Problems mount for Tottenham's Frank, but vows to fight on

VIDEO SHOWS: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TRAINING AND PRESS CONFERENCE WITH HEAD COACH, THOMAS FRANK, AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH AT HOME TO BORUSSIA DORTMUND SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 19, 2026) (UEFA – This content can only be used in the reporting of the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 season – no other use allowed. No commercial use. Must on-screen courtesy " UEFA 2026". No resales. No sublicensing. No monetisation.) 1. TOTTENHAM HEAD COACH, THOMAS FRANK, WITH MEMBERS OF COACHING STAFF 2. PLAYERS JOGGING 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HEAD COACH, THOMAS FRANK, SAYING: "I think you're right. I think if your back is against the wall, you fight. And that's what I do: I'm energetic, I fight. And again, it's not about me. We need to win football matches. And we need to win football matches together." 4. NEW SIGNING, CONOR GALLAGHER, TALKING TO FELLOW MIDFIELDER, LUCAS BERGVALL, DURING WARM-UPS/ FRANK WATCHING ON 5. PLAYERS WARMING UP 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HEAD COACH, THOMAS FRANK, SAYING: "We have 11 players available and we maybe have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes, physically. So that's why we need everyone to support us. I mean, everyone to support us from minute one. All of us, especially the team, especially the players, especially if it’s not going too well. We need supporters because if we do get that support, everything can happen."  7. VARIOUS OF RONDO DRILLS 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HEAD COACH, THOMAS FRANK, SAYING: 9. FRANK AND COACHING STAFF WATCHING ON  10. WIDE OF RONDO STORY: The problems continue to mount for embattled Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank with the Dane having only 11 outfield players available for Tuesday's (January 20) crucial Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, but he says he will keep fighting. Frank was mocked by his own fans at the end of Tottenham's 2-1 defeat by West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday, with hundreds of them chanting 'sacked in the morning'. Despite what he describes as a 'media circus' around his future at the London club, Frank insists he still has the backing of the club's hierarchy and can win over the fans. "If your back is against the wall, you fight. I am energetic and I fight. It is not about me, we need to win football matches and we need to do that together," Frank, who said he had lunch with CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, told reporters after training on Monday. Despite woeful domestic form, Tottenham are 11th in the Champions League standings with two games left and victory on Tuesday would give them a great chance to finish in the top eight and qualify automatically for the last 16. However, injuries to the likes of Richarlison, Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies and James Maddison and Micky van de Ven's suspension have left Frank down to the bare bones. "We have 11 players available and we probably have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes," the former Brentford boss explained.  Frank has won only 11 of his first 32 games in charge with his 34% win ratio markedly worse than that of the man he replaced Ange Postecoglou (47%) and other recent Tottenham managers Antonio Conte (54%), Nuno Espirito Santo (53%), Jose Mourinho (52%) and Mauricio Pochettino (55%). Speculation has been rife that the sack is imminent, but Frank was calm and composed on Monday. "I think it is about keeping the noise out, staying calm, carrying on, looking at the performances. Are the players still running? They are running hard. "There are a lot of signs that this is going the right way. We still need to find a way to get over the line and I think we are much closer than we think. "Even the best manager in the world, Pep Guardiola, says 'I am nothing without my players' and it is fair to say they haven't been available enough the whole time."  (Production: Conal Quinn)

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