all time great, silly football gaffes. Like an under-pressure manager standing underneath an exit sign.

How do we remember Steve McClaren? The England manager also known as the Wally With The Brolly from that rainy night at Wembley. Former Everton boss Ronald Koeman famously had to change his Christmas tree because it had red baubles on it.

Big Ron Atkinson going into the wrong dug out for his first game in charge of Nottingham Forest. Harry Kane, Tottenham legend, can never escape being pictured in an Arsenal shirt with his hair dyed red from his days on their books as a youngster.

Koeman, Atkinson and Kane have arguably put those pictures behind them. McClaren hasn’t. And I’m not sure Frank can either. Nothing is going right for Frank at the moment - either on the pitch or off it.

The Arsenal coffee cup was, of course, left behind after the Gunners won at Bournemouth last Saturday. Frank innocently picked it up and used it to drink his coffee. Frank said it would be “completely stupid” to suggest he had knowingly done it and admitted he was irritated even to be asked about it.

But the reality is now most football fans have seen all the mocked up pictures on social media to poke fun at the Spurs boss. Frank in his Arsenal pyjamas on an Arsenal bedspread. Frank in an Arsenal dressing gown, drinking from an Arsenal mug. Frank mocked up as Ty being interviewed by Robbie on Arsenal Fan TV.

While those AI generated pictures will go by the way side, the real coffee cup picture will remain and is yet another stick for the Spurs fans to beat him with.

Along with the dull football, too many set-pieces and a manager who has just not won the fans over. And that is the whole problem about this picture. It does not look like the players are fully on board going by performance levels.

And now the supporters have got to look at this coffee cup gaffe. Will Frank get the time to turn it around? That’s one thing. But does he have the support from the fans which he undoubtedly needs?

Does it really matter? Isn’t it just a bit of fun. Yes, probably. A bit like a great Spurs-supporting friend of mine who was once given a JVC stack system back in the 90s for Christmas. He took a pair of pliers to the stereo and managed to prise off the logos because they used to sponsor Arsenal. We still laugh about it.

There is nothing stranger than football fans. And, unfortunately, Frank does not seem to be getting that either.