Tottenham 'weighing up' sacking Thomas Frank after shocking defeat to West Ham as Spurs fans chant for Dane's dismissal

Spurs go marching down

A week after Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa came another dagger blow to their season as they lost a London derby clash with the Hammers 2-1, courtesy of an injury-time strike from Callum Wilson. Spurs fans were heard singing ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ following a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.

And now a report in The Times says the club are considering sacking their manager following a run of just one win in eight games in all competitions, putting them in a downward spiral and facing a mountain of injuries to key players with time running out in the January window to add desperately-needed additions to a thread-bare squad.

But after defeat to West Ham, Frank claimed he had the full backing of the Spurs leadership group.

Frank: 'I have backing from board'

After the match, Frank spoke to reporters about Spurs fans booing, saying: “It's not a nice feeling, but I understand frustration. We are losing to a big London rival. There is nothing worse. We couldn't win at home, which we work very hard to try to do. Hopefully they [the fans] can see the effort from the boys. They are working very hard. We did everything in the second half.

"Of course I’ve probably had better times, it’s probably not the best time. But I understand, I’m the man in charge. So the blame will go to me. That’s fair, no problem in that sense. As long as they are backing the players, doing everything they can to support them and drive them forward, that’s what we do, and we will keep going forward.

"If you’re not winning enough, we know you will not get enough support from the fans. But when we’re winning, it will change, when we start winning again. Which we will do. I’m not in doubt of that.

"I think also you can look a little bit at the performances. Let’s say the Bournemouth [match, a 3-2 league loss] and Villa [a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup] and this game here, if the players stop running, or stop doing anything, or not working hard, and we are not the team that’s closest to winning, then you can say OK. But I think the team is working very hard."

He added: "I am feeling the backing from everyone, everyone wants the same thing - long-term success. We are doing a lot of things right behind the scenes, but we are not getting the results which is crucial."

Warnock weighs in on manager debate

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The fans had enough. They've been supporting their team today but they want a change. I don't think it's just in the hierarchy of the club but also in the managerial position of Thomas Frank. There was huge, huge pressure on both of these managers today. It looks like Nuno's come out on top."

Win or bust for Frank

The outlook is bleak for Frank and Spurs with a lengthy list of crunch matches coming, but no sign of any light at the end of the tunnel for the regime which started in such promising fashion just six months ago. Victory in midweek over Borussia Dortmund would be welcome, but it’s the away fixture to Burnley which will be worrying Spurs fans the most. The Clarets earned a creditable point at Anfield in their most recent league match and defeat at Turf Moor to another relegation-threatened team would represent a hugely embarrassing blow for Frank.