Tottenham Hotspur's crisis has deepened.
Thomas Frank did great work at Brentford, lifting them from the Premier League and keeping them there. But this is not good enough. Spurs are in a deep rut, and the manager surely will not escape from it now.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank reacts-1
Newcastle United left with the spoils, inflicting upon the Lilywhites their seventh home defeat of the season in all competitions.
More alarming is the fact that Spurs have been pulled down to 16th, and they are just five points above 18th-place West Ham even as they conceded a last-gasp equaliser to Manchester United.
As has been the case so many times, it was a weak and wobbly first half, bettered after the break but far too little too late.
What went wrong for Spurs on Tuesday night
What went right for Spurs? In truth, very little, with journalist Alasdair Gold saying post-match, "There's just no confidence and seemingly no real plan on the pitch other than hoping for set piece goals."
Pape Matar Sarr for Tottenham
The hosts did improve after the break, but they could not get any worse. Reactive, not proactive.
Dominic Solanke has provided Frank's system with the attacking focal point it has been lacking for most of the campaign, but that hardly matters when the striker is cut adrift and fighting against the Magpies press.
Tottenham - First 25 PL Games (24/25 vs 25/26)
24/25
10
2
13
49
37
12th
Data via Transfermarkt
Tottenham have not won a Premier League game in 2026, and Newcastle arrived in London on a three-game losing skid, but the damage was done after a meek opening, an xG total of 0.30 all Spurs had to show for their attacking intent at half-time.
Archie Gray bundled home a brief equaliser during the second half, but injury-hit Spurs have too much deadwood in their starting line-up, with a glaring weakness in need of being axed quickly.
Spurs flop must never start again after Newcastle
Tottenham's upcoming run of fixtures is a daunting thing, and if Frank survives this latest blow, he will need to find form immediately.
Tottenham's Upcoming Premier League Fixtures
Date
22/02/25
01/03/25
05/03/25
15/03/25
22/03/25
But Mali international Yves Bissouma cannot be allowed to continue in the first team if that is going to happen, with the 29-year-old having struggled to impress since being welcomed back into the first team after the African Cup of Nations.
Bissouma did not play a part throughout the first half of Tottenham's season, axed from contention by Frank due to disciplinary reasons. It's hard to justify his form since returning to action in January, with his first-half performance against Newcastle further evidence of his struggle, with content creator Ben Bowman describing his performances as an unfunny "joke".
Yves Bissouma for Tottenham
Bissouma was hooked at the break. He completed 19 of his 20 attempted passes but failed to create a single chance, losing two of three ground battles and making two fouls.
His 24 touches were even fewer than Guglielmo Vicario's 40 between the sticks. The Italian goalkeeper was kept busy but Spurs' midfield anchor surely should have offered more control and influence from the heart of the pitch.
Football.london saw it fit to brand Bissouma with a 4/10 match rating after his disappointing display, Frank opting against his inclusion for the second half after he looked distinctly off the boil. Small wonder Spurs improved, albeit briefly.
Joao Palhinha needs to be back in the starting line-up when Arsenal come to N17 this weekend. In fact, there's a case to be made that Bissouma should be dropped altogether, offering very little for Spurs as he creeps toward free agency, his contract set to expire this summer.
Bissouma-Spurs
Of course, when considering Tottenham's seemingly interminable injury problems, there may well be cause for Bissouma to start more matches.
But this was the latest in a long line of games that exposed the Malian midfielder's flaws, and if Tottenham are going to dig their way out of this hole, it won't be with Bissouma in the starting line-up.
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