Tottenham Hotspur have a task on their hands if they are to secure back-to-back seasons of Champions League football next year.
Thomas Frank's men sit 14th in the Premier League table ahead of this weekend's fixtures and are without a host of first-team players through injury. Spurs are 11 points adrift of what is likely to be the Premier League's fifth automatic Champions League qualification place, but European football next term is not out of the question entirely.
Of course, Tottenham could clinch Champions League football next year by winning the competition this season, however, the chances of that remain slim given the comparative strength of other teams in the play-off knockout round and last 16.
Thomas Frank ally arrives at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Spurs supporters have grown disillusioned with the team's performances this season, following the appointment of Frank over the summer.
The Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou who, whilst finishing 17th in the Premier League last year, did deliver European glory with a Europa League title, making good on his promise that he 'always wins things in his second season'.
Spurs parted company with the Australian with a view to building something new and starting afresh with Frank, but have run into familiar problems this season, namely disappointing results.
Upon arriving from former club Brentford, Frank brought with him a team of backroom staff including assistant coaches, performance analysts, physios and medical personnel.
Until recently, Spurs had eight former Brentford staff members under their employ but that number has now increased with the arrival of rehabilitation physio Liam Horgan.
Horgan worked with Frank and Tottenham's head of medical Nick Stubbings for close to eight years at Griffin Park and the Gtech Community Stadium, with the trio now reunited, as per Training Ground Guru.
What this potentially means for Frank's future is that the Tottenham hierarchy are doubling down on last summer's appointment, despite fans' calls for a new head coach to be installed.
It is not always the case, but often, that a large cohort of backroom staff loyal to certain coaches also leave clubs when the manager is ultimately sacked. Given the ex-Brentford theme to Spurs' current behind-the-scenes setup, the club would likely be liable to pay a pretty penny if they decided their Frank project had reached its terminus.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, appointing yet another former Brentford man, someone with vast experience working alongside Frank, suggests the Spurs hierarchy plan to stick with the Danish coach for the foreseeable future.
Tottenham are out of both domestic cups and have just the Premier League and Champions League to focus on, which should lessen the workload on their playing squad and may alleviate some of the injury issues they've experienced of late.
