WHY DID CEO VINAI VENKATESHAM OMIT THOMAS FRANK’S NAME FROM HIS OPEN LETTER?
Thomas Frank remains in charge for the Dortmund clash, but for how long? Discover the latest on the Spurs board's secret talks.
Thomas Frank will lead Tottenham into their Champions League showdown with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
He’s set to face the press at 3:30 pm on Monday, and you can bet his future with Spurs will be the main topic. The pressure’s really piling on after that ugly home loss to West Ham. Fans booed him off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the mood around the club is tense.
Frank insists the board still has his back. But the truth? His job hangs in the balance. The club’s top brass is still weighing up whether to stick with him or look for a fresh start. Some senior players aren’t convinced by his approach either, and that’s not helping. Behind closed doors, the board’s been debating if Frank’s position has already become impossible.
Vinai Venkatesham, the CEO, is right at the heart of the decision-making. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the dressing room is, frankly, a mess. Some have even called it “toxic”.
After the West Ham loss, Frank didn’t hide from the criticism. He said, “Of course, I’ve probably had better times. It’s not the best moment, but I get it. I’m the manager, so the blame lands on me. That’s fair. No problem with that. As long as people back the players and push them forward, that’s what matters. We’ll keep fighting.
“If you’re not winning, the fans won’t support you. When we start winning again—and we will—the mood will shift. Today, we could’ve won 2-1. No excuses, but we’re down to the bare bones with injuries, and we need our forwards to put away some chances. I can’t fix that instantly, but I promise you, I give everything every single day. I feel the trust from the people around me, and there’s only one thing to do: just keep going.”
Frank left Brentford for Spurs in the summer, taking over from Ange Postecoglou. Seven months in, things haven’t gone to plan. Tottenham have managed just seven wins in 22 Premier League games under him. Cup runs didn’t last long either—Newcastle dumped them out of the League Cup, and Aston Villa did the same in the FA Cup.
So, who takes over if Frank gets the boot? The club’s looking at a few names: Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, and Xabi Alonso are in the mix. But there’s some hesitation about going back to Pochettino. On talkSPORT’s Inside Spurs YouTube show, Sonny Snelling warned, “Never go back to an ex. I feel like that ship’s sailed, which is a shame. He had some good spells at PSG and Chelsea, but things have moved on. Honestly, I’m not even sure who’s next. I’d go for a young coach, someone open to fresh ideas and ready to build something new. For me, Sebastian Hoeneß at Stuttgart stands out. He’s won their first trophy in ages, improved players, and they’ve got Angelo Stiller—he’s caught Real Madrid’s eye and looks like a real talent.”
Tottenham host Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night in the Champions League, then heads to Burnley for a tough weekend fixture.
AWONIYI DOUBLE LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ON THE VERGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Nottingham Forest moved closer to safety with a 3-1 win over Chelsea, while West Ham fell into the relegation zone after Spurs won.
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Nottingham Forest came out of the weekend looking pretty safe after pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea. They’re almost clear of the relegation mess. Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa shook things up too, and now West Ham are back in the bottom three, running out of time faster than ever.
Forest have stepped up just when they needed to, leaving West Ham and Tottenham behind with a string of solid performances. Honestly, no one saw this coming, especially since Vitor Pereira shuffled his lineup with eight changes, fresh off a Europa League win against Aston Villa.
Even so, Forest were ahead within 90 seconds, thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s quick strike. By the 15th minute, Igor Jesus calmly buried a penalty after Malo Gusto’s reckless foul in the box. Chelsea had a chance to get back in it, but Cole Palmer wasted a penalty right before the break after a scary head collision involving Jesse Derry.
Awoniyi doubled down and scored again early in the second half, pushing Forest six points ahead of West Ham with just three games left.
West Ham’s weekend started badly; they looked flat and lost to Brentford. Things got worse Sunday night when Tottenham pulled off their first back-to-back Premier League wins since August 2025, beating a heavily rotated Aston Villa side 2-1.
Forest is now out of West Ham’s reach, or almost. Tottenham’s still close enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to worry, but with three tough games coming up, Spurs could stay up even without another win, unless West Ham digs deep and pulls off something unexpected before their home finale against Leeds.
Right now, Forest can practically taste safety. Spurs finally see a way out after weeks of struggle. As for West Ham, they’re left hoping for a miracle, a last-minute twist to dodge the drop.
CESC FABREGAS CONFIRMS INTEREST IN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AMID CHELSEA'S MANAGER SEARCH
As Chelsea searches for a new manager, Cesc Fabregas breaks his silence on his future at Como and his Premier League ambitions.
Cesc Fabregas recalls exactly how a conversation with Jose Mourinho prompted him to join Chelsea, despite having the opportunity to return to Arsenal.
After winning six trophies in just three seasons, the Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for the second time in 2014. That summer, Fabregas made a move back to the Premier League, signing with Chelsea for about €33 million.
He already knew English football well. Fabregas had arrived at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2003 and made 212 Premier League appearances for them. When he decided to leave Barcelona, Manchester City also wanted him, but Chelsea convinced him, mostly thanks to Mourinho.
Talking with talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings on YouTube, Fabregas laid out how it all happened. “Honestly, when I made up my mind to leave Barcelona, my first thought was just to go back to Arsenal. They had this buyback clause; they had two weeks to use it after I told them I was leaving. They knew about it but didn’t take it. That surprised me a little, but in the end, I had to think about my career. I was 27, at the peak of my career, and I wanted to continue performing and winning trophies. City and Chelsea were both options.
“But when Mourinho spoke to me, that was it. He showed me his plans for the team and told me about Diego Costa, Courtois, and Filipe Luis and how, with those guys, we’d win the league. He was right, by the way. We won both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.”
Fabregas wasted no time winning over Chelsea fans. On his debut at Burnley, he set up two goals, including a stunning assist for Andre Schurrle. He finished his first season at Chelsea with five goals and 24 assists, along with Premier League and League Cup medals.
Things dipped the next season. Fabregas got just 15 goal contributions, and Chelsea slipped all the way to tenth. But when Antonio Conte took charge in 2016-17, they bounced back, and Fabregas picked up another league title.
He added an FA Cup win in 2018, his second, after his earlier one with Arsenal, and left for Monaco a few months later. His last Chelsea match came in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. When he got subbed off, he couldn’t hold back tears.
Chelsea supporters still sing about him; that “Oh, Fabregas is magic...” chant sticks around. And with his name in the conversation for a possible return, maybe they haven’t seen the last of him yet.
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