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Tottenham adversary Sol Campbell has claimed Ruben Amorim would be the 'ideal manager' for the club as the pressure mounts on Thomas Frank.

Former England defender Campbell, 51, is deeply unpopular among Spurs fans given his highly controversial transfer to arch-rivals Arsenal in 2001.

Campbell made 315 appearances for Tottenham over nine years and captained the club after coming through the ranks - and many have never forgiven him.

Nevertheless, the 51-year-old isn't afraid to share his opinions on his boyhood club, and speaking to Sky Bet he touted former Man United boss Amorim as a realistic option who would do a good job at Spurs if they made a change.

'Ruben Amorim [would be the ideal manager for Tottenham],' he said. 'They'll be looking at him. They're probably talking to him now; it wouldn't surprise me.

'I don't think he'll go back to Portugal. Tottenham will be talking to him to see if there's any situation going on. There'll be people talking behind the scenes.'

Amorim was sacked by United last Monday after 14 months in charge following multiple disagreements with the club's hierarchy and he has already returned to Portugal.

Meanwhile, Frank has struggled since joining Tottenham from Brentford in the summer, with his side languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

They were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Saturday and several sections of the fanbase have outlined their disapproval towards the Dane.

And Campbell felt that given Frank's difficulties it is no surprise his job is under scrutiny.

Campbell added: 'Thomas Frank is a top manager, but he's not at Brentford anymore. It's a different animal.

'Tottenham is a big club and people are demanding. They want success and they want to keep moving forward in a successful way. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they're talking to other managers.

'Obviously, if he starts turning it around and winning games and having good performances, that helps.

'Sometimes you don't need to win, but if you can have good performances and show you're moving in the right direction, that can help.

'But they will be talking to other managers. It's part and parcel until you show who you are and start winning on a regular basis.'

Tottenham return to action on Saturday when they entertain West Ham before they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League the following Tuesday.

Tottenham fans are planning a mass protest ahead of their home fixture against West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

The influential supporters' group Change For Tottenham is calling on fans to join a noisy and colourful in-stadium protest against the club's leadership and performances.

While the action will focus mostly on top-level issues concerning the board, there is also growing pressure on Thomas Frank after their 2-1 FA Cup exit to Aston Villa on Saturday in London. They sit 14th in the Premier League.

Spurs are now winless in seven games and their hopes of any silverware have been all but extinguished - unless they can pull off a miracle in the Champions League.

Change For Tottenham organise multiple protests last season against the board and particularly Daniel Levy, who left in September.

Their newest statement read: 'We have decided to take action on Saturday 17th January starting at 2pm before the West Ham game.

'There is growing frustration within the fan base surrounding the board's transfer strategy, clarity on the Director of Football role, our continuous injury crises season after season, recent results/performances on the pitch and extortionate ticket prices.

'We believe acting now will hopefully mean our voices are heard at such a pivotal time during the January transfer window.

'Our first team and squad needs serious investment, and after The Lewis Family Trust, Vinai Venkatesham and Fabio Paratici told supporters that they were ready to be ambitious and prioritise trophies after Daniel Levy stood down, all we ask as fans is that these promises are kept.

'We are meeting at 2pm on the corner of Park Lane and the High Road, outside the Corner Pin pub. Please bring (preferably yellow) banners, flags, scarves and your voices to make sure we are seen and heard.

'We will then head into the stadium at approx 2:25pm for a 2:30pm concourse meet and an in-stadium protest. We are meeting between entrances 20 and 21 by the balcony in front of block 254 to create as much atmosphere as possible.

'Yellow is our colour for change, so please wear, wave or hold as much yellow as possible before and during the game.

'Make sure you join us to ensure your voice is heard and play your part in Change for Tottenham.'

In October, the Lewis family confirmed a £100million injection of funds into Tottenham promised that there would be more to follow.

At that point, there were sat third in the Premier League and had only lost once in 11 games in all competitions.

The Lewises have taken renewed interest in the club since ousting Daniel Levy as chairman in September. They have resisted takeover from three different consortiums, from Saudi Arabia, China and the USA.

Vivienne, the daughter of the club's original billionaire patriarch Joe Lewis, has taken the keenest interest and has been present at games, as have her brother Charles and son-in-law Nick Beucher.

Spurs fans staged multiple protests last campaign, including the biggest that Levy had faced for 24 years ahead of their match against Manchester United in February.

Their base season ticket price is among the most expensive in the league at £856 while their most expensive is £2,223, bested only by Fulham.

Despite overhauling their medical staff twice this year, they have again been plagued by injuries this season.

Meanwhile, co-sporting director Fabio Paratici is set to leave the club following the January transfer window, just four months after returning in an official capacity.

Tottenham co-sporting director Fabio Paratici is set to leave the club after the January transfer window, just four months after returning in an official capacity.

Italian executive Paratici, 53, served as Spurs' managing director of football from June 2021 until he was forced to resign in April 2023 for his alleged role in financial irregularities at former club Juventus.

The 53-year-old was banned from football activity for 30 months by the Italian Football Federation, with this extended worldwide by FIFA.

Paratici continued to advise Tottenham as a consultant though, and he was announced as one of two sporting directors alongside Johan Lange in October when his ban expired.

But Paratici will now depart next month, with personal reasons believed to be a key factor in his exit. The 53-year-old is expected to join Fiorentina.

Reports in Italy in December had first suggested the Serie A side had approached Paratici about a long-term contract offer to head up their football operations.

The Italian is expected to continue his work at Spurs this month - which has seen them close in on a £13million deal for Santos defender Souza - before his exit is finalised.

At Spurs, Paratici has been responsible for overseeing the football strategy, which includes performance development, scouting and recruitment.

At the time of his appointment - which was the latest in a year of turnover at the club - CEO Vinai Venkatesham said Paratici and Lange would work together to fulfil the ever-expanding requirements of the role of a sporting director.

'Together, Fabio and Johan will lead with purpose,' Venkatesham said in October.

'This is an evolution in how we operate. We're setting the foundations for sustained success.'

Paratici had resigned from his role at Spurs in April 2023 after the rejection of his appeal against his worldwide ban, although he was allowed to work in football on a consultancy basis.

This meant the Italian was a regular presence at Tottenham's stadium and advised the club on transfers during that time.

Paratici was one of 11 former Juventus executives banned amid accusations of financial malpractice, with allegations including the inflation of transfer fees for accounting purposes. Paratici has maintained that he always acted in accordance with the rules.

Fiorentina currently sit 18th in Serie A after a dismal start to the season.

They have just 14 points from 20 games, although they have taken eight from their past five matches amid an uptick in form.

Their former sporting director Daniele Prade left in November.

Micky van de Ven says Tottenham were 'nowhere near' good enough in their FA Cup third round defeat to Aston Villa - as the Dutchman called into question the squad's mentality during the game.

Spurs' season hit a new low under boss Thomas Frank on Saturday as two first-half goals from Villa midfielders Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers rendered Wilson Odobert's strike after 54 minutes no more than a consolation.

Having already been knocked out of the League Cup, the FA Cup was seen by fans as the chance for the club to get their hands on silverware for the second season in a row.

But Villa's 2-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium means Spurs now only remain in the Premier League - where they sit 14th - and in the Champions League, where they are yet to secure qualification into the round of 16.

'Gutted obviously that we're out of the cup,' stand-in captain Van de Ven said after Saturday's match. 'First half [we were] nowhere near our level, nowhere near where we need to be and second half way better.

'I think we showed also some mentality, but if we showed it from the first minute, this game is totally different.'

Frank, who was on the receiving end of chants from Villa fans about him being an Arsenal supporter - after his midweek coffee cup gaffe - was reminded that he vowed to have Spurs competing in 'all four competitions' upon his arrival.

'Of course that's disappointing,' the under-pressure Dane admitted.

He added: 'We all know there's only one way to have everyone happy. That is performing consistently and winning enough games. That's the only way.

'And we could see, second half especially, the energy, how they feed off each other, the players and the fans. It was a fantastic experience to be in the middle of it.

'Unfortunately, we couldn't get that fantastic comeback, which sometimes kick-starts a momentum and that's what we are working very hard to do.'

Tottenham will have had a week to prepare for their next league game against West Ham on Saturday before hosting Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on the following Tuesday evening.

Frank will be boosted by the return of Dominic Solanke, who played against Villa to make his first appearance since August 23, but is facing an anxious wait over the extent of Richarlison's hamstring injury after the Brazilian was taken off against Villa.

'I think we have done a lot of things right to get [Richarlison] where he is now; I think he has done a lot of things right,' Frank said.

'It's not only about us, it's about every club. I think there are a few injuries across the Premier League.'

He continued: 'I think it's something for the football authorities to look into as well. We played five games in 13 days, four in 10, that's one of the few clubs that did that, and this is our third time this season.

'That's the most tricky thing with two days in between. We are dealing with it, we are doing everything we can to compete in it, but that's a tough schedule.'

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Tottenham host Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the FA Cup, with Matt Barlow reporting from the grounds.

Thomas Frank has pledged to attack the FA Cup with full power as he searches for sanctuary at the end of another storm-tossed week at Tottenham.

Silverware brought salvation for Spurs last season despite finishing 17th in the Premier League, although the Europa League was not enough to spare Ange Postecoglou.

His successor Frank, while backed by the owners, is under increasing fire from fans having won only 11 of his first 30 games in charge, and just four of the last 16.

'I'm very, very aware that a cup run will be fantastic,' said Frank. 'So, we will do everything we can to win the game and progress to the next round and to install belief. We will go full strength, all in, we want to win both the game and the tournament.'

Full strength will be without Cristian Romero, however, who has been hit with an extra one-match ban for failing to leave the pitch promptly after his red card against Liverpool last month, and with injuries piling up.

Mohamed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are the latest hit but winning is the only way to turn a mood soured by a return of two points from three games in seven days against Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth.

Frank's team wallow in the Premier League's lower reaches. They are booed when they fail to win and were taunted by their own fans at Brentford with cries of 'boring, boring Tottenham'.

Confidence is low and emotions run high. Micky van de Ven became embroiled in angry post-match exchange with fans after the defeat at Bournemouth and captain Romero took to social media to accuse the board of 'lies'.

Romero's comments were condoned by teammates, hinting at disillusion in the dressing room about ambition in the transfer market.

Spurs are close to signing Brazilian teenager Souza, a left back from Santos, but one third of the way through the January window they have not strengthened Frank's first team, and sold last season's top scorer Brennan Johnson to Palace.

Protest group Change for Tottenham, the force behind last season's marches and a campaign to oust chairman Daniel Levy, issued a statement this week saying: 'We will be planning action if the club fails to deliver again – this can't be another failed transfer window.'

Discontent rumbles, reflecting a fear that nothing has really changed at post-Levy Spurs and that while ticket prices are still among the highest in the world recruitment remains focused on potential for profit in the future.

For all the positive messages from the Lewis family about achieving sporting success they stand accused of settling for sporting mediocrity.

'That's impossible at Tottenham,' said Frank, when the notion was put to him this week. 'I didn't just come to this club to finish 14th or 10th, eighth, sixth, fourth, third, second. We want to build something that can be very successful over time.

'I'm very aware where we are right now. I think it's fair to say that not many are. I know where we want to go and then we need to be judged at the end of the season.'

Cristian Romero has avoided any disciplinary action from Tottenham despite a social media post accusing unnamed figures in the club's hierarchy of telling lies.

He will not be stripped of the captaincy nor will he be fined, according to boss Thomas Frank, who said he and Johan Lange, one of the club's two sporting directors, had discussed the matter with captain Romero and considered the matter closed.

'He is our captain, he has not been fined,' said Frank. 'There's a lot of ways to deal with different situations. We've chosen to have a good conversation with him, understand where he stands, handle it internally.

'Johan and I spoke together. Johan and I had a conversation with Cuti. Done.'

Romero posted on his Instagram account after defeat at Bournemouth, on Wednesday, a night when his defensive partner and vice-captain Micky van de Ven also became embroiled in angry post-match verbal exchange with fans in the away end.

Romero's message started with an apology to supporters and a promise to keep trying to improve results, but then he added: '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. We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around.'

Several teammates including Xavi Simons and Richarlison 'liked' the post and Pedro Porro responded to say: 'Amen,' and then, in Spanish, added: 'Keep going brother. We have many battles ahead of us.'

Romero later edited his post to remove the 'lies'.

The 27-year-old Argentine, affectionately known as Cuti, has been at Spurs since 2021 and signed a new four-year contract in the summer after Frank selected him as captain after Son Heung-min's exit.

He speaks rarely in public but is prone to such cryptic social media posts. One towards the end of last season offered effusive praise to the Argentina medics for helping him back from nagging injury problems while failing to remark on the club's medical staff.

There have been a cluster of frustrated outbursts from players this season often connected to poor home form and disciplinary problems featuring Yves Bissouma, who was dropped for persistent lateness and then pictured for a second time in his Spurs career inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon.

Romero's social media comments can be interpreted as a swipe at perceived ambition in the transfer market, puts a strain on Frank's repeated insistence that everyone at the club is fully aligned under the new regime of the Lewis family and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.

'It is very important to stress that even though there's noise, the club is very aligned,' said the Spurs boss. 'Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned. Ownership is very aligned. We know it's a tough spell that we need to get through.'

Spurs have slipped to 14th with only two wins in 12 Premier League games since the end of October.

The defeat at Bournemouth was emotional because Frank's team fought back from 2-1 down to draw level and were close to finding a winner in the closing stages before the sucker punch, a goal scored by departing hero Antoine Semenyo the 95th minute.

There was added farce with Frank parading around on the pitch pre-match drinking coffee from an Arsenal-branded cup. And more injuries.

Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a hamstring injury, which Frank admits is 'a bigger one' than they feared. Lucas Bergvall picked up a thigh muscle injury at Bournemouth which needs to be assessed.

Mohamed Kudus, injured against Sunderland on Sunday, is not expected back until after the March internationals, which effectively rules him out until April.

Dejan Kulusevski, who damaged a kneecap in May and was initially on course to return in December, has been feeling pain in his recovery training and undergone a course of injections.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur star Christian Ziege has returned to football for the first time since the death of his wife last year.

Ziege, 53, has undertaken a coaching role at Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, where he retired as a player in 2005.

The German, who played for Liverpool in 2000-01 before representing Tottenham between 2001 and 2004, has joined as an assistant coach for the German club's U17 side and led his first training session on Wednesday evening alongside head coach Denis Hauswald.

Ziege took an extended break from football after his wife Pia passed away last year, having already not worked in a coaching role since 2022 when he left Austrian club FC Pinzgau Saalfelden.

He has now decided he is ready to return to the game, which lost its importance following the difficult period emotionally.

'After the death of my wife Pia, whom I had previously cared for around the clock, it took me a while until football regained the same importance for me as before,' he explained to German outlet Bild.

'I simply thought I'd approach the club and say that I would very much like to work again in the area I know best.'

'I'm really looking forward to it,' Ziege added. 'What connects me most to Borussia is that I was given the opportunity to start my second career here.'

Ziege's coaching career began at Borussia Monchengladbach following his early retirement at the age of 33.

He operated in multiple roles from interim manager to director of football between 2006 and 2010, before taking on a brief managerial stint at Arminia Bielefield.

Between 2011 and 2014, he was a head coach for various youth teams in the German national set-up and later worked as a manager in Spain, Thailand and Austria.

Ziege announced in November 2024 that his wife Pia had died following a long battle with 'a serious illness'.

The ex-Tottenham, Liverpool and Middlesbrough player paid tribute to her three months later by sharing a heartbreaking post on Instagram, which included a black and white photo of his wife and a caption: 'Still don’t get it.'

Ziege announced Pia's death back that month, writing: 'Our world has stood still since November 4th. Pia has closed her eyes forever after a long and serious illness.

'We would like to thank everyone who has walked this long and difficult path with us, as well as for the great sympathy and compassion. Pia, you will live on forever in our hearts.'

'And there are always traces of your life, thoughts, pictures, moments. They will remind us of you, make us happy and sad and never let us forget you.'

The former football star and Pia had been married since 1997. They have two children, Alessandro and Maria. Pia also had another daughter, Katharina, from a previous marriage.

Ziege had previously revealed that his wife helped save his life by persuading him to go to hospital quickly for emergency surgery after he suffered a blot clot in his leg when playing for Spurs in 2002.

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As ponderously dull as Tottenham Hotspur have been this season, some credit must go to Cristian Romero for proving not all components of Thomas Frank’s side have forgotten how to attack.

It is open to question whether there is any great wisdom to be found in employees who target their higher-ups via social media. If Romero was reckless, it wouldn’t be the first time.

But there can be no doubt that he was aiming in the right direction, which is to say Spurs are rotting from the head down, as they have been for years. The only difference now, in the months since Daniel Levy departed, is that it is harder to pin a face on it.

There was always a naivety attached to believing his removal would address traits that went beyond the business preferences of one man, because what about those like-minds who empowered him? Those who were happy enough with the financial returns gleaned by on-pitch mediocrity and, presumably, complied without force?

Levy was a master of their language, but he did not invent it. If the Lewis family who own the club truly wanted to compete in ways that matter, they wouldn’t have waited a quarter of a century before deciding that Levy’s method wasn’t for them.

Did an epiphany fall on them after that night in Bilbao? Was there a sudden reversal of the institutional cowardice that has been written into the wage bills? Evidence to make that claim is awfully thin for now and looking thinner with each passing day of this transfer window. Eight days in and nothing. Serious clubs act decisively, and don't wait for the window to open to get their plans in place.

Antoine Semenyo scored Bournemouth’s 95th-minute winner against Spurs on Wednesday and by Thursday was having his medical at Manchester City. Crystal Palace wanted Brennan Johnson and he was out of Tottenham by January 2.

Where is Frank’s help coming from? He needs a few, especially in forward areas, but the nearest point of reinforcement is a teenage left back from Brazil. He’s apparently a good player, Souza, but extra competition for Destiny Udogie isn’t what the mutineers were protesting from the away corner at Bournemouth. It’s not what they were booing about against Sunderland or Brentford.

Frank is getting the brunt of it and little of his football so far would make for a good counter argument. Spurs have been stodgy and ineffective on the ball, prone to defensive errors that mimic themselves by the week, and poor discipline. He is a renowned, organised, flexible coach and yet, on his watch, bad patterns are repeating.

But there should be considerable sympathy for him that goes past the ‘nice guy’ reflex - Frank has been left to cover the creative shortfall with a fig leaf by the recruitment system.

James Maddison’s knee was injured in August, Dejan Kulusevski’s gave way before that, and Dominic Solanke hasn’t been seen since August 23 – the recruiters had time to read the land and source alternatives. Spurs now have three-and-a-half weeks to prove it wasn’t spent fingerpainting.

If they botch it, as they have so many windows, the failure ought to fall hard on the Lewis family and the personnel hiding behind the manager’s blast shield. They include Fabio Paratici, who was reappointed as sporting director in October and has possibly had his head turned by interest from Fiorentina. Without Levy in place, they are all out in the open, their free-passes are no longer valid.

At 14th in the table, not far north of where Ange Postecoglou left them, the situation is urgent. If Aston Villa knock Tottenham out of the FA Cup on Saturday - which isn’t a reach given Villa’s form, how dire Spurs have been at home and that it happened last season too - then it could be the end for Frank. It would be Champions League or bust. Bust probably wins that one.

But there are two conversations to be had there. Is Frank getting the best from what he has available? Since the win over City in August, when everything chimed so brilliantly, it is a hard no. Has he got a strong squad? That is a harder no and blame falls elsewhere.

Because when was the last time Tottenham bought a serious upgrade for their squad? And who in Frank’s best XI would be considered a top-four or top-six player?

Micky van de Ven and Romero have great strengths, but each has clear vulnerabilities, too. Romero’s thought processes in giving away a goal and collecting two brainless yellow cards against Liverpool last month tell us enough about his.

But he was right with his social media post. For all the chaos at Tottenham and the anger of their fans, there is a cast of suits in the expensive seats to whom much of the mess can be traced.

Whether it is through incompetence or indifference, they are culpable for a club that has lost a lightning rod since Levy left and apparently gained nothing.

Tottenham descended into chaos on Wednesday evening after slipping to defeat against Bournemouth, with Micky van de Ven and his team-mates embroiled in a full-time spat with their own fans, and captain Cristian Romero posting - and then editing - an incendiary statement on social media seemingly hitting out at the club hierarchy.

The north London side are enduring a turgid winter that has seen them claim just one win over the packed festive period.

Fans have found themselves increasingly at odds with manager Thomas Frank, with last Thursday's goalless draw against Brentford a high watermark for discontent as the away fans attempted to distract themselves from actions on the pitch by singing songs mocking the team's playing style.

But emotions hit a fever pitch on Wednesday evening, as Spurs let a crucial point slide in the dying minutes at the Vitality Stadium, courtesy of Antoine Semenyo's winner five minutes into added time.

As players stayed out in the immediate aftermath to thank their travelling fans, footage captured van de Ven wandering over to a section of Spurs supporters, seemingly incensed.

The Netherlands international appeared to call out fans in the front row, gesturing at them with his hand to come on to the pitch in an invitation to physically confront him.

Van de Ven got close enough to the stands that a number of stewards intervened, circling the defender to ensure that neither he nor fans crossed the divide.

The longer the player stayed talking to the supporters at the front, the more those standing behind them became involved in the explosive situation, with a member of Spurs staff eventually coming over to lead van de Ven away.

The next figure to wander over to the stands applauding the fans was Frank himself, who was roundly booed.

Pedro Porro initially had a better effect on the supporters, who clapped his arrival, before he went straight for the fans at the front of the stands in anger, having to be held back by concerned stewards.

Porro argued with the supporters, before team-mates Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies came to lead him back on to the pitch, with Joao Palhinha staying back in a bid to calm tensions.

Palhinha listened to fan concerns for some time.

Romero, known for being a forthright presence for his side with his captain's armband on, let his words do the talking in a post shared on Instagram which appeared to lob thinly veiled criticism in the director of club bosses.

'Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be,' he began. 'We are responsible, there's no doubt about that. I am the first (to admit that).

'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, to tell a few lies.

'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 @spursofficial (white heart emoji).'

In a telling gesture, Romero later edited the post to remove the phrase 'to tell a few lies'.

Spurs are in the midst of a shake-up behind the scenes this season, with long-time chairman Daniel Levy exiting the club in September.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici restarted work with the side following the conclusion of his 30-month ban in October, but has since been courted by Serie A side Fiorentina over an immediate move away, sowing concern at the start of the January transfer window.

Earlier on in the evening, Frank further blotted his copybook with the Spurs faithful when he was pictured sipping from a cup emblazoned with Arsenal's crest.

Tottenham's loathed north London rivals were the last visitors to the Vitality Stadium, and the manager was keen to stress that he hadn't noticed the incendiary symbol at all.

'I definitely did not notice it,' said Frank after the final whistle. '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.'