Thomas Frank tears into tottenham’s mentality after costly errors and a brutal 3-0 loss at Forest

Tottenham’s fragile season unravelled once again at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest swept aside Spurs 3-0, prompting head coach Thomas Frank to deliver his most damning assessment yet of a squad he says is struggling with deep-rooted problems.

The defeat ended a three-game unbeaten run and left Tottenham with their worst start to a Premier League campaign in 17 years. More concerning than the scoreline was how easily the match slipped away, with Frank highlighting individual errors, poor passing, lost duels and a worrying inability to cope once things go wrong.

Frank did not hide his emotions afterwards. He admitted there was “a hurricane inside me” as he tried to control his anger following what he described as a “burning annoying performance”. For the Spurs boss, the frustration was not just about one bad night, but about patterns he believes have plagued this group for far too long.

The opening two goals came from costly mistakes, instantly swinging momentum Forest’s way. Spurs never recovered. Frank pointed to Archie Gray being dispossessed after taking a touch from a goalkeeper’s pass as a key moment, later bristling when comparisons were made to a previous error involving Guglielmo Vicario earlier in the season. His irritation spilled over during a post-match interview, underlining how raw the defeat felt.

While Tottenham arrived in Nottingham showing signs of recovery, the loss brutally exposed how thin that progress may have been. Once Forest scored, Spurs’ structure collapsed. Confidence drained away. The response, Frank said, was simply not good enough.

“These setbacks can’t affect us that much,” he insisted. “It can’t be one goal that makes it so disjointed.” His words cut to the heart of what he sees as an ingrained mentality issue. According to Frank, this is not a new problem. It has surfaced repeatedly this season and last, and it continues to undermine the team when pressure rises.

The numbers offer little comfort. After finishing 17th last season, Tottenham now sit 11th, again marooned in the bottom half. The sense of drift is impossible to ignore. Despite moments of promise, the same flaws keep reappearing, raising uncomfortable questions about whether this squad can handle adversity at the highest level.

Asked directly whether he believes he will be given time to fix the situation, Frank was blunt. “If no one gets the time, no one can turn this around,” he said. “This is not a quick fix.” It was a stark warning, both to those above him and to supporters desperate for stability.

Frank acknowledged that the issues run deeper than tactics or team selection. He spoke of the need for consistency, discipline and emotional control, particularly after conceding goals. “Keep the structure, keep the game plan, keep doing the right things,” he repeated, as if trying to drill the message home not only to his players, but to himself.

The defeat at Forest felt like a step backwards at a moment when Spurs could least afford it. Instead of building momentum, they were reminded how quickly confidence can evaporate. For Frank, the task ahead is daunting. He must reshape habits that appear embedded in the squad’s psyche, while results continue to dictate the noise around him.

As Tottenham stumble through another uneasy season, one thing is clear from Frank’s words: this is not a team in temporary trouble. It is a club wrestling with long-standing flaws, and the road back, by his own admission, will not be short.