Tottenham could win five in a row but Danny Murphy would still be wrong about Thomas Frank

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Danny Murphy believes that Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham has been hampered by injuries, and he’s called for the fans to give him time.

Spurs suffered yet another defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they were eliminated from the FA Cup third round for the first time since the 2013/14 season.

😠 Fill in the blank: I blame ________________ for Tottenham’s shocking form!

Thomas Frank, injuries, the board or a combination of issues?

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In the aftermath, Murphy can’t quite understand why the Dane is under so much pressure, given the circumstances with injuries and lack of time to deliver his message.

But as the Match of the Day pundit also highlighted, style of play is paramount for Spurs fans, and regardless of a few good positive results, it’s hard to see the Dane ever implementing a brand of football which will appease supporters.

Danny Murphy is wrong about Thomas Frank at Tottenham

Danny Murphy is so wrong to suggest that Tottenham Hotspur fans should be patient with Thomas Frank, given the lack of green shoots.

The most damning moment from Saturday’s defeat to Villa was the fact that Spurs looked considerably better when Frank’s tactics were abandoned in the second 45 minutes, and the team attacked.

Taking off Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel seemed to halt Tottenham’s momentum, with the manager’s in-game management being another key issue.

Tottenham do have a growing list of injuries, and it’s fair to suggest he is struggling due to that, but the team’s lack of identity highlights how the issues run deeper.

Speaking about the Danish coach’s struggles, Murphy told BBC MOTD: “The style, in trying to find one that he can stick to, because sometimes as a manager you have to change what you’re doing tactically and stylistically because the results are dictating that.

“You want to be a free-flowing creative side, but stop the rot, let’s get some results, which he did. But the fans have an expectation level, which has been there for a long time now in terms of the style, so he’s got to keep that in mind.

“Ultimately, at any football club, and especially here and at any of the big ones, you’ve got to get the fans on board. Losing games here (at home) is not going to help him do that.

“He’s got great experience, he’s a clever guy. He’s got a lot of injuries. I think they just bite their lip a little bit and try to stick with him for a little while.”

It’s hard to see that ever becoming a reality at Spurs, as six months into his project, the plan to attack remains incoherent.

Currently, there is an over-reliance on players like Xavi Simons, Odobert and Tel to drive the ball up the pitch, which just isn’t sustainable.

The Spurs faithful have lost a lot of patience with Frank, and the former Brentford boss is quickly running out of time to show signs that things can improve.

Xavi Simons can help save Thomas Frank’s job at Tottenham

Simons probably produced his best display in a Spurs shirt so far against Villa, as he took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half.

The 22-year-old completed 30 of his 32 passes and won six duels in total, which was a testament to his brilliant attitude to drag the team back into the game.

The Lilywhites have really missed the Dutch international due to suspension, and that quickly became apparent against Villa.

Frank must now persist with Randal Kolo Muani, Odobert, Tel and Simons as his attacking four moving forward, if he is to stand any chance of surviving.