SOCCER: Pressure off Newcastle boss but heaped on Spurs’ Thomas Frank

LONDON – Newcastle United’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday gave manager Eddie Howe some breathing room, but left Thomas Frank’s future at Spurs increasingly uncertain.

The victory, Newcastle’s third away win of the Premier League season, lifted them to 10th place and ended a run of three consecutive defeats. After their recent loss to Brentford, Howe had hinted he might step aside if he felt he was not the right man for the job. Tuesday’s result, however, temporarily eased speculation about his departure.

For Spurs, the picture is far less positive. Supporters made their frustration clear with loud jeers as the team suffered its 11th league defeat since Frank took charge, leaving them 16th in the table and closer to the relegation zone.

“It hurts massively that we couldn’t get the win today,” Frank said. “I understand the frustration, and the easiest thing is to point at me. That’s part of the job, unfortunately. I will work day and night to turn this around, but it’s not just one person. We all need to improve, and I need to be part of that.”

Despite Spurs’ winless run stretching to eight league games, Frank said he had spoken to the club’s owners before the match and was confident his job was safe.

The manager now holds the lowest win percentage of any Spurs manager in the Premier League era at just 26.9%. His challenges continue with a tough North London derby against league leaders Arsenal set for Sunday, February 22.

“We need to be doing better, and the next game will be another tough one. We’ve got time to get it right, and we have great players in the team,” said Spurs striker Dominic Solanke. “We don’t want to be anywhere near the bottom of the table, but we know we can turn it around. It’s a matter of when.” -Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters