The Champions League Trend That is Keeping Thomas Frank in a Job

Saved by the Bell - Thomas Frank Remains at the Realm, For Now

Thomas Frank has faced his fair share of scrutiny in recent weeks, and you can't say that it's unjustified. One league win in their last seven attempts would have many previous executives out the door. There is that one thing keeping his managerial reign alive: those European nights under the lights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Yet another home victory in the Champions League as Tottenham defeated German giants Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. Spurs captain Cristian Romero made it two in two as he opened the scoring, while Dominic Solanke scored his first goal after a five-month absence due to an ankle injury. Frank gave his plaudits to the fans at the end of the game, knowing there is still plenty of work to do to win them over in the coming weeks. So, what is it with Tottenham and performing in European competition?

Spurs are genuinely unrecognisable in the Premier League and the Champions League...😳📈🏆📉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Yet to concede a goal at home and riding high in the automatic qualification spots in Europe, while back home in England they sit 14th, 10pts above the bottom three 😬

Thomas Frank… pic.twitter.com/x7QF92ckXK

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) January 21, 2026

We saw it with Ange Postecoglou last season. Many joked that he would lead Tottenham to a trophy and relegation in the same season. A joke that very nearly became reality as Spurs won the Europa League while finishing 17th in the Premier League. Now, we are seeing Ange 2.0 in full flow, his role being expertly played by the former Brentford manager. Will this lead to UCL glory? Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one.

Luck of the Draw

It must be said that Tottenham has been blessed with their UCL fixtures this season. Favourable home matches against sides towards the bottom of the table, including Czech Champions Slavia Prague, who have failed to register a win in Europe. That said, Spurs made a great account of themselves in Paris, despite suffering a 5-3 loss to the competition holders. Not that it changes much.

Tottenham fans will be far too used to their side performing in the earlier stages of the competition, building hope among the fanbase before it all comes crashing down at the next hurdle. Spurs have reached the Round of 16 in all four of their previous Champions League campaigns. They have exited the competition at this stage three of these four times, excluding a historic run in the 2018/2019 season that was ended by Liverpool in the final.

5 years ago today: Ajax 2-3 Tottenham. What a night! Lucas Moura ⚽️⚽️⚽️#COYS #THFC
pic.twitter.com/atkRAUrEyE

— Chris Cowlin (@ChrisCowlin) May 8, 2024

A common theme here is disappointment. Europa League aside, the final being a truly horrific watch, may I add, Tottenham fans are all too used to being let down year after year. This leads me to my next point: the highs and lows of Tottenham this campaign.

A Noteworthy Trend

Tottenham in Europe and Tottenham in the Premier League are two different kettles of fish. Spurs bounced back from a London Derby defeat to Chelsea with a stellar UCL performance in November. The start of good things for Spurs? Absolutely not. Frank’s side went five games without a win, including a heavy North London derby defeat to Arsenal, much to the displeasure of the fanbase.

An eventual victory at home to Brentford was followed by a strong win at home to Czech Champions Slavia Prague, though fans had seen this story one too many times before. Consecutive defeats against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool were enough for some to turn against the Danish manager. Spurs would go on to win just one in eight, notably defeated by relegation-threatened West Ham last time out. The Hammers put an end to ten league matches without a win, including a 3-0 hammering away at Wolves. Quite frankly, many thought that this would be the nail in the coffin for the Spurs manager, but the board decided to make their decision after the Dortmund game. When will they learn?

Tottenham when they’re one loss away from sacking the manager pic.twitter.com/EAdM4maNsG

— Cho 🇰🇷 (@thfc_cho) January 20, 2026

Time will Tell

What is the solution for Frank at Tottenham? We have seen far too many managers join and leave the club in recent years; these being established world-class managers that have recognized success at their previous clubs. While Frank looks likely to join the long list, perhaps the issue instead lies with the identity of the club.

Tottenham is recognised as a 'Top Six' Premier League side, despite looking anything but this in recent years. That leads me to my point: do the players feel entitled to win matches based on being recognised as superior to most teams in the league? They certainly play like they do at times. We only really see that eagerness to win when it concerns another top side in the division, as we saw the passion on display in defeat to Liverpool in December. Perhaps a good humbling will work in the best interests of the London club. Then again, this will lead to the inevitable carousel of manager changes and fan meltdowns, so who knows?

Whether it be the case or not, Frank has an uphill task on his hands to keep his job, starting with a key fixture away at Burnley on Saturday.