Three things we learned as Tottenham defeat leaves Frank on the brink

Another home defeat. Another wave of boos. Another afternoon that felt like the end of the road.

West Ham’s dramatic 93rd-minute winner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may come to be remembered as the moment Thomas Frank’s tenure slipped beyond recovery. What was meant to be a turning point instead became a brutal reminder of how far Spurs have fallen — and how little margin for error remains.

Callum Wilson’s late strike sealed a 2–1 victory for West Ham United, their first away league win since August, and left Tottenham supporters openly chanting for Frank’s dismissal at full time.

Here are three things FootballPlace learned from a damaging afternoon in north London.

Thomas Frank arrived at this fixture under pressure. He left it looking like a man out of answers.

The atmosphere had turned toxic long before Wilson’s winner, but conceding a stoppage-time goal to their fiercest rivals pushed supporter anger to breaking point. Chants of “you’re going to be sacked in the morning” echoed around the stadium, a public verdict that felt impossible to ignore.

Spurs briefly thought they had salvaged a point when Cristian Romero equalised after Crysencio Summerville’s early opener. But defensive fragility resurfaced when it mattered most.

Tottenham hierarchy have spoken repeatedly about long-term thinking, yet the evidence on the pitch makes that stance harder to justify by the week. Games against West Ham and Burnley were widely seen internally as Frank’s last opportunity to show progress.

After this, serious conversations behind the scenes now feel inevitable. Frank cut a beaten figure on the touchline — and it is increasingly difficult to see a route back.

Thrown straight into the starting XI, Conor Gallagher experienced Tottenham under Frank in its rawest form.

With Rodrigo Bentancur injured, Gallagher was paired with Archie Gray in a 4-2-3-1 system and immediately set the tone — receiving treatment inside 15 seconds after two full-blooded challenges.

His energy was unquestionable. Gallagher pressed aggressively, showed for the ball and tried to impose tempo. But as West Ham grew into the contest, the scale of Spurs’ structural issues became clear. No single midfielder could paper over them.

Tottenham were stretched repeatedly in the first half, and although Gallagher worked tirelessly, he struggled to influence proceedings in possession. Alongside the returning Yves Bissouma, he helped Spurs rally after the break, but the game remained scrappy and disjointed.

This was a debut that underlined effort — and highlighted the depth of the problems around him.

Frank’s task is being made harder by an injury list that refuses to ease.

Tottenham are already without Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison for extended spells, forcing the club to move quickly for Gallagher. That he went straight into the starting XI spoke volumes.

Concerns deepened when Gray failed to reappear for the second half after taking several heavy knocks, and the outlook worsened further when Ben Davies was stretchered off with a knee injury.

There were audible groans when Xavi Simons went down in the second half — a reflection of collective anxiety rather than the severity of the incident itself. Spurs simply cannot afford more absences.

Club executive Vinai Venkatesham has previously acknowledged supporter concern around injury management. This issue predates Frank, but it continues to undermine any attempt at stability or momentum.

Tottenham’s hierarchy face a defining decision in the coming days. With fixtures piling up and confidence evaporating, delaying action risks further damage. Whether Frank is given more time or replaced, clarity — and direction — is urgently required to stop the season spiralling further.

Should Tottenham pull the trigger now on Thomas Frank’s future, or would another managerial change only deepen the chaos?