As always at this time of season, things feel strange at Tottenham Hotspur. Despite their worst-ever Premier League finish last year, they still won the Europa League and thought bringing Thomas Frank in would help steady the ship while remaining competitive in Europe. It’s not entirely worked out.
There is a real familiarity between Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge and Frank’s first campaign in N17. Spurs play well in Europe, are awful domestically, and are plagued by injuries.
Frank has had a tough start to life in north London, with supporters growing frustrated by a season defined by inconsistency. Yes, they have performed well in the Champions League, beating Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund, but domestically, you never know which Spurs will turn up. Still, the win at Frankfurt ensured they won’t feature in the play-off round.
According to Gambling.com, which tracks data from top online casinos in the UK and licensed sportsbooks, Spurs have odds of 33/1 to go all the way in the Champions League, so unless they pull a rabbit out of the hat, they need that league form to improve. Solidifying a top-four spot is realistically the only way they’ll be back in Europe’s premier competition next term.
A defining month ahead
With pressure mounting on Spurs, the fixtures are not getting any easier. The win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League was a stay of execution for Frank, but that is all it should have been.
A strange performance against struggling Burnley was just about salvaged with a late Cristian Romero header. The fans once again voiced their displeasure in Frank’s direction.
“Sacked in the morning” chants were joined by “we want Frank out” calls. The team were booed by the visiting supporters at the end, something which has become routine for Tottenham matches this season. It feels like the relationship is completely broken.
February is where things have to be put right, but the reality is that this is a month where Spurs’ inconsistency could be exposed most. Yes, they picked up a draw against Manchester City, but if Pep Guardiola’s side were at the races, they could have killed the game off at the start of the second half.
There are some big games ahead, and in this article, we assess if Spurs have what it takes to weather the storm and ensure safe passage into March’s judgment fixtures.
Manchester United – Away
This is probably the worst time to play United. The side that Spurs beat in Bilbao to claim the Europa League parted ways with Ruben Amorim at the start of the year and have rediscovered form since. Michael Carrick has supporters believing again after beating City and Arsenal to win his first matches in charge of the Red Devils.
Spurs travel to an Old Trafford that believes again, and that is dangerous. The atmosphere will be hostile, and United’s players will be riding a wave of confidence that has been absent for months. The late comeback against Fulham showed the ground is still alive and ticking. Carrick has restored energy and organisation to a squad that looked broken under Amorim, and the results have followed.
The hope for Spurs is that the early kick-off time keeps them competitive. Early matches can be unpredictable, with both sides struggling to find rhythm, and Tottenham might benefit from United’s tendency to start slowly. But relying on that would be naive given how poorly Spurs have travelled this season.
Newcastle United – Home
One of the sides competing with Spurs for an outside chance of top four, Newcastle United represents another difficult test.
Eddie Howe is having to rebuild his side after losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool over the summer, and while his wingers have struggled to bed in new signings Nick Woltemade and Yohan Wissa on a regular basis, Howe has had Tottenham’s number for a few years now.
The sides shared the points in a 2-2 draw back in December, but the 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the Magpies still haunts Spurs supporters.
Howe’s ability to turn his side on later in the season makes them dangerous, especially midweek when fixture congestion can expose weaknesses.
Arsenal – Home
The big one. This is more than just bragging rights. It is about stopping Arsenal from winning the league.
This is the Gunners’ best chance at a title for 22 years, but with any help from the Spurs faithful, Frank’s men can potentially close what was a seven-point lead at the start of the
