It is already pretty cleae that Thomas Frank is on the brink of being sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager. On Saturday, Spurs suffered their 12th defeat of the season already across all competitions, but this one may prove to be the most damaging.
At the weekend, the Lilywhites were beaten 2-1 at home by bottom three dwellers and fierce rivals West Ham United. Cristian Romero headed home an equaliser mid-way through the second half, but the Hammers snatched victory from a corner in stoppage time.
Before this, the Irons had not won in ten. In Spurs' previous Premier League outing, Bournemouth were without a win in 11 before beating them 3-2 at Dean Court; Dr Tottenham will see you now.
At home meantime, Tottenham have won just four of their last 36 Premier League outings, while Nuno Espírito Santo has enjoyed as many wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Tottenham Hotspur, two, since April.
Given that they are 14th in the table and out of the FA Cup, patience with Frank is running thin. Widespread reports suggest the Danish manager retains the full support of the board, but that could merely prove to be the dreaded vote of confidence.
Next up, Spurs host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, before traveling to Burnley on Saturday. If Frank is going to turn this seemingly sinking ship around, he must make a bold change ahead of these fixtures.
Thomas Frank must drop previously undroppable figure
Much of the Tottenham-related talk this season has been about their midfield and attack. New recruit Conor Gallagher was thrown in for his debut against West Ham, alongside Archie Gray, which is far more progressive than what Frank has deployed for much of the campaign.
Elsewhere, without Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kuluševski and Richarlison are limited as to what they can do. Dominic Solanke's long-awaited return from injury could be a difference maker.
Nevertheless, one position Frank should seriously consider changing is in goal. Guglielmo Vicario, in trademark fashion, was superglued to his goal line for Wilson's weekend winner.
Guglielmo Vicario's 25/26 Premier League statistics
Statistics | Vicario | PL rank |
|---|---|---|
Saves | 57 | 8th |
Save % | 67.4% | 14th |
Clean sheet % | 31.8% | 9th |
Post-shot xG - G conceded | +0.2 | 12th |
% of crosses stopped | 5.5 | 10th |
Punches | 17 | 8th |
High claims | 16 | 8th |
Passing accuracy | 69.56% | 11th |
Errors leading to a goal | 2 | 1st |
Average rating | 6.93 | 13th |
Vicario's statistics have been generally pretty underwhelming this season. He has been directly at fault for two goals, while ranked 14th in the Premier League when it comes to his save percentage, which isn't great.
Beyond the numbers, just based on the eye test, the Italian continues to be unconvincing. He isn't remotely commanding when it comes to set-pieces, an issue that has been the case ever since he arrived from Empoli.
Having said all of that, there certainly isn't a perfect solution for Frank. Back-up Antonín Kinský has only featured in the EFL Cup this season, not impressing when he featured during October's defeat against Newcastle at St James' Park. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old showed enough last season to suggest he is a competent option that deserves an opportunity, especially given that Vicario continues to be a liability.