The New York Times

It’s the race that nobody wants to run, but in the cutthroat world of the Premier League, one that somebody always seems to be on the verge of finishing.

Four managers have already begrudgingly crossed the finish line of this season’s sack circuit, with Ange Postecoglou almost posting a league-record time. The Australian tore through his post at Nottingham Forest in 39 days, nine days shy of Sam Allardyce’s stint at Leeds United in 2023.

The City Ground had already been the site of this year’s first top-flight sacking, with Nuno Espirito Santo only making it to early September. He then replaced the outgoing Graham Potter at West Ham United, a side that — despite languishing in 18th — still sit 11 points above Wolves, who parted ways with Vitor Pereira last month.

Here’s how the current race looks in order of betting favourites…

Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur – 2/1

“If no one gets the time, no one can turn it around.”

Frank by name, frank by nature; the Spurs head coach was candid about the threat to his position after a chastening 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Sunday made it just one win in seven Premier League games.

The Dane retains the backing of the club’s hierarchy, The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke reported on Monday, but the insipid nature of defeat at the City Ground has done little to pad the patience of fans for Daniel Levy’s final managerial appointment.

It was a display that brought back memories of last year’s 17th-place finish, Spurs’ worst in the Premier League era. With Spurs sitting 11th in the table with 22 points, Frank has overseen the club’s worst start to a campaign after 16 games since 2008-09.

That season did improve, as Spurs rallied to finish eighth and narrowly lost the League Cup final on penalties, but — perhaps ominously for Frank — it required a change at the helm. Juande Ramos was given his marching orders in late October, with Harry Redknapp brought in to right the ship.

Reinforcements “definitely” await when the transfer window opens next month, Frank insists, but he has to navigate a gruelling fixture list before they can likely arrive. Liverpool and Sunderland will provide stern tests of Spurs’ grim home form, with Frank having to take his club to Crystal Palace, his old employers Brentford as well as Bournemouth before mid-January.

The club’s backing of Frank and the recent instability mean Spurs are likely desperate to give their manager the time that they didn’t afford Postecoglou. Unless the wheels completely fall off, expect Frank to stay put for the foreseeable.

Scott Parker, Burnley – 10/3

It’s been a case of so near, yet so far for Burnley and Scott Parker during their return to the Premier League. They’ve won plaudits for their pragmatic playing style — but plaudits do not equal points and the Clarets are stuck in 19th and going nowhere fast after seven straight Premier League defeats.

Expectations at Turf Moor coming into this season were already well-managed, given their four previous relegations from the Premier League. That said, if the losses continue to pile up over Christmas, then it’s hard to envisage the club not rolling the dice and swapping Parker for a relegation firefighter. This is one to watch, certainly.

Daniel Farke, Leeds United – 10/3

Seemingly on the verge of sinking mere weeks ago, Farke has made himself a life raft in the fittingly festive Christmas tree shape of a 5-3-2 formation.

A marked change in strategy has given Leeds United renewed hope of beating the drop and their German head coach fresh hope of keeping his position. Having taken 11 points from their first 13 games, the tactical tweak debuted in a valiant (albeit ultimately futile) second-half fightback at Manchester City has helped the team go unbeaten across their last three.

Draws against Liverpool and Brentford built on a famous 3-1 triumph over old rivals Chelsea at Elland Road to start December, opening up a three-point gap to West Ham in 18th.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is back firing and his contributions will be crucial if Leeds are to maintain their momentum across a tricky winter period that sees them play Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Liverpool and Manchester United across their next four fixtures.

From being accused of not knowing what he is doing by his own supporters to lapping up praise as a tactical innovator in less than a month, Farke is surfing tumultuous waters and given their precarious position, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name in the headlines for the wrong reasons soon.

Rob Edwards, Wolverhampton Wanderers – 5/1

Authors of the worst 16-game start in the history of England’s top four tiers, Wolves are — in the eyes of many onlookers — doomed.

The fact that seemed to be common opinion even before Rob Edwards left his barely-warm seat at Middlesbrough to assume football’s most scorching mantle in the West Midlands would suggest that the former Wolves defender will be judged less harshly than other head coaches.

Five straight losses to open up your managerial tenure would be enough to send alarm bells ringing at most other Premier League outfits (Postecoglou at least managed a couple of draws), but Edwards is operating under the context of a side seemingly long-buried.

And yet, whisper it quietly, there were signs of a pulse at Arsenal on Saturday. Despite 34 points separating the Premier League’s bookending sides, Wolves would have been deserving of a shock point had it not been for a second own goal in the dying seconds at the Emirates.

A compact 5-3-2 shape helped Wolves prevent the leaders from mustering a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes for the first time in the league this season, providing a platform to build on before Brentford visit Molineux on Saturday.

Arne Slot, Liverpool – 6/1

A Premier League-winning manager under threat? Liverpool are singing off Chelsea’s hymn sheet this Christmas.

Wins over Inter and Brighton have eased the pressure on Arne Slot, whose problems piecing together the Reds’ tattered title defence were exacerbated by Mohamed Salah’s incendiary outburst earlier this month.

The Egyptian winger’s parting assist in a strong showing on Saturday before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations has, for now at least, soothed tensions, affording Slot some long-awaited breathing room before a trip to Spurs on Saturday.

Dropping Salah tied into Slot’s attempt to make Liverpool more compact following a trio of successive three-goal-margin defeats against Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and PSV in November, and the Dutchman’s change has worked, with the reigning English champions unbeaten in the five games since.

With Wolves and Leeds to come at Anfield after this weekend, Slot now has a great opportunity to build that positivity before his side head to Arsenal on January 8.

And the numbers hint at better times ahead, too.

As Conor O’Neill’s excellent piece highlights, Liverpool are out-creating their opponents at an almost league-high rate.

Now, that doesn’t tell the whole story as the piece dives into, but it seems as though Slot has weathered one particular storm and will look to build forward over the festive period.

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is hoping to be passed fit for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Hungary international was forced off with an ankle injury in the closing stages of last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

A scan subsequently allayed fears that he could be facing an extended spell on the sidelines and Szoboszlai, who has been Liverpool’s outstanding performer so far this season, has responded well to treatment in recent days.

Liverpool will continue to monitor him closely before making a final decision on Friday whether he’s involved in the capital. If he is not risked then the expectation is that he will definitely be back for the visit of last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield on December 27.

Szoboszlai had played every minute of every Premier League and Champions League match for Arne Slot’s side this season prior to limping off against Brighton.

The 25-year-old has been walking a disciplinary tightrope in recent weeks as he is one yellow card away from being hit with a one-game ban. He needs to avoid picking up a fifth booking of the season in the next three games before the threshold for a suspension increases to 10 yellows.

Defender Joe Gomez is expected to miss the Tottenham game but the hamstring injury he picked up in the first half against Brighton is not serious. Given his history, Liverpool intend to adopt a cautious approach with their longest-serving player. However, there’s relief that the damage is relatively minor.

Conor Bradley is set to replace Gomez at right-back on Saturday with the Northern Irishman available after serving a one-match ban. With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool’s right sided options will be boosted by the imminent return of Jeremie Frimpong.

The Netherlands international, who has not featured since damaging his hamstring against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 22, has been doing the final stages of his rehab outside at the club’s Kirkby training base. He has been taking part in some drills with the squad and is close to being given the green light for full team training. Wednesday is a day off for the players but they will reconvene at Kirkby on Thursday to step up preparations for the game against Tottenham.

City Football Group (CFG) executive Carlos Raphael Moersen is in advanced talks to take up the role of director of football operations at Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal is not yet complete but is expected to be finalised soon.

Moersen, known as ‘Rafi’, has spent the last 10 years working for CFG clubs and currently serves as the company’s director of football transactions. He is part of the ‘global football’ operation led by CFG’s managing director, the one-time England international Brian Marwood. Moersen has risen quickly through CFG, where he is highly rated, and his role includes negotiating contracts with current and prospective Manchester City players, with the Etihad Stadium team serving as CFG’s flagship club.

After Omar Berrada left to become chief executive at rivals Manchester United in July 2024, Moersen split Berrada’s remit with global football business director Clive Reeves and stepped up to support former City director of football Txiki Begiristain in negotiations as his right-hand man. Begiristain left the club in July this year and was replaced by Hugo Viana.

A move to Tottenham would make him the latest appointment in what has been a year of change at executive level in north London.

Former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham was appointed Spurs CEO in April 2024, before it was announced in June that long-serving executive director Donna-Maria Cullen had stepped down.

The most significant change of the last 12 months came in September, when former chairman Daniel Levy left the club in September after 24 years. Tottenham announced that Levy had “stepped down”, though the decision was taken by the club’s majority shareholders, the Lewis family. Peter Charrington was hired as non-executive chairman.

On October 15, Spurs confirmed the return of Fabio Paratici to the club as a joint-sporting director alongside Johan Lange. This followed the end of a 30-month ban from football activity after being accused of financial malpractice while at Italian club Juventus. Within the official announcement confirming Paratici’s return, Tottenham said they would be starting recruitment for a new a director of football operations.

Later that month, The Athletic reported that Rebecca Caplehorn, Tottenham’s head of administration and football governance would leave the club following the January transfer window after more than 10 years with the club.

Moersen graduated from George Washington University and worked for D.C. United before joining CFG club New York City FC in 2015. He held several roles there and at City before moving into the wider CFG operation in 2020.

Additional reporting: Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jordan Campbell

From the pitch to the dugout and up to the boardroom, Tottenham Hotspur are falling short of expectations. A problematic summer transfer window set the tone, with Thomas Frank losing out on several targets who would have strengthened the first XI and the squad. Now, the spotlight from supporters has turned on him, with many questioning whether he is the right man for the job.

But Frank is not the only one under fire. The jury is out on the new administration post-Daniel Levy, and their aptitude and efficiency will be tested in January. With depth and quality lacking across several positions, Tottenham’s co-sporting directors, Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, supported by the Lewis family, must approach the upcoming transfer window with urgency and efficiency to give the coach the best chance of success.

Despite Guglielmo Vicario’s recent troubles, it seems unlikely that they’ll be in the market for a new goalkeeper. The Italy international was involved in both of Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goals on Sunday, with varying degrees of culpability. Frank was keen to point out that the first goal was down to Archie Gray’s error, suggesting the England Under-21 international should have laid the ball off to Cristian Romero with a first-time “bounce” pass. Instead, he took a touch, allowing Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare to come from behind and win the ball.

Some may suggest Vicario should have protected Gray, who had a player breathing down his neck, and played long. In his post-match analysis, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher highlighted that his pass was bobbling and should have been directed to Gray’s stronger right foot. Still, it was a decision backed by the coach’s instructions, and for that, the 29-year-old is largely exempt from blame.

The second, however, was due to his misjudgement. Hudson-Odoi’s bending cross looped over the Italian and nestled into the bottom corner. It’s an error that may be written off due to bad luck in different circumstances, but it’s one of several errors he has made this season that have ultimately cost his team points. Last month, Vicario was booed by a section of home supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the 2-1 home defeat to Fulham after his miscued clearance led to the visitors’ second goal. Distribution has never been his strongest suit, but his decision to send the ball down the line with his weaker left foot was careless and costly. His reluctance to accept responsibility for the error in the moment, immediately deflecting blame toward a team-mate, won’t have helped his cause with the fans. Vicario is one of eight Premier League players to make two Opta-defined errors leading to goals this season — no player has made more.

But it’s worth remembering that Vicario has also saved Spurs on several occasions this season. He was crucial in their 2-1 away win against Leeds United and delivered possibly his best performance since joining Spurs in 2023 in the 0-0 draw at Monaco in the Champions League, making eight saves and preventing 2.68 expected goals (xG). Across the 2025-26 season so far, only Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez (2.7) have prevented more goals according to the xG metric than Vicario (2.5). As the numbers indicate, his ceiling as a shot-stopper can be outrageously high. But like Frank’s Spurs, the eye test indicates his floor across all aspects of the role can be concerningly low.

If Tottenham are truly targeting a return to the Champions League next season, the goalkeeper position is undoubtedly one that could be strengthened. Antonin Kinsky, Vicario’s backup, is a brave and skilled distributor, with the capability to hit passes at short, medium and long distances, a quality Frank leaned on David Raya to provide at Brentford. He is also inexperienced and not yet accomplished in English and European football, with his performance in the fourth-round 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United in late October indicative of a player who is not quite ready for the rigours of the Premier League. That leaves the inconsistent Vicario as the only genuine option.

A goalkeeper’s job is significantly more complicated than it was before Pep Guardiola’s arrival in the Premier League. A brief look around the division doesn’t throw up many gettable alternatives that represent a clear upgrade, so, considering the more pertinent needs in the squad, the potential Vicario issue may be put on the back burner. Issues in attack, starting with the left wing, where there is no standout option, should be prioritised, as should the imbalanced, creatively limited midfield. Overlooking those needs in favour of an unproven Vicario replacement seems an inefficient use of the notoriously challenging January window.

Not least because replacing Vicario will require not only an elite goalkeeper, but also a commanding personality. Tottenham are short on leaders, and Vicario’s willingness to speak candidly publicly after humbling defeats reflects positively on his status within the group. He retained his position in the club’s leadership team under Frank and is one of the few starters who are visibly demanding on the pitch.

With James Maddison sidelined for most, if not all, of the season with an ACL injury sustained in pre-season and Ben Davies a rotational option, Frank can scarcely afford to risk losing Vicario’s influence on a young squad, even if his outward displays of frustration and individual mistakes have dented his reputation with fans.

Thomas Frank has been given the backing of the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy following discussions at the top of the club.

Spurs sunk to a painful 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, their sixth in the league this season. Frank said afterwards that the Tottenham job was not a “quick fix”, and that “if no-one gets the time, no-one can turn it around”.

While there have been discussions at the club about Frank’s future, these have been regular meetings of the type that all clubs will have about their staffing and direction, rather than anything specifically reacting to events. And sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated the clear position of the majority shareholding Lewis family is to stick with Frank and to give him the time that he needs.

The decision to stick with Frank is one of the first major tests of the new Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy, which effectively took over the running of the club when Daniel Levy was sacked as executive chairman in September. Vivienne Lewis has been a regular attender of Spurs games, along with her brother Charles Lewis and son-in-law Nick Beucher.

Frank was the last managerial appointment of the Levy era, signing a three-year contract at Tottenham in June, and replacing Ange Postecoglou. He was tasked with rebuilding the team who finished 17th in the league last season, while also lifting the Europa League.

After a strong start to the season, Spurs’ league form is inconsistent. They sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, although Bournemouth could overtake them with a win against Manchester United on Monday. In the Champions League they sit just outside the top eight, with 11 points from their six games so far.

But some supporters have grown frustrated with underwhelming performances. Spurs have recorded less than 0.2 expected goals in three league games already this season. There have been issues between the players and the fans, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario jeered by fans during the defeat to Fulham last month.

But there is also an awareness at the club that Frank is trying to rebuild the whole culture, and a recognition of the fact that the situation will take time to turn around. Frank even started his successful spell as Brentford head coach slowly.

Frank admitted on Sunday night that he had to try to stay calm after such a poor Tottenham display. “I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me,” he said. “Of course, it’s deeply frustrating that we are not doing better after three good performances.”

Spurs had drawn 2-2 with Newcastle United before beating Brentford and Slavia Prague at home.

This week is Spurs’ first free week since August, before Spurs host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday and then travel to Crystal Palace on December 28.

Journalists who cover Tottenham Hotspur have grown accustomed to Thomas Frank’s general optimism. In light of underwhelming results, the club’s head coach looks beyond the outcome and speaks honestly about his assessment of a given game, even if Spurs fans feel differently.

But there was no such positivity as he walked into the press conference room following the dire 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday. In his first answer alone, Frank described their performance as “very disappointing”, “bad” and “disjointed”. Then again, for him to say anything else would have felt ludicrous. Considering the opposition started the weekend sitting 17th in the 20-team Premier League table, it was arguably Spurs’ worst performance of the season.

“I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me, because it’s deeply frustrating we are not doing better today after three good performances,” Frank went on to say in that post-match press conference. “It’s extremely important to be calm and measured. I’m very honest about where we are. I was also very honest today — it was a very bad performance.

“But I also know to change this will take some time. No one wants to hear about that. (But) It’s just reality.”

As Frank added, Tottenham have been well below par on too many occasions this season. Creativity has been a consistent problem under the Dane, with Spurs registering three of the top flight’s worst 10, and two of the lowest three, expected-goals (xG) performances this season. Under predecessor Ange Postecoglou, scoring goals was rarely a problem, but in Frank’s efforts to make Spurs a more coherent side, the creativity well has dried up entirely.

There is also a creeping sense of dissent, with Djed Spence reacting negatively after being substituted in the second half yesterday, just weeks after he and fellow defender Micky van de Ven appeared to ignore their coach’s attempts to keep them on the pitch to applaud the home fans after the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea. Not to mention the inexplicable individual errors leading to goals, now up to five, fewer than only well-adrift bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers. None of these issues have a “quick fix” to them, in Frank’s view.

Archie Gray was Sunday’s first culprit, a grounding for the 19-year-old after a bright couple of weeks where he appeared to stake his claim on a spot at the base of midfield. With the midfield combination of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha lacking urgency and invention in possession, there was an evident need to switch things up.

Gray started the 3-0 win against Burnley on the opening weekend of the season in August and did not return to the initial line-up in the Premier League until November 29. After a positive spell, the challenging trip to the City Ground served as a reminder that he is still relatively new to the pressures of playing as a midfielder in the Premier League.

For Forest’s opening goal, Gray received a short forward pass from ’keeper Guglielmo Vicario on the edge of the box; a difficult ball for any midfielder to deal with, but perhaps one a more experienced and seasoned operator would have found a better solution for. With Cristian Romero to his left, Gray should have either swept it on quickly to his captain or looked to spin away from Ibrahim Sangare, who was closing on him from behind.

In the end, Gray’s loose touch allowed the Ivory Coast international to win possession, leading to Callum Hudson-Odoi putting Forest in front. It’s a moment Frank said Vicario deserves no blame for in his post-match press conference, suggesting Gray should have “bounced” the pass wide first time.

The teenager’s reaction to that moment was encouraging, with a volley on the turn shortly after drawing a good save from John Victor, indicating he has the character and mental strength to succeed, but their long-term issues in his position are concerning.

Compared to the same unit in the Forest team, Spurs’ midfield was short on quality, physicality and Premier League experience — given the choice, it’s not beyond belief that Frank would swap opposite number Sean Dyche’s entire midfield trio for his own.

For that, he is not to blame. There is a lack of quality in this Tottenham squad in several areas, with central midfield being chief among those.

The club have recruited young in that area, and none of those signings appear to be entirely ready to play week-in-week-out for Spurs in the Premier League, while there have been separate issues with prime-age signings such as Yves Bissouma and James Maddison, who have missed large parts of their time at Tottenham through injury. On top of that, recent arrivals have failed to hit the ground running.

Under former chairman Daniel Levy, Tottenham managers and head coaches were offered limited grace when results were not up to scratch. The new administration is ambitious, with aspirations of finishing in a European spot this season, so results and performances must improve if Frank is to build a project in north London.

But the long-time Brentford head coach is right — Spurs are not a quick fix.

Investing in youth, which has been their transfer policy since Harry Kane departed for Bayern Munich in summer 2023, is pointless unless there is a plan in place for them to realise their potential. If Tottenham are to return to competing for Champions League spots consistently, the likes of Gray and Lucas Bergvall are likely to have significant parts to play.

Judging from his outstanding record of developing talent at Brentford, Frank has the coaching and human qualities to help them get there.

For that to happen, the 52-year-old, who is in his first ‘big’ job, must be given the time to succeed, too.

Fridolina Rolfo makes it 3-3 and Manchester United’s coaching staff unleashes into the technical area, their turn for joyful chaos; Tottenham Hotspur’s time to stare into the abyss.

Apparently, this isn’t a rivalry. Not if you listened to the on-record press conferences, the politeness and slightly barbed niceties exchanged from United manager Marc Skinner and Martin Ho — Spurs head coach and Skinner’s former assistant — across the Zoom airwaves on Friday morning.

But the warring emotions on the Leigh Sport Village touchline seem to tell a different story: the surge of pure red blood cells at each of the six goals scored; the seething, silent resentment at conceding them; how both sets of coaching staff and players experienced this gloriously unhinged draw in varying states of emotion. There were jeers, boos, bone-crunching tackles, defensive bodies hurled on the line inside 50 minutes, a fourth official caught on either side by teeth gnashing over alleged officiating injustices.

If anything, this is rivalry at its best: full-throated, inebriating, believing, with all your heart, you are simply better than your opponent.

It has been nearly six years since Spurs and United arrived in the WSL in the same season, Spurs runners-up to the Championship title winners United in 2019. Their respective journeys to reach that space were different — the north London side working their way through the leagues from the bottom up, United finding a team and earning entry straight into the Championship (now WSL2) in 2018. The six years on the other side have been similarly different. Spurs’ highest finish in the WSL is fifth (2021-22), while United have only finished outside the top four once (2023-24). Where Spurs reached a maiden FA Cup final in 2023-24, the occasion marked United’s second time on the stage and the experience told as they claimed a 4-0 win.

But there is more here than just the mere coincidence of timing. There is also some slowly cooking beef: United used Spurs as an education port for midfielder Grace Clinton in the 2023-24 season, ultimately transforming the England midfielder into a sensation but not able to keep a hold of her after her loan; United then pried Norway winger Celin Bizet away the following summer. Martha Thomas, who thundered home Spurs’ third goal on Sunday, wore the United shirt for two seasons between 2021 and 2023 but was unable to break into Skinner’s plans, ultimately finding a home at Spurs.

Meanwhile, it was former United head coach Casey Stoney who put in the formal call to Tottenham’s managing director of women’s football, Andy Rogers, this summer to endorse Ho, then at SK Brann, as Spurs’ No 1 managerial candidate. Ho then convinced Spurs to poach United’s highly rated analyst Lawrence Shamieh to his backroom staff.

“He’s probably one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve worked with and one of the most dedicated and hard-working people,” Ho said in his pre-match press conference. “United definitely know that will probably be a loss for them in terms of what he gave to them and what he would do. I was just delighted that Lawrence decided to join us — he’s leaving a team that’s competing for the title and in the latter stages of the Champions League. He’s decided to come to Tottenham, where he sees a real ambitious project, somewhere where he can grow and develop around good people, good players.”

Which is the real point of tension in this gurgling rivalry: not anger or resentment so much as both sides believing they are within a certain touching distance of each other.

How great is the gap, if there is one? United might argue it’s a long stretch, given the raw numbers from Sunday night’s match: United’s xG of 4.59, their 47 touches in the opposition box, their 34 shots at goal, 11 on target, four off the woodwork and another four cleared off the line.

Spurs, by comparison, boasted an xG of 0.78, five shots with four on target, desperately defending as early as the 20th minute.

Yet, until the 75th minute, it was Spurs who were 3-0 up, giving United a mini clinic in ruthlessness and once again proving to be a far greater sum of their parts under Ho’s tinkering.

“Nine point nine times out of 10, we win that game,” assessed Skinner post-match. “Obviously, Tottenham are investing. I have a lot of respect for Martin as a coach, and basically, there’s a lot of our DNA in what they do. It’s probably clever to do as you’re growing and trying to grow a club.

“But what I’d say is the quality… that we show shows that we’re ahead, and we need to make sure that we stay in those spaces. Tottenham will take a little bit of time and investment to get there, but we need to stay ahead when we can.”

There is a degree of truth there. United, so often the subject of a limited squad this season, could boast some superiority, able to call on summer signing Rolfo from the bench to score United’s second and third goals after capitalising on Spurs’ decision to move to a back five.

Spurs, meanwhile, had just one attacking player on the bench in 20-year-old England youth international Lenna Gunning-Williams, with Charlotte Grant, Olga Ahtinen and Cathinka Tandberg all sidelined until the new year after the most recent international break, while winger Jessica Naz suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last weekend in the 3-2 win over Aston Villa.

The absences are a severe blow to a squad that has surpassed all expectations this season, sitting fifth in the table with a team almost identical to the one that trundled to 11th last campaign.

United, meanwhile, rotated heavily for their mid-week Champions League group-stage match with Lyon, opting to rest key players Jess Park, Ella Toone, Dominique Janssen, Hinata Miyazawa and Julia Zigiotti Olme in anticipation for Sunday. They lost 3-0.

In the days following, there was even talk of getting a member of United’s coaching staff to impersonate the loud Scouse twang of Ho on the touchline in pre-match training sessions, an idea quickly abandoned.

Could it have made a difference? Both sides are desperate for an edge with just a point separating them in the league table and a League Cup quarter-final this weekend, an opportunity to discover just whether, 9.9 times out of 10, United come out on top.

The true distance between these two clubs might be better gauged after the January transfer window. But for now, Ho is mostly pleased.

“I feel a lot of pride and a lot of joy for the players because they give me everything,” he said. “With the result, obviously we’re disappointed. But in terms of the long term, if you’d have looked six or seven months ago, people wouldn’t expect us to be where we are.”

Thomas Frank has said that Tottenham Hotspur “will definitely be in the market” during the January transfer window.

Spurs’ performances have been inconsistent this season as Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as head coach in June, tries to instill new ideas into the squad. They have one of the best away records in the Premier League but have only won twice at home.

The north London side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round by Newcastle United but are in contention to finish in the top eight of the Champions League with two fixtures remaining in the league phase.

Spurs are missing several key players including full-back Destiny Udogie who suffered a muscle injury in last week’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle which will rule him out until January. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are recovering from long-term knee injuries while Dominic Solanke is training individually following minor ankle surgery in October.

Frank was asked about Tottenham’s potential transfer activity before Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest.

“We will definitely be in the market, no doubt about that,” he said. “We want them as early as possible, like every other time and let’s see if we can have them before January 31.

“After the window shut in September we had the first formal meeting and it is an ongoing process. I also get to know more and more (about) the squad and players, so one thing is the daily interaction and also I have seen a lot of games live, watched them back and you see all the small good habits and bad habits from the players.

“What can you affect? Or that will be tricky? Or how the relationship is? So, that knowledge gets us closer and closer to knowing what we want.”

Spurs enquired about Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in the summer before they signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United in a £55million deal. The Athletic reported last month that Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract which can be activated next month. Spurs remain interested in the Ghana international but he has been linked to Manchester City and Liverpool too.

Frank was asked multiple questions about Solanke’s fitness. The England international is Tottenham’s club-record signing but he has only made three substitute appearances this season due to a persistent ankle injury which he initially suffered in the summer.

Frank said he was “getting a little bit bored” of answering questions about Solanke but admitted he was training on the grass.

“Sometimes its not so easy and straight forward, maybe it’s a minor setback, maybe it’s taken a little bit slower,” Frank said about the timeline of Solanke’s recovery. “Without being too boring and talking about details, the thing is it’s more positive now and I’m looking forward to him on the training pitch and involved in the squad.”

Where Spurs could improve their squad

Tottenham spent over £150m in the summer to equip Frank with a squad strong enough to compete in multiple competitions.

They converted the loans of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso into permanent deals before splashing out on Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani arrived on season-long loans from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

They still look lightweight in a few areas and the biggest problem is left wing after Son Heung-min’s departure to Los Angeles FC. Frank has experimented with Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Kolo Muani and Tel on the left but none of them have performed at a high level consistently.

A deal for Semenyo appears to be challenging but it would be remarkable. Semenyo would instantly raise the level of the starting XI and ease the pressure on Kudus to provide attacking flair.

Maddison is expected to miss the majority of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while Kulusevski has been unavailable since May. Spurs might be tempted to sign another playmaker to support Simons.

The Colorado Rapids are set to name Tottenham assistant Matt Wells their next head coach, sources briefed on the deal tell The Athletic.

It will be the first head-coaching role for the 37-year-old Wells, who is currently an assistant on Thomas Frank’s staff and previously worked for Spurs under Ange Postecoglou. He has also worked under Scott Parker at Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge, racking up key first-team European experience at a young age for a coach. Tottenham declined to comment when reached by The Athletic.

Wells will be one of the youngest head coaches in MLS in 2026. Minnesota United’s Eric Ramsay, 34, is currently the youngest.

The Rapids, who narrowly missed the playoffs in 2025 under outgoing head coach Chris Armas, interviewed a number of candidates both domestic and abroad, but ultimately landed on Wells, who has been aligned with the Rapids’ early offseason moves. The club routinely works with the coaching staff on player recruitment to ensure total alignment.

The squad has some foundational pieces, led by U.S. international and club-record signing Paxten Aaronson. The 22-year-old joined the Rapids in a shock summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt, rejecting offers from RB Salzburg and Southampton, among other interested clubs.

Colorado also has English defender Rob Holding as well as a strong American contingent led by goalkeeper Zack Steffen, midfielder Cole Bassett, left back Sam Vines, defender Reggie Cannon and more.

Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro (27 goals, 10 assists over the last two seasons) currently leads the attack, but Colorado rejected lucrative transfer offers from Brazilian side Fluminense over the summer and he could still move this winter. If he goes, the club will be able to sign another designated player.

The Rapids turned to the Spurs side of the North London derby despite sharing the same ownership as Arsenal through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The club interviewed then-Arsenal assistant Jack Wilshere two years ago for its head coaching vacancy but has wound up with a Spurs assistant instead.

Who is Wells and what does this mean for Spurs?

Matt Wells’ potential departure from the Tottenham Hotspur coaching staff would be a significant moment, the first real change to the backroom team that Thomas Frank assembled when he was appointed as Spurs head coach six months ago.

Wells became one of Frank’s four First Team Assistant Coaches, along with Justin Cochrane, Andreas Georgson and Chris Haslam. He was the only member of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching staff who stayed on to work for Frank, a sign of how highly rated he is by the Premier League club.

During Postecoglou’s two years at Spurs, Wells took a prominent role on the training ground. In Postecoglou’s first season he was Assistant Coach, before becoming Senior Assistant Coach for the second season when Chris Davies left to manage Birmingham City. Postecoglou often took a hands-off approach to training, letting his coaches run the sessions, which meant that Wells would often have significant responsibility with the players. That season ended in triumph, with Tottenham lifting the Europa League trophy in Bilbao in May, something that Postecoglou and his staff will always be remembered for. Wells is very highly-rated within the game, with sources full of praise for his analytical eye and his inventive sessions.

Wells started out in the Tottenham academy as a youngster before becoming a coach in the academy, quickly rising to coach the Under-18s team. He then went on to be an assistant coach for Scott Parker, first at Fulham and Bournemouth, both of whom won promotion to the Premier League, and then in Belgium with Club Brugge. He returned to Tottenham in April 2023 to be assistant head coach when Ryan Mason took sole caretaker charge for the end of the 2022-23 season after the departure of Cristian Stellini. But many young coaches — Wells is 37 — ultimately want to become a head coach, and that is what the potential move to MLS represents.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has refused to comment on allegations of Yves Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide.

Frank said instead that the club are internally “dealing with” Yves Bissouma after The Sun published footage of the midfielder on Saturday.

This is not the first time that Bissouma has come under scrutiny for similar allegations as last year, Bissouma was given a one-game suspension by the north London club following him posting a video on his social media of him appearing to inhale laughing gas. He apologised after the incident at the time and called it a “severe lack of judgement”.

When asked about the Mali international on Monday, Frank said: “It’s an internal matter that we are dealing with at the moment, and when we have dealt with that, then I will have a comment on it.”

After the previous occasion where Bissouma was punished by the club for the act, Tottenham’s then-head coach Ange Postecoglou said: “He has made a really poor decision. “You want to understand that and try to help him through that, and as a club (see) what we can do to make sure he doesn’t make those kinds of choices and decisions in the future.

“He has a responsibility to his team-mates, to our supporters and to everyone associated with the club — and he failed in those duties.”

The recreational use of nitrous oxide — a Class C drug in the United Kingdom — has been a criminal offence since 2023, carrying a maximum two-year prison sentence.

Bissouma was dropped for Tottenham’s opening game of the season in the summer for the second year in a row, sitting out the European Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain as a punishment for repeated lateness under new head coach Thomas Frank.

After being considered likely to leave in August, he is yet to make a competitive appearance for Tottenham this campaign.

Frank also confirmed that left-back Destiny Udogie will be out until January with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old missed his side’s 2-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday due to the issue.

“Destiny I said after the game, he picked up a hamstring injury at the end of the Newcastle game,” Frank said on Monday before his side’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague on Tuesday. “So, he’s out until January, unfortunately.”

The Danish coach confirmed that Brennan Johnson is “touch and go” for Tuesday’s game after the Wales international missed training on Monday and also entertained the idea of replacing Dominic Solanke with Mathys Tel in the team’s Champions League squad.

Solanke, 28, has only made three appearances this season, all off the bench, and has only played 59 minutes in total while dealing with an ankle injury. The issue caused him to miss all of Spurs’ preseason and he was forced to undergo minor ankle surgery on October 1, while Tel, 20, was omitted from the squad in September.

Frank said: “Of course, if I knew back then, what I what I know now, is maybe would have changed the decision. No doubt about that. Of course, it’s something we can have into consideration. We need players that are fit and available, so we have enough players to shoot with from the bench.”