Is Frank doomed to failure at Spurs?

Not yet - but Frank is struggling desperately on several fronts to prove he can cope with the huge expectations and high-profile at Spurs after operating so successfully in the more calm and organised conditions of Brentford.

Frank was surrounded by stability at Brentford, a structure formed by owner Matthew Benham and director of football Phil Giles. He has stepped into a high-stakes environment at Spurs, where even winning the Europa League, the club's first trophy in 17 years, did not spare predecessor Ange Postecoglou the sack.

It has left him vulnerable to a combination of poor results, a deteriorating relationship with many supporters unconvinced he has the pedigree or playing style to manage Spurs, and a lack of discipline from his players that has publicly undermined his authority.

Spurs - as a club and fanbase - is currently a joyless place.

They are reasonably placed at 11th in the Champions League table, with a chance of reaching the top eight to automatically qualify for the knockout phase, but there has been no improvement in the Premier League.

They are currently 14th on 27 points, while after 21 games last season they were 13th with 24 points under Postecoglou.

Frank's Brentford played long and quick to put opponents under pressure with the quality of forwards Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa to carry out the gameplan successfully. Frank's communication and strategy was clear.

None of this has happened at Spurs, leading Frank to crisis point before the FA Cup meeting with Villa.