Thomas Frank insists on Tottenham support after FA Cup defeat

Thomas Frank maintained that he still has the backing of Tottenham's leadership following the FA Cup setback against Aston Villa on Saturday, which added more strain on the struggling manager.

Tottenham were eliminated in the third round with goals in the first half from Aston Villa's Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers securing a 2-1 victory in north London.

Wilson Odobert pulled one back during Tottenham's stronger showing after the break, yet it proved insufficient to rescue Frank's team.

The ex-Brentford manager has now suffered defeats in seven of his past 13 games across all tournaments, leaving Tottenham eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and sitting in 14th position in the Premier League.

They are still in the running to advance to the Champions League knockout phase, but Frank must work hard to remain in his role by the conclusion of the group stage.

Supporters of Tottenham voiced their frustration with the Danish coach once more, booing at the end of the match.

Nevertheless, Frank remains confident that he will receive the opportunity to turn around Tottenham's poor run of results.

"I absolutely sense the backing. There is no question about it. Naturally, we are upset with the outcome and our inability to achieve stronger performances," he commented.

"We must deliver more consistent and superior displays while continuing to drive ahead."

It marked yet another challenging week for Frank, who had previously upset Tottenham followers by sipping from a vessel bearing the emblem of their local adversaries Arsenal prior to the 3-2 reverse at Bournemouth last Wednesday.

Emotions boiled over at the conclusion of the game as Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins marked his goal provocatively in front of Tottenham's Joao Palhinha, sparking a heated altercation involving the England player along with Villa's Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa.

Frank acknowledged the pain of the loss but stood by his squad's participation in the incident.

"Everyone is feeling the sting. Our greatest desire is to progress to the subsequent stage regardless of the opponent. Playing at home gave us a solid chance, but regrettably we fell short," Frank stated.

When asked whether his team was showing signs of frustration after similar confrontations with fans at Bournemouth, Frank replied: "The players poured their all into the effort, in a close contest, with the campaign not unfolding ideally, and I believe Ollie was quite inflammatory.

"His approach to celebrating among the Villa supporters and striding directly into Joao's path, when he could simply have stepped aside, is tough for anyone with a competitive spirit to handle and it can ignite reactions."

He emphasised that his own team possesses "passion" and a strong "desire to excel for the club".