Thomas Frank laid blame on individual errors, sloppy passing, lost duels and a failure to respond to setbacks after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. The loss at the City Ground ended a three-game unbeaten run and left Spurs with their worst Premier League start in 17 years; they sit 11th after finishing 17th under Ange Postecoglou last season.
Frank admitted he was furious — saying there was “a hurricane inside me” — and described the display as a “burning annoying performance.” He bristled when asked to compare Forest’s opener to Guglielmo Vicario’s mistake against Fulham, pointing out that Archie Gray had taken a touch from a goalkeeper pass and was then dispossessed, which led directly to the goal.
Sloppiness has been a recurring issue. Gray’s error was the fifth occasion this season that a Spurs player has made a mistake directly leading to a Premier League goal (only Wolves, with seven, have more), and Tottenham have committed the most errors that led to opposition shots (20). Passing accuracy was just 79 percent — their fourth-lowest of the campaign — which helped produce an Expected Goals (xG) of only 0.37. Richarlison managed just two touches inside the box and the team had only one shot on target.
“No quick fix,” Frank warned when asked whether time would allow him to turn things around. He stressed the importance of collective responsibility — “we’re in it together, we win together, we lose together” — but demanded better ball retention and sharper, simpler passing, noting the team lost the ball around 20 times from basic passes.
Out of possession Tottenham were also outworked. Frank said they “didn’t win enough duels,” and Forest dominated the running metrics; Callum Hudson-Odoi, who scored twice, summed up his side’s approach as “Go, go, go.” There were signs of frustration from Spurs players too — substitute Djed Spence was visibly upset when withdrawn.
Frank accepted: “It’s a step back today.” With six days to prepare before hosting Liverpool, he insisted quick solutions are needed or Tottenham’s inconsistency could derail another Premier League campaign.