Thomas Frank was pictured drinking out of an Arsenal-branded coffee cup before Tottenham's defeat at Bournemouth on Thursday night
John Cross
14:25, 08 Jan 2026
Thomas Frank was pictured drinking out of an Arsenal-branded coffee cup
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Thomas Frank was pictured drinking out of an Arsenal-branded coffee cup
Whether he likes it or not, Thomas Frank's time as Tottenham manager will forever be associated with a coffee cup. An Arsenal coffee cup.
There he is, the Tottenham boss photographed clutching a cup bearing his club's fierce rivals' name and badge in all its glory. The image ranks amongst the greatest, most absurd football blunders. Similar to a struggling manager positioned beneath an exit sign.
How do we recall Steve McClaren? The England boss also dubbed the Wally With The Brolly from that wet evening at Wembley.
Ex-Everton manager Ronald Koeman famously had to swap his Christmas tree because it featured red baubles. Big Ron Atkinson entering the incorrect dugout for his debut match in charge of Nottingham Forest.
Harry Kane, Tottenham icon, will never live down being photographed in an Arsenal kit with his hair coloured red from his spell on their books as a youth.
Koeman, Atkinson and Kane have arguably moved past those images. McClaren hasn't. And I'm uncertain whether Frank can either.
Nothing is working out for Frank at present - either on the field or away from it. The Arsenal coffee cup was, naturally, left behind after the Gunners triumphed at Bournemouth last Saturday. Frank innocently collected it and used it to drink his coffee.
Frank stated it would be "completely stupid" to suggest he had knowingly done it and confessed he was irritated even to be questioned about it. However, the truth is that most football enthusiasts have already seen the doctored images circulating on social media, poking fun at the Spurs manager.
Images of Frank in his Arsenal pyjamas on an Arsenal bedspread, Frank in an Arsenal dressing gown sipping from an Arsenal mug, and Frank being interviewed by Robbie on Arsenal Fan TV as if he were Ty.
While these AI-generated images will eventually fade away, the real coffee cup photo will persist, providing yet another point of criticism for Spurs fans.
This comes on top of uninspiring football, excessive set-pieces, and a manager who has failed to win over the supporters. And that's the crux of the issue with this photo. Judging by their performance levels, it doesn't seem like the players are fully committed.
Now, the fans have to deal with this coffee cup blunder. Will Frank be given the chance to rectify things? That's one question.
But does he have the backing of the fans, which he undoubtedly needs? Does it really matter?
Isn't it all just a bit of fun? Yes, probably. It's similar to a good friend of mine, a die-hard Spurs supporter, who received a JVC stack system for Christmas back in the 90s.
He used a pair of pliers to remove the logos from the stereo because they used to sponsor Arsenal. We still chuckle about it. There's nothing quite like football fans. And, unfortunately, it seems that Frank isn't quite grasping that either.
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