London: It was the last thing Thomas Frank needed.
As the under-fire Tottenham manager walked around Vitality Stadium sipping an espresso ahead of his struggling team’s Premier League match at Bournemouth on Wednesday, little did he know the drink was inside a cup emblazoned with Arsenal branding.
Yes, that’s Arsenal — Tottenham’s fierce rivals and the last team to visit Bournemouth’s ground.
“I definitely didn’t notice it,” Frank said. “It’s fair to say we’re not winning every single football match so it would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal’s (emblem on).”
However silly it is — and Frank expressed his sadness that such an incident was being highlighted — it was a big PR fumble and might prove to be an image that defines a tenure that is plunging into turmoil.
Tottenham conceded a stoppage-time goal to lose at Bournemouth 3-2 and slip to 14th place in the 20-team league. Spurs have won just two of its last 12 league games and the pressure is mounting on Frank and his players, who don’t seem to be handling the situation well. agencies