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Thomas Frank insists his job is not under threat at Tottenham Hotspur, despite his side extending their winless run in the Premier League to eight matches.

Spurs suffered their 11th defeat of the season with a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle on Tuesday night.

It leaves Tottenham, one of six ever-present Premier League clubs in the top flight, five points above the relegation zone.

But Frank says he has been assured his position as manager is safe.

Asked by TNT Sports if his job is under threat, Frank said: “I spoke to them [owners] yesterday, so no.

“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 is not just one person. There is no doubt we need to improve and I need to be part of that.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about supporters booing at full-time, Frank added: “I understand the frustration. It has been building up a little bit – last season it was similar playing in Europe and the Premier League.

Having taken 10 points from 15 in their first five Premier League fixtures under Frank, Spurs have managed just 19 from their next 21 matches.

Their run of eight games without a win is their longest since going nine without victory in 2008 under Juande Ramos – who was sacked with the club bottom of the table.

“You’ve got to say what it is and they are in a relegation fight,” Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle told TNT Sports.

“The players have to understand that and the fans have to understand that.

“It is the reality and you have to scrap for every single point.”

Boos rang around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the final whistle, while there were pockets of empty seats at kick-off.

“A lot of fans have lost faith in what Thomas Frank is doing here,” added former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand.

The Tottenham hierarchy now have a huge decision to make.

Thomas Frank’s future at the club is uncertain. That isn’t a secret, of course – it has been the case for weeks.

Large sections of the supporters want him sacked. The boos that rang round Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time were testament to that prevailing feeling from a disgruntled fanbase.

Crucially, there has been a loss of support towards the Dane internally.

So, the fact Frank’s disastrous first season in charge lurched to deeper depths following this defeat by Newcastle may have significant consequences.

If Nottingham Forest, who occupy 17th, beat Wolves on Wednesday night they will go level on points with Tottenham.

Frank is understandably hesitant to admit his side are in relegation fight – but the numbers don’t lie.

That said, it may not be Frank’s problem for much longer – Tottenham’s latest loss will push the beleaguered manager closer to what appears an inevitable exit.

Indeed, such has been the level of contemplation regarding Frank’s immediate future at Tottenham in recent weeks that this loss will almost certainly trigger further soul-searching from the club’s leadership group.

The fact the Spurs board have stuck by Frank during such a difficult period proves they want the appointment to work.

The easier decision would have been to show Frank the door by now.

However, the Tottenham hierarchy believe Frank has been dealt a rough hand.

There’s an acknowledgment that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

There is also recognition that the squad needs repair work – particularly considering the departures of their two main sources of goals in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There is also a sense behind the scenes that the squad is lacking in leadership. It was why they signed England international Conor Gallagher and tried to land Andy Robertson from Liverpool – both with plenty of Premier League experience.

There is also a sense from Tottenham’s executive team that the club require a period of managerial stability.

But by the same token, sources have told BBC Sport that work towards a contingency plan in the event they make a decision they really don’t want to make illustrates the precarity of Frank’s position.

If the club decide to part with Frank in the immediate aftermath of this Newcastle defeat, they will have 12 days until their next fixture against Arsenal on 22 February.

That leaves Tottenham with a prolonged window to execute their replacement plan and leave Frank’s successor with time to implement a blueprint for the north London derby.

Glentoran manager Declan Devine says he is “gutted” after league leaders Larne netted a late equaliser against his side, who were shown two red cards, at Inver Park.

Paul O’Neill’s penalty on 21 minutes gave the home side the lead before two goals from Pat Hoban flipped the game on its head.

However, goalscorer Hoban was then dismissed with Gary Haveron’s side awarded another penalty deep into stoppage time and Andy Ryan able to convert the rebound of his effort.

“The game itself is an entertaining game. I thought we were very much in control of our own destiny,” Devine told BBC Sport NI.

“The sending offs are ridiculous and if they are given then three or four players are sent off in every game.

“I don’t think Larne caused us that many problems to be honest, a couple of half chances. I am just gutted for the players, the quality that they showed and that, again, we come here and every decision in the game goes against you.”

As well as Hoban’s dismissal, Cooney also picked up a straight red card after the final whistle following an altercation with referee Shane Andrews with Devine adding that decision was a “farce”.

“The players deserve huge credit as they delivered everything we asked of them and, even when down to 10, we were very comfortable and to give the second penalty is inexcusable in the 95th minute,” Devine continued.

“To send Ryan Cooney off after the game is a farce, an absolute farce.

“We are trying to make the league professional and a really high level. It is the players, managers and staff’s livelihoods and for people to make decisions like they did tonight, I have no words.”

However, Larne manager Haveron disagreed with Devine and added that his side should have had another penalty when it appeared that Jarlath O’Rourke used his hand to block Ryan’s effort.

“There was a bit of drama at the end. We weren’t at our best, but I always say when you’re not at your best then don’t lose,” Haveron said.

“It’s a stonewall penalty. They can say whatever they want but his hand was high. The one with Jarlath O’Rourke is a shocking decision. It really was shocking and it could have cost us massively if we lost the game.

What began as a light-hearted idea shared online has, in 493 days, grown into something far bigger than its creator ever anticipated.

Frank Ilett, also known as The United Strand, posted a video on 5 October 2024, where he gave himself his last haircut until Manchester United won five games in a row.

On the video, he put up a poll asking what was then a relatively small following when they thought his next haircut would be: in 2024, 2025 or 2026?

Of the 27,000 responses, 90% said 2026. After snatching a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Tuesday, the wait goes on.

Ilett now has more than 2.3 million followers on social media and hosted a YouTube livestream of Tuesday’s game, which at times had more than 100,000 people watching.

Speaking 365 days into the challenge, Ilett told BBC Sport that the ‘no win, no trim’ concept was initially filmed as harmless entertainment, designed to “share positivity” during a frustrating period for United fans.

“I just want to bring some joy to other Manchester United fans in this kind of weird time at the club,” he said.

According to Ilett, there was no grand plan – just enthusiasm and a football team in poor form.

The last time United managed five consecutive wins was between January and February 2024.

Ilett says that “didn’t feel long ago, when the challenge began”, but history offers less comfort.

The club’s longest run without five straight wins lasted 902 days, ending in January 1999 – a statistic Ilett said he tries not to dwell on.

“I started this thinking it was just a dip in form, especially as United had won the FA Cup in May. I didn’t realise it could actually get worse and carry on for so long,” he said.

As the months passed, the challenge evolved. What started as a light-hearted video became a visible symbol of United’s struggles, with Ilett’s hair being shared across social media acting as a weekly reminder of how far they had fallen.

“My hair is a visual representation that Man Utd aren’t in the place they should be, so I understand why the club haven’t been in contact – but hopefully as it goes on and we get a bit more positive vibes around the club, they’ll be in contact,” he added.

Alongside the growing attention came monetisation, increased reach, and a responsibility he had not anticipated.

“It’s not really about me any more,” he says. “There are so many people following along. I can’t just stop.”

Ilett now has an agent who deals with commercial enquiries and has partnered with huge media brands as he cashes in on his growing hair. He also now has a long-established company dealing with media requests.

Asked where the dream haircut would be, Ilett told BBC Sport there was only one place he had in mind.

One man and a much-anticipated trim.

But it has started to feel, for Manchester United, that Ilett’s long wait for the club to win five games in a row has become an unwanted irritation.

There was a time when it seemed as though United were prepared to play along with the gag. They did, after all, include a barbers’ room in their £50m training ground upgrade at Carrington. What better way to have a bit of fun?

Now though, in public and private, they are having nothing to do with it.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes and manager Michael Carrick were dismissive when asked about it after victory number four, against Tottenham – although Carrick’s admission he had been told of the saga by his kids hints at the wider attraction.

Ilett’s daily social media updates and the before and now pictures scattered across the digital sphere were initially quite amusing – but serve as a reminder of how bad the team’s form has been.

Ilett plans to donate his hair to the Little Princess Trust and set up a JustGiving page for the children’s cancer charity, for those who wanted to offer financial support.

His initial fundraising target of £500 for the the Little Princess Trust has been exceeded significantly and by Tuesday afternoon stood at £6,132.

As attention-grabbing initiatives go, his pledge didn’t seem especially outrageous when he made it.

United had completed five-in-a-row eight months earlier, the 11th time it had happened – including the end of the 2015-16 season and start of 2016-17 – in just under 11 years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The longest gap was from 25 January 2019, when United won the last of their eight successive wins following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival and the end of five victories in a row under the Norwegian in April 2021.

It says a lot for United’s chronic form since Ilett made his vow that they had only won three in a row twice until Carrick arrived, changed the formation and turned his old club into winners once more.

To put that into context, United’s fellow ‘big six’ clubs have all won five times on the bounce in recent memory. Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have done it this season – Chelsea have done it already this year.

Even Tottenham, whose form has been atrocious for 18 months now, managed it early last season, when United were one of the teams they beat.

Yet some fans have come to the conclusion they do not appreciate Ilett’s humour.

One supporter was given an indefinite ban from Old Trafford by United for attacking Ilett on a concourse at the home game with Chelsea in September 2025.

Others have taken exception to him taking part in an advert for a major gambling company and monetising what was meant to be a charitable gesture. Ilett has denied making the kinds of sums being mentioned.

However, many have defended Ilett and most responses to his appearance on the leading Stretford Paddock podcast were positive.