Frank finds room to breathe after Dortmund night
Thomas Frank looked like a man running out of road long before Tottenham kicked off against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. Injuries and a thin squad had boxed him in, scrutiny was mounting, and the Champions League had arrived with Spurs short of credible options.
Frank’s biggest problem was brutally simple: he barely had a team. With only 11 established outfield players available for a European home night, the Tottenham head coach was forced into decisions that felt less like preference and more like survival.
Yet in that bleak context, Frank did the one thing a manager under threat is rarely afforded the confidence to do — he took a risk.
Team sheet twist: Spence and Udogie together
The expectation around the stadium and on the briefing circuit was that Frank would make a straight choice at left-back: Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie. Instead, the teamsheet landed with both names included, and a bigger surprise attached to it — Randal Kolo Muani left on the bench.
It was a selection that read like a roll of the dice and a statement of intent. Frank effectively chose extra security and athleticism over a conventional forward option, prioritising shape and control rather than chasing the match with star power he clearly did not fully trust in the moment.
For Kolo Muani, it was another grim chapter in a Spurs spell that has not ignited. The France international arrived on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain with reputation and pedigree, but his role has shrunk rather than grown. Being omitted from the starting XI on a night Spurs were crying out for game-changers will sting — and it only intensifies the sense that he may come to regret the move.
Europe as shelter from the Premier League storm
Frank’s reward for his bravery was something he has badly needed: breathing space. European nights can offer managers a different kind of protection — not because they are immune from judgement, but because knockout football can reshape narratives quickly. A disciplined performance, a credible plan, and evidence that players are still responding can steady a club when the league form is wobbling.
Tottenham have seen that dynamic before. Like Ange Postecoglou at points during his own turbulent stretches, Frank may discover that Europe is where he can rebuild trust with supporters and, crucially, with the decision-makers above him.
That does not mean the pressure has vanished. Spurs remain a club that measures progress in outcomes, not optics. But by leaning into tactical adventure at a moment when safer choices were available — even with a depleted squad — Frank has at least reminded everyone that Tottenham still have a manager prepared to make brave calls.
If the Premier League is where reputations get bruised, the Champions League might yet be where Frank buys the time he needs to heal this squad — and keep his job.
