Thomas Frank appears closer to the end than ever before following Tottenham’s latest 1-2 home defeat to 18th-placed West Ham.
What an awful season this is turning out to be for Tottenham Hotspur, and that feeling is only made worse by the contrast with the optimism you would normally expect from a side that lifted a European trophy not long ago.
Fresh off an FA Cup exit last weekend, Spurs failed to capitalise against a West Ham team that arrived in north London winless in the league since November and very much staring relegation in the face.
Frank named what looked like his strongest possible XI, handing Conor Gallagher his debut in midfield, while Lucas Bergvall and Yves Bissouma were named on the bench. Joao Palhinha, meanwhile, missed out entirely after picking up a knock.
First half: Tottenham 0-1 West Ham
With the mood already sour before kick-off as Spurs supporters staged a protest against the club’s hierarchy outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home side at least began the game on the front foot, with Mathys Tel blazing over from close range early on.
That promising start ultimately counted for little, however, as West Ham punished Spurs 15 minutes in. After some neat play inside the home side’s half, Crysencio Summerville cut inside before his effort deflected off Micky Van de Ven and beyond Guglielmo Vicario to give the visitors the lead.
Matters further worsened for Tottenham, as Ben Davies was forced off on a stretcher moments later, with Djed Spence introduced in his place.
Spurs briefly threatened a response when Alphonse Areola produced excellent back-to-back saves to deny Wilson Odobert and Spence, while Jarrod Bowen thought he had doubled West Ham’s advantage at the other end, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Vicario was required again before the interval, producing a superb full-stretch save to claw away Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header, ensuring Tottenham went into the break only a goal behind.
Second half: Tottenham 1-2 West Ham
Frank’s half-time change raised eyebrows, with Archie Gray withdrawn for Yves Bissouma, marking the Malian’s first appearance of the season.
Bissouma nearly made an immediate impact, as a perfectly timed sliding challenge from Micky Van de Ven sparked a move that ended with the midfielder forcing Areola into action with a curling effort.
Just as West Ham began to look out of energy, and countless deliveries had come and gone, one of Pedro Porro’s crosses finally found its mark, allowing Cristian Romero to power home a thumping header and lift the stadium.
Pedro Porro produced a brilliant block in stoppage time to deny substitute Callum Wilson what looked like a certain winner, but not for long, as the English forward managed to scrappily tap it home for the resulting corner to restore the visitors’ lead.
FT: TOTTENHAM 1-2 WEST HAM
Spurs Web man of the match: Cristian Romero
What’s next for Spurs?
If this were Tottenham under Daniel Levy of old, Thomas Frank would almost certainly already be out of a job. From handing Bournemouth their first league points since November, to crashing out of the FA Cup, and now gifting another win to a side winless since the same month, the sequence of results has been nothing short of unacceptable.
It is increasingly difficult to find a Spurs supporter willing to show patience or sympathy towards Frank after this display, yet despite the near-universal frustration among the fanbase, the board appear set to continue backing the Danish head coach.
The challenge does not ease up either, with the fixtures only getting tougher, and a crucial Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund now waits.