Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to make a knee-jerk reaction with Thomas Frank after their 3-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on the weekend, according to BBC reporter Sami Mokbel.
Spurs have endured an inconsistent campaign, and although before the game against Forest, they were unbeaten in three, they have struggled to pick up wins over the last few weeks. Their most recent defeat leaves them sitting in 11th position in the table, but that doesn’t mean an awful lot, considering they are just six points off the top four.
That being said, some of the results and performances under Frank this season have been unacceptable, and there appears to be a growing frustration among the supporters.
Thomas Frank Not Under Threat at Tottenham
According to BBC reporter Mokbel, Tottenham are unlikely to make a knee-jerk reaction when it comes to Frank’s future, despite their disappointing defeat against Nottingham Forest. Mokbel claims that his position as Spurs boss doesn’t appear to be under any immediate threat, but ‘well-placed sources’ have suggested that Frank’s performance had come under ‘increasing internal scrutiny’ following a loss at home to Fulham in November.
Tottenham are now said to have slapped an asking price on one of their starters as they look to top up their transfer kitty. Spurs are expected to spend big this summer as they look to give Roberto De Zerbi every chance of turning a relegation-fighting team into one capable of qualifying for Europe.
De Zerbi managed to keep Spurs in the Premier League, but it’s likely he made sure he was promised a significant summer budget before even taking the job. To their credit, the Spurs chiefs are backing up those promises, with four signings already wrapped up between Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.
More are likely to arrive, but Spurs are going to need to balance the budget at least a little.
Vicario on his way out of Tottenham this summer
Spurs are expected to sell Guglielmo Vicario this summer, with the Italian said to be keen on returning to Italy. Vicario has been a central part of Tottenham’s efforts over the last few years, and you could see how much the club’s survival meant to him at the end of last season as he celebrated with De Zerbi from the bench.
But he is now looking for a new opportunity, and Spurs are willing to play ball to welcome in some cash this summer. Juventus are said to be the primary interested party, while Inter Milan have also been linked in the past.
And according to Football Insider, Spurs are ‘fully expecting’ to sell Vicario this summer, asking for £20million. That would represent a £3million profit on the Italian for Spurs.
De Zerbi has already signed Dubravka this summer, and he also has Antonin Kinsky, who impressed him towards the end of last season. Kinsky played a key role in Tottenham’s survival, pulling off a number of top saves in Vicario’s absence through injury, and he will likely have the opportunity to fight for a number one with Dubravka next season.
The North London club need a striker this summer, and they are likely to add depth to another position or two beyond that. Sales will be important to fund that mission to overhaul the squad, and £20million for Vicario will certainly help top up the coffers.
Canada are the first team through to the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 after a narrow victory against South Africa. The host nation were forced to play their first knockout game in the United States of America, but still managed to come away with a 1-0 win.
United States Men’s National Team legend Clint Dempsey furious hits out at 2026 World Cup manager on live TV
Nonetheless, a goal from Stephen Eustaquio in stoppage time was enough to eliminate Bafana Bafana and progress to the next round, where Canada will face the winner of the Netherlands vs Morocco.
Jesse Marsch’s Full-Time Speech vs South Africa
REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
Following the full-time whistle, Marsch and his players showed the extreme emotion they were feeling. The manager got into the middle of a huddle and gave an inspirational speech to his players.
ITV’s cameras and microphones captured the entire monologue. “Guys, think about the two years we’ve been together. Think about how we talked about the plan, sticking to who we want to be, playing aggressive and accessing your qualities,” the animated American said.
He went on to label the playing staff ‘Canadian heroes’ for the influence they’d have on younger generations getting involved in football. He continued:
“You guys showing your character. You guys are Canadian heroes. Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who play the sport. The sport has a big future because of you guys.
“You should be so proud of who you are. You should be so proud of this game. You never lost belief; you went after it. Point after point, moment after moment. You are Canadian heroes.”
Watch Jesse Marsch’s full speech below
Kirby Lee (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
While everyone involved with Canada, including players and fans, will have loved what they were hearing from the man who just took them to World Cup history, not everyone felt the same.
Marsch often got comparisons with fictional American college football coach Ted Lasso during his time in the Premier League. Supporters of other nations were quick to accuse the Canadian boss of ‘copying’ the TV character.
One X user said: “Jesse Marsch is literally Ted Lasso, isn’t he? Such a strange man, and an American kissing the Canadian badge, wow!”
Another claimed: “The Ted Lasso vibes from Jesse Marsch are overwhelming,” while a fan stated Marsch was ‘leaning into’ the character: “Jesse Marsch really leans into the Ted Lasso thing.”
Others were even harsher on the World Cup boss, with one claiming the real man is more ‘cartoonish’: “Jesse Marsch famously didn’t like being likened to Ted Lasso. It was an unfair comparison. Ted Lasso is much less cartoonish.”
One asked for the ‘performative’ stuff to be kept to a minimum. “Less of this performative Ted Lasso bulls*** please. This team is winning and doing well despite Jesse. Not because of.”
The opening match of the last 32 at the 2026 World Cup saw some major VAR controversy towards the end of the first half in the game between Canada and South Africa at the Los Angeles Stadium.
Despite being the co-hosts of the tournament, Jesse Marsch’s side are playing outside of the Great White North after finishing second to Switzerland in Group B.
The first 45 minutes of the game were hardly memorable, although the Canucks had the better of the action and came close to breaking the deadlock on a number of occasions.
However, they will feel as though they should have had a spot-kick on the stroke of half time. South Africa’s Khuliso Mudau made a challenge in the penalty area, bringing down Richie Laryea just as he was about to send the ball into the centre of the box.
Canada Controversially Denied Penalty vs South Africa
Canada fans screamed for a penalty, as did boss Marsch on the sidelines. The referee in charge initially waved away the protests, awarding a goal kick.
As is customary with such incidents, VAR immediately renewed the contact and upheld the referee’s decision. Among those to be stunned by VAR’s failure to advise an on-field review was ITV’s referee analyst Christina Unkel, who insisted that Canada had been harshly treated.
“I would prefer to see a penalty given here. There is always an argument that the person stepped into the passing lane or the movement of the leg.
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Jessie Alcheh
“A good comparison example would be Brazil against Scotland where Vinicius Junior, where they gave a foul to take away the goal because he stepped into the stepping lane of that player.
“So these are the ones that are up for debate. We have seen very high thresholds from FIFA at these tournaments. However, I do want this to be a penalty. In my personal opinion, I do think this is a foul,” declared Unkel.
Jesse Marsch Confronts Referee After Canada Miss Out on Penalty
Marsch couldn’t believe his side had been denied the opportunity to try and take the lead in such a crucial game. Raging, he confronted the referee as the officials made their way off the pitch at the break.
The former Leeds head coach was criticized in some quarters for his approach in Canada’s final group match, where a 2-1 defeat to the Swiss saw them lose the chance to play on Canadian soil in the knockout stages. Already under pressure, the referee’s refusal to point to the spot left him fuming during the biggest game in his managerial career.
