Tottenham Hotspur

Bardi
Fan writer

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For Thomas Frank, December and the new year came straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. Full of misery, dark evenings and despair and, with Dortmund up next, it seemed like Tuesday night might be the closing pages of his story.

But it wasn't.

Instead, Dortmund turned up bearing gifts. If only everyone who came to N17 was a guest this generous.

Spurs' problems at home are well documented, therefore Dortmund deciding to travel all that way without a system, discipline or plan was very strange. From the opening minutes, they seemed surprised by Frank's recent chaos tactic and before they had a chance to organise themselves, they were two goals and one man down.

It was the perfect night for Frank when, for the first time since he took charge, everything slid into place. Even his controversial decision to restore Dominic Solanke to the squad at the expense of Mathys Tel worked out. If on his way home he stopped to buy a lottery ticket, I wouldn't have blamed him.

At the heart of this improvement was Xavi Simons, who, finding himself surrounded by familiar foes once again, showed the class and invention that convinced us to spend so much money on him.

It's been a real Jekyll and Hyde season for the Dutchman so far. On the European nights where the opposition has been more forgiving, he's looked the part, whilst in the Premier League he's failed to establish himself.

This is one of the many failings of Frank so far this season. When the matches have posed a question of his tactics or players, he's been unable to solve the riddle.

The win, no matter how the club spins it on social media over the next few days, will do little to lift the tension around the fanbase. We've failed spectacularly with the bread and butter games of the Premier League.

The cups couldn't save Ange Postecoglou and direct progress through to the knockout stage, although welcome, will be unlikely to save Frank.

The only thing that can save him would be a story that takes us to Hungary on Saturday 30 May and not even Dickens could write that.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch, external

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We asked for your views on Spurs' Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: That's better. Played with purpose, energy and quite a lot of control.

Roger: A good, positive first half, albeit against 10 men. But like all season, this team is incapable of maintaining a performance for 90 minutes. I was optimistic when Thomas Frank was appointed but, unfortunately, his team selection and tactics have been poor and I don't see a single player who has improved under his coaching. This is not a great group of players but he is not getting anything like the best out of what he's got - and we saw that again.

Terry: It's nice to say that Spurs have actually won a game, but watching it wasn't. For two-thirds of the game, they were playing against 10 men and should certainly have made more of that advantage. But a win is a win and Frank must be a very relieved manager with that result. It would be nice if they could get a win in the league now. Fingers crossed.

Charlie: Chuffed, to be honest. I'm never 'manager out' but Frank didn't help himself. If he takes this win and builds huge momentum, then all the impatient people can go and sit on the fence and be quiet.

Lee: I really don't understand Tottenham this season. We are playing like two different teams in different competitions. In the Premier League we are appalling and playing well under the bar we should be, but in the Champions League we are unbeaten at home in eight games (since 19 February 2020). Why can't we play like this in the Premier League? We were so dominant in the first half. Dortmund couldn't handle us and Pedro Porro and Djed Spence were amazing down the wings. Xavi Simons had his best game since joining and is an essential player for our squad. I just want to see us play like we do in the Champions League in the Premier League.

Ashleigh: About time there was some end product from Wilson Odobert. A hugely important victory at last. However, must continue to progress at Burnley at the weekend.

George: Spurs at it again with a great first half and dreadful second half. By looking at the smiles we were seeing from the players in the second half, you would think we were on top throughout, but we were actually awful. They need to start taking it more seriously and not settling for half a performance.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Despite Tottenham's result on Tuesday - and credit to them because they pulled off a performance for their manager - if they lose to Burnley at the weekend then Thomas Frank is right back under the cosh.

That will be the problem moving forward for the Spurs boss - he is always one defeat away from a crisis. And I think the Tottenham board is aware of that.

The club hierarchy isaware of all the difficulties and the problems that need sorting with the squad, but I think it is also aware of the ill feeling towards Frank from the supporters.

That will be a difficult one for him to navigate.

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Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Spurs "played for their manager" in Tuesday's Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

A strong first-half performance meant under-pressure Thomas Frank's side moved up to fourth in the league phase table and avoided the boos that accompanied Saturday's damaging home defeat by West Ham.

"A hugely important result for Frank," Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I'm a big advocate for giving a good coach and a good manager time.

"He was seen as the right man for the job in the summer and you don't go from 17th in the Premier League last season to challenging for Champions League places overnight.

"He needs to bring players in. There's a dressing room unbalanced in certain areas and there are players that have to take responsibility for the performances they've been giving in recent weeks.

"Money has been grossly overspent on wrong signings - Frank has been the victim of that. There have been injuries, suspensions, players missing.

"Against Dortmund, he had 13 players out. Before kick-off you looked at Dortmund, who were unbeaten in seven games, and everything seemed stacked against Tottenham. The atmosphere was so toxic at the weekend and it was only three-quarters full on Tuesday.

"Those who did come expected an underwhelming performance and to potentially be rolled over. The exact opposite happened in the first half. He got a tune out of his players and it is now a platform for him to build on.

"What I saw was not a performance where the manager had lost the dressing room.

"It wasn't full here - the fans voted with their feet - but that was a group of players that played for their manager.

"Frank is the right man for the job. Give him time. I don't think the problems lie with him."

Listen to the full episode of Football Daily on BBC Sounds

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking after his side's Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund:

"Very happy that we won the game, for various reasons.

"The main being that I thought we had a very good performance, especially first half. I really liked how we started the game. Front foot, aggressive, forward, positive so that was very good.

"We scored two good goals, lots of positives from that, and a clean sheet as well. Of course, I would have liked to have kept the ball a bit better in the second half but we haven't won as much as we've wanted to, especially at home, so it was important to get that over the line.

"You often see that, 11 against 10 that can happen. I think first half, you felt it could be a special European night, the fans were absolutely great and really behind the team so happy with that."

On the fans: "They were really behind the team. It was a fantastic thing to hear that atmosphere and energy and how that transmitted to the players. That was special."

On Burnley next: "We need to bring this win, this performance, momentum into Burnley and we need to win."

On top-eight finish: "Of course, it would be amazing to do that. First Burnley, then we can focus on Frankfurt afterwards."

On Dominic Solanke's goal: "I think it's fair to say the margins haven't always been completely with us and you need that sometimes.

"The performance backed up with two things, the second goal but also the red card. It's a red card but you don't just get that, those have gone against us so good performances but also the margins you always need."

On Xavi Simons' performance: "First and foremost, there were many good bits and I liked his mentality to push through with an injury and play with pain.

"He played with determined and focus and I think he had some decisive actions."

On building on this win: "I think this is the eighth game in a row where we've done lots right, now we've got a win as well. That means we look forward to another result on Saturday."

On Lucas Bergvall injury: "They are assessing him now so we will know more on Thursday."

Did you know?

• In Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray and Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham, this was only the fourth UEFA Champions League match in which both sides started an English player aged 20 or younger. Three of the four have involved Borussia Dortmund fielding either Jude or Jobe Bellingham (also Jude Bellingham home and away v Man City with Phil Foden, in April 2021).

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

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There is no doubt this was a result Thomas Frank badly needed - in fact a win might not have been significant enough if the performance was not there.

Fortunately for the ex-Brentford boss it was, at least in the first half.

Few fans on the way to the stadium seemed confident of getting a win, let alone a victory earned by an impressive attacking display at times - an area Spurs have often struggled to produce during Frank's tenure so far.

Work rate, intensity and desire were all there as Tottenham produced a number of decent chances in the first half to go with their two goals, with Djed Spence and Xavi Simons firing over, while Wilson Odobert also saw a shot saved.

The sending off for Dortmund undoubtedly aided Spurs, but they had been playing well before then and ultimately fully deserved the win.

A less impressive second half will mean doubts remain over Frank in the minds of some Spurs fans, who will want to see more performances like the first 45 minutes if they are to believe the Dane is the right man for the long term.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Spurs' display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, who said yesterday he was down to 11 fit senior outfield players for tonight's game, has made five changes from the weekend.

Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Djed Spence, Lucas Bergvall and Dominic Solanke come in.

Ramy Bensebaini has recovered from illness to start for Borussia Dortmund, while Jobe Bellingham also starts for the German side.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Danso, Udogie, Gray, Bergvall, Odobert, Simons, Spence, Solanke. Subs: Kinsky, Muani, Austin, Scarlett, Olusesi, Thompson, Hardy, Byfield, Williams-Barnet, Akhamrich, Rowswell.

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini, Yan Couto, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson, Adeyemi, Brandt, Guirassy. Subs: Beier, Duranville, Chukwuemeka, Silva, Can, Sule, Ryerson, Anselmino, Ostrzinski, Meyer, Mane.

There are nine games in the Champions League on Tuesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Kairat Almaty v Club Brugge (15:30)

• Bodo/Glimt v Man City (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Copenhagen v Napoli

• Inter Milan v Arsenal

• Olympiacos v Bayer Leverkusen

• Real Madrid v Monaco

• Sporting v Paris St-Germain

• Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Villarreal v Ajax

Kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bodo/Glimt v Man City" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund",

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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Is it too early to consider a relegation battle?

Thomas Frank is still the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur. How long this remains to be the case is anyone's guess.

Up until now, the board has exercised astonishing patience with Frank - particularly when you consider how ruthlessly some of his predecessors have been removed.

Nuno Espirito Santo was given the boot well before Christmas. Even our beloved Mauricio Pochettino had to make do with scribbling a farewell message across a tactics board, so swift was his departure once the decision was finally taken.

However, yet another embarrassing loss at home – this time to 18th-place West Ham – has tested the resolve of even Frank's most fervent supporters within the club's hierarchy.

The reality is Spurs are 14th in the Premier League, and only 10 points above the relegation zone.

Clearly, the issues run much deeper than the head coach. However, it is time for the board to admit that Frank is not the solution, but a significant part of the problem instead. He has struggled to make his mark on this squad of players, who are looking like a group of individuals thrown together and told to work out the puzzle for themselves.

As a fan, relegation is inconceivable, but having failed to pick up points against so-called 'easier' opposition, we now face a series of fixtures that could see us plummet even further down the table.

John Heitinga joined Spurs last week as our new assistant coach and, much like Conor Gallagher, must be wondering what on earth he has signed up for. It could turn out to be the role of caretaker manager.

Either way, the board must act now to ensure we are nowhere near the bottom of the table come the end of the season.

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Tottenham fan Chris Cowlin "just can't see this working" with Thomas Frank, but former goalkeeper Paul Robinson feels he needs more time as "a good manager will reap the rewards eventually".

The Spurs head coach is under heavy scrutiny after a poor run of form, particularly at home, has left his side 14th in the Premier League table and out of both domestic cups.

Frank, who only replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer, has been booed from the stands and taunted by the club's own supporters over recent weeks.

"I feel like a large majority of the fans have given up on Thomas Frank," Cowlin told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"We've heard 'you're getting sacked in the morning' before the final whistle against West Ham on Saturday, then 'boring, boring Tottenham' away at Brentford, and boos for the manager and the team throughout the campaign so far.

"I feel like this season has been a bit of a disaster. The club are trying to stick with him, they want this to be a long-term plan, they want this be a long-term manager at the club, but sadly I just can't see this working.

"I'm not putting this all on Thomas Frank. We should have done a lot more in the transfer window to back him.

"But when you lose the fans, particularly the away fans, I'm not sure how a manager can come back from this."

Reports earlier this week suggested the club were considering sacking the ex-Brentford boss, however, in his news conference on Monday, Frank insisted he had a "feeling of trust" from the board.

"We live in a world now where you lose three or four games and the manager is put immediately in the spotlight and the scrutiny turns on to him and his job," Robinson said.

"Whereas actually, I've always said the greatest gift you can give any manager or coach is time, because a good manager will reap the rewards eventually.

"His managerial career at Tottenham is still very much in its infancy and I think we are guilty of reacting very quickly. You forget this team finished bottom of the rest last season without getting relegated.

"Yes, they are currently the Europa League champions, but how poor they were last season, then I think this season is an addition to where they finished last. It is going to take time to improve a squad that was not good enough to compete at both levels."

Which side of the discussion are you on? Who do you agree with?

Make your choice here

Listen back on BBC Sounds

Watch the New York Times' Rory Smith give his thoughts on the current state of Tottenham and why he everything the club does "ends up feeling like disappointment" as it navigates lofty ambitions and it's place in English football's hierarchy.

"It brings a pressure, having 60,000 people there," Smith BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"It is the best stadium in Britain and one of the best in Europe. It feels like super-club stadium, but the reality is Tottenham don't have the money to be a super-club.

"Fifth or sixth is a par finish for them.

"The sense that I get is that they are kind of trapped. They really want to see themselves a a title-contending, Champions League-qualifying, big team.

"But there are always five teams ahead of you. It feels like everything Spurs do ends up feeling like disappointment even if it isn't."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

With the news that Ben Davies is to undergo surgery on the fractured ankle he sustained in Tottenham's 2-1 defeat against West Ham United on Saturday, the Welshman's latest injury could bring the curtain down on his 12-year stay in north London.

The defender has scored eight goals in 245 appearances for the club since he and Michel Vorm joined from Swansea City in a £10m swap deal involving Gylfi Sigurdsson in July 2014. A one-year contract extension triggered by the club last June expires this summer.

If released, it would mark a sad ending for a reliable performer, signed by Mauricio Pochettino, who is just two games shy of equalling his former team-mate Harry Kane's club record of 76 European appearances.

Although no longer considered a first-choice pick, the numbers over the years show that Davies, 32, has been a solid asset for Spurs, who boast a better win percentage with him in the team.

Saturday's loss to West Ham was just his second league start of a season blighted firstly by a knee injury, then by a thigh problem, following on from a similarly stop-start campaign in 2024-25.

Davies required oxygen as he was stretchered off after a lunge on Jarrod Bowen – for which he was booked - in the build-up to the Hammers' opening goal.

Tottenham have not given a timeframe on how long the 100-times capped Wales skipper will be out for, but he must surely be at risk of missing his country's World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 26 March – plus the potential play-off final and tournament itself, if they qualify.

The New York Times' Rory Smith believes Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is in "purgatory" and only remains in his position for the midweek Champions League game against Borrussia Dortmund because "there is no obvious replacement".

"The reason Thomas Frank gets the Dortmund game isn't because they are adamant it is going to work, it is because they don't know what to do if they sack him," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"There is no Antonio Conte lying on the beach as there was when Nuno left. There is no obvious replacement.

"It feels a bit like Thomas Frank is in purgatory here."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Tottenham forward Mathys Tel is said to be bemused at being left out of the Champions League squad for the second time this season.

The 20-year-old was not included in boss Thomas Frank's initial squad in September, but was eventually added to replace a previously injured Dominic Solanke in December.

However, with Ricarlison now injured, Frank has recalled Solanke at the expense of Tel.

Before this, Tel had asked for an opportunity to leave the club on loan in January to improve his chance of making France's World Cup squad, but has so far not been allowed to do so.

Liverpool could move to replace Ibrahima Konate with Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, with Real Madrid also paying attention to the 24-year-old Netherlands defender's future. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

George Cummins
BBC Radio 5 Live

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This is the second pre-match news conference in a row that Thomas Frank has been very positive despite the despair from Tottenham supporters.

The head coach said he is "ready for the fight" and is convinced he can win back the Tottenham fans. But, if he is to do that, he will have to do it the hard way.

They only have 11 outfield senior players for Tuesday's Champions League match at home to Borussia Dortmund. Injuries have been a theme of Frank's reign.

He has not managed to start Dejan Kulusevki, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison on the pitch together this season. Now he has Richarlison out for seven weeks too.

They look a bit lame in attack and Guglielmo Vicario has not been in the best form at the other end of the pitch. The problems are mounting for the Spurs boss.

He said he had lunch with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange on Monday. They want him to succeed, but the performance and crowd reaction on Tuesday night may decide Frank's future.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said they are "a little bit limited" in who can play because of Spurs' long injury list, with Frank saying there are only 11 first-team players available.

• Xavi Simons "has a swollen ankle" and he didn't train on Monday, but he will "play through pain" because of a lack of other options. Frank added: "We have three players that need to push massively to get through 90 minutes."

• On whether discussions with the board have taken place over his position: "There is a backing and support. I had lunch with them today and it is all good. It's part of the media circus."

• The Dane said the players need the support on Tuesday against "a very good German side" because "if we keep the support then magic can happen".

• More from Frank on fans not backing him: "It's not about me, it's about supporting the team and supporting the players. I am happy to take the blame as long as everyone supports the players. If your back is against the wall then you fight and that is what I do. It's not about me, we need to win football matches and we need to win together."

• He said his best players "haven't been available enough" this season so it has been "more difficult, but we still need to find a way" to get results.

• On what they are doing: "There's a lot of signs that it's going the right way. We are much closer than we think so we just need to keep going."

• Frank confirmed Dominic Solanke is part of the Champions League named squad and Mathys Tel has been withdrawn. On dropping Tel and how supporters will take it, he said: "I do not know. I hope people understand that it is not a straightforward decision. It is him or Dom [Solanke] in the team tomorrow. That is the decision. I believe it is the right one and that is what I went with."

Follow all of Monday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news