Thomas Frank takes subtle pop at Ange Postecoglou amid Spurs pressure | Football | Sport
Archie Gray had drawn Spurs level in the second period, negating an earlier strike from Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw. Nevertheless, Tottenham’s defence was breached by Jacob Ramsey’s effort, resulting in a disheartening loss following their weekend defeat to Manchester United.
Frank’s side now occupy 16th spot in the Premier League standings and sit merely five points clear of the drop zone. That lowly position is fuelling growing speculation about Frank’s future at the club.
Tottenham brought in Frank as their new head coach after Postecoglou’s summer departure, with the previous manager leading the club to a 17th-place Premier League finish last campaign, but also securing Europa League glory. Spurs concluded the previous season seven points above the relegation places, but held the unwanted distinction of being the lowest-ranked team to preserve their Premier League status. Several pundits are suggesting the club may face a relegation scrap this term.
Following the Newcastle loss, Frank referenced Tottenham’s challenges under Postecoglou last season when questioned about this campaign’s string of defeats. He told TNT Sports: “I understand the frustration. I understand that the easiest thing to do is the point at me. That’s fair. I work day and night to do everything I can. But it’s never one person. I think it’s fair to say that this is the situation the team was in last year.”
Spurs’ upcoming fixture sees them welcome Arsenal to their home ground for the North London Derby in the Premier League on February 22, with a 27-point gap currently dividing the two sides; a margin that could widen should the Gunners triumph over Brentford on Thursday evening and secure victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers the following week.
During his post-match press conference, Frank also spoke about his expectations for remaining in charge for the Arsenal clash. Frank added: “Yeah, I’m convinced I will be. I understand the question, and I understand it’s easy to point at me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone.
“If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows, directors, ownership, myself, what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”
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