Make no bones about it, Thomas Frank still has a job at Tottenham Hotspur because of how his side has performed in the Champions League. Spurs haven’t officially clinched their spot in the UCL playoffs just yet, but they’re looking really good right now. They sit fifth in the table, with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt, who sit 33rd and have already been eliminated (hence they have nothing to play for) the only match remaining.
UCL League Phase Finale
Matchday 8 of 8, Tottenham Hotspur at Eintracht Frankfurt
Kickoff: Wed Jan 28, 8pm, Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
Latest on Andy Robertson transfer talks: go here
UCL Standing Tottenham Hotspur 5th, 14 pts, DWLWW Eintracht Frankfurt 33rd, 4 pts, LDLLL
Win Probability: Tottenham Hotspur 49% Draw 25% Eintracht Frankfurt 26%
It’s a completely different reality from how they’ve peformed in the Premier League.
On Saturday, Spurs needed a late minute equalizer from Cristian Romero, just to even salvage a single point, from a clash against a bottom feeder side, in Burnley FC.
It was embarassing, obviously, but it also came dangerously close to being much much worse.
Spurs Team News
There are no real changes to the injury/unavailability situation here. Perhaps Joao Palhinha, who was in contention to make the squad for that disgraceful showing against the lowly Clarets, didn’t get passed fit.
Maybe he does here, or perhaps the return from his undisclosed injury will come next weekend.
Otherwise the same seven Spurs remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees:
James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohamed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies and Richarlison.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.