Thomas Frank future LIVE: Tottenham manager holding news conference and taking training

Summary

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank news conference taking place before Tuesday's Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund
Frank says he is 'feeling the trust' and that he had lunch with some of the club's hierarchy on Monday, including chief executive Vinai Venkatesham
Spurs only have 11 senior players available for the game at home to Dortmund, confirms Frank
The Tottenham manager also says he is 'not in doubt' that he can win supporters over
Frank takes training and is in positive spirits during the open training session, reports George Cummins
He is still in position at Spurs despite 'significant internal scrutiny' over his future at the club
Tottenham lost 2-1 at home to lowly West Ham on Saturday with a chorus of boos from supporters at full-time
Team news: Spurs confirm that defender Ben Davies will undergo ankle surgery, adding to an already injury-hit squad | Solanke, meanwhile, replaces Mathys Tel in the squad
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Live Reporting

Written by Ben Ramsdale, Craig Nelson & Grace Wheeler.

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'The sun is shining and we are playing football'published at 14:44 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur

And here is that moment we told you about earlier.
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank taking to the training field in a chipper mood, despite the mounting pressure on his position.
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Spurs stretched?published at 14:41 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images

Gray in Spurs trainingpublished at 14:38 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur

We mentioned Tottenham's extensive injury list earlier on and within that were a few doubts before Tuesday evening's game.
Well, it looks like we can chip one off the list, at least.
Midfielder Archie Gray, who was forced off at half-time during Saturday's defeat by West Ham United, is taking part in the session with the side.
Due to the sparce numbers, there are A LOT of youth players involved.
Frank in positive spirits during open trainingpublished at 14:30 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)
George Cummins
BBC Radio 5 live

The Tottenham squad has started open training under the watchful eye of Thomas Frank. New coach Johnny Heitinga was the first to greet the waiting media as he left the changing room.
He was soon followed by Thomas Frank who said hello to everyone before he was asked how he is. “The sun is shining and we are here to play football,” said the under pressure Tottenham manager.
The sun was shining but, a bit like Tottenham's season, it’s now looking a little gloomy.
Image source, Getty Images

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Get Involved - 'Stick with Frank? What have you seen?'published at 14:29 GMT
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He’s got to go. Proven mangers rarely evolve their approach when moving from small to big clubs. Success stories were already playing progressive, big-club football - Silva at Watford, Rodgers at Swansea, Pochettino from Southampton.
Jamie
Frank and the players are all to blame. Our play is ponderous, we constantly give the ball away and our attacking players are dreadful. The players seemed to have downed tools with the tactics, the lack of urgency/fight is alarming.
Neil
It makes you wonder what the people who are saying stick with Frank have seen. Have they actually watched us play this season?
James
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Get Involved - 'It's not just the manager'published at 14:22 GMT
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The problems seen now have been a long time coming and not due to Frank. Inadequate recruitment has left the squad very thin of players of top-four quality, particularly during a season involving high numbers of games. The board need to look long and hard at themselves.
Phill
Spurs fired the man who got them to the Champions League final, and the man who won their first trophy in decades. Of course firing Frank now is madness, but he's the manager of a madhouse. Not sure why we expect any different from them by now.
Callum
By now it should be clear that it’s not just about the manager. We’ve had a few of those in the last few years, including some of the best. We need to give Frank time to get his feet properly under the table
Bob

Postpublished at 14:20 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur

Our reporter, George Cummins, from BBC Radio 5 Live, is at today's Tottenham training session and will be bringing live updates.
Thomas Frank led out the players for the session - we will bring you more from the club's training complex when we get it.
Image source, Getty Images
Tough run of fixtures coming up for Tottenhampublished at 14:13 GMT
Tottenham Hotspur

With injuries mounting, whoever is manager at Tottenham over the next month or so will face a difficult run of games.
Spurs' next seven fixtures:
- Borussia Dortmund (h) - Champions League
- Burnley (a)
- Eintracht Frankfurt (a) - Champions League
- Man City (h)
- Man Utd (a)
- Newcastle (h)
- Arsenal (h)

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Get Involved - 'Sacking Frank will not make any difference'published at 14:11 GMT
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Frank to stay until the summer. If there are no improvements in results or the way we are playing, then he goes.
Geoff
It will not make any difference this season by sacking Thomas now. He has improved a lot of things like set pieces, but, like last year, has been undermined by injuries in a key area. Last year it was the defence, this year the attack. Wait until the summer to review his position.
Peter
He is clearly a good manager, it is the players who need to have a look at themselves. Sacking him would be a huge mistake.
Jamie
Davies to undergo ankle surgerypublished at 14:08 GMT
Breaking
Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies will undergo surgery today for a fracture on his left ankle.
Davies sustained the injury during Saturday's defeat by West Ham United.
No timeframe has been put on the Wales international's recovery period.

Could Solanke make squad for Dortmund match?published at 14:07 GMT
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Image source, Getty Images
There is the potential that Dominic Solanke, although currently not registered, could make the Tottenham Hotspur squad for Tuesday's match against Borussia Dortmund.
According to reports, Thomas Frank could bring Solanke into the squad for tomorrow evening - but only at the expense of Mathys Tel.
It will likely be high on the priority list of questions for journalists when they sit down and speak to the Spurs boss later this afternoon.
Tottenham's injury situationpublished at 14:04 GMT
Tottenham Hotspur

The one thing that may buy Thomas Frank some time is the ongoing injury situation at the club.
It has become a recurring theme at Tottenham Hotspur over the past couple of seasons and it's showing no signs of getting better.
And the nightmare doesn't end there. Here's the list of players unavailable for Tuesday's Champions League match at home to Borussia Dortmund:
Injured
- Xavi Simons (doubt)
- Joao Palhinha (doubt)
- Archie Gray (doubt)
- Richarlison
- Ben Davies
- Rodrigo Bentancur
- Mohammed Kudus
- Dejan Kulusevski
- James Maddison
Ineligible
- Micky van de Ven (suspended)
- Dominic Solanke (not registered)
- Yves Bissouma (not registered)
- Radu Dragusin (not registered)
- Conor Gallagher (not registered)
Afcon
- Pape Matar Sarr
Image source, Getty Images

Postpublished at 14:01 GMT

If you're just joining us, welcome. We'll be bringing you the latest from Tottenham's training session and news conference shortly.
- Training - 14:15 GMT
Training is getting under way shortly and it's an 'open training session' - which means we get to peek behind the curtains.
All eyes on the mood in the camp after so much noise and speculation over the past 48 hours. Also, with such an injury hit squad, just who will be training for them?
- News conference - 15:30 GMT
And then, after training, Thomas Frank will speak to the media at 15:30 GMT.
He is, of course, bound to be asked all about his position, whether he's spoken to the powers-that-be at the club and just how he is coping with the pressure he's facing.
Xavi Simons will be sitting alongside his manager at the news conference. Maybe he'll face some awkward questions about Frank, too.
Image source, Getty Images
Can Spurs win over fans by continuing strong Champions League form?published at 13:59 GMT
Tottenham Hotspur

Despite the levels of toxicity rising at Tottennham's home Premier League games, there has not been much sign of dissent from the stands during their Champions League matches.
That anomaly may well be down to Spurs' positive home results in Europe this season.
They have a 100% record from their three home games in the Champions League, with wins and clean sheets coming against Villarreal (1-0), Copenhagen (4-0) and Slavia Prague (3-0).
Spurs are 11th in the Champions League table, having also picked up two points from their three away games, and are well placed to progress into the knockout stages with two games of the league phase remaining - at home to Borussia Dortmund (20 Jan) and away to Eintracht Frankfurt (28 Jan).

'The sound of a fanbase who had given up on their head coach'published at 13:54 GMT
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Thomas Frank's future may lie in the hands of those in power at Tottenham Hotspur, but the court of public opinion has delivered its damning final verdict.
The Dane has been the target for toxicity before as he fails dismally to win over Spurs supporters unconvinced by his pedigree after arriving from Brentford, along with a stodgy style regarded as conservative and dull.
Not like this, though. Not on the levels of fury aimed at Frank at the dramatic conclusion of the 2-1 home defeat by struggling West Ham United.
Frank looked a hapless, beaten figure as he offered polite applause to those who turned on him savagely after Callum Wilson bundled home a stoppage-time winner - the cue for a storm of discontent to be unleashed in his direction.
Spurs fans were chanting "sacked in the morning" at their own manager even during the video assistant referee check for offside that eventually cleared Wilson's winner.
Seconds later, when the final whistle confirmed the latest blow inflicted on Frank, it felt like there was no way back. This was the sound of a fanbase who had given up on their head coach, who no longer wanted him at the club.
Brutal - but this was the inescapable conclusion. Frank was stunned, appearing broken as the pressure increasingly grows on his position.
Image source, Getty Images
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Get Involved - 'Frank came to the club with the wrong attitude'published at 13:50 GMT
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Frank came to the club with the wrong attitude. The club didn't need building, it's established. There is an expectation of how we play, built on our history, as with other clubs. We too have a DNA. There's no joy in our football [under Frank], only confusion and timidity. Goodbye Thomas.
Michael
Frank has to go. Not all his doing. We are hamstrung by a clueless board. Xavi is unproven in this league, but Frank was and it didn't go as planned. Any manager worth anything would go to Man United before even considering the shambolic club that we are right now!!
Colin
Looks to me that Frank has run his time at Spurs, and Glasner wants to leave Palace for a “bigger profile” club. Why don’t both chairmen get together and sort a straight swap of managers, which should be good for both clubs, managers and fans?
Ian

'Once you lose the fanbase, it's very hard'published at 13:46 GMT
Nigel Reo-Coker
Former West Ham midfielder on Football Daily

Image source, Getty Images
If you have lost the crowd, that's the difficult thing. They're not winning at home. The Tottenham fans going to the games are saying they are not liking the football that's being played, it's very negative.
Once you lose the fanbase, it's very hard for the people above Thomas Frank at Tottenham - who might want to give him time but who know they are also part of the problem - to keep him.
The worst thing now is every time Tottenham play, home or away, the fans are booing or protesting. It's not a good look.
Clubs are so worried now about things like image and branding.
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Get Involved - 'Thomas has shown no signs of improvement'published at 13:42 GMT
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I would normally be against sacking a manager too quickly, but Thomas has shown no signs of improvement, and this is the worst I've seen Spurs play in a long time (his underlying stats are worse than Ange's).
Arthur
Grim times. I liked the Frank appointment but it has been a disaster. The players look unmotivated, the defence is chaotic, the attack is utterly toothless, and the vibes around the club need to change fast. I'm afraid a new manager seems like the only option.
Oliver
All this "give him time" is nonsense; he's had 7 months and all that's happened is we've somehow managed to play worse. I wasn't expecting him to turn us into title challengers within 6 months, but better than this garbage!
John

Boring, boring Tottenham...published at 13:39 GMT

Image source, Getty Images
It isn't just the lack of results that has seen scrutiny fall at the feet of Thomas Frank but, perhaps even more so, the quality of football on display for fans.
Tottenham supporters are renowned for wanting fast, free-flowing football and they simply aren't seeing that under Frank.
Even while results weren't going their way under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, the Australian continued to earn plaudits for delivering an exciting brand of football.
Spurs under Frank have been a complete contrast.
During the 0-0 draw with Brentford at the beginning of January, fans chanted "boring, boring Tottenham" as they watched on as Spurs mustered just three shots on target in 90 minutes and produced an xG of 1.01 - a theme that has become common over the past few months.
In fact, throughout 2025-26 so far, only the current bottom three plus Everton and Sunderland produce a lower xG on average than Tottenham.
Frank's bleak win percentagepublished at 13:36 GMT
Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has a lower win percentage than any of his predecessors at the club.
The former Brentford boss has won just 11 of his 32 games in charge, giving him a win percentage of just 34%.
That is significantly lower than Ange Postecoglou (47%), Antonio Conte (54%), Nuno Espirito Santo (53%), Jose Mourinho (52%) and Mauricio Pochettino (55%).