Thomas Frank insists he is ‘safe’ at Tottenham, but can he avoid sacking?

The Spurs hierarchy now have a big decision to make.

Thomas Frank’s future at the club is uncertain. This is no secret, of course, as this has been the case for weeks.

Large sectors of his supporters want him dismissed. The booing that echoed around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium throughout was testament to this sentiment among the disgruntled fan base.

More importantly, there is a loss of support for the Dane internally.

So, the fact that Frank’s disastrous first season in charge has reached even deeper depths after the defeat to Newcastle could have serious consequences.

If Nottingham Forest, who are in 17th place, beat Wolves on Wednesday evening, they will go level on points with Tottenham.

Frank is understandably reluctant to admit his side are in a relegation battle – but the numbers don’t lie.

However, Frank may not be an issue for much longer – Spurs’ latest loss will push the beleaguered manager closer to what appears to be an inevitable exit.

Indeed, such has been the level of thought regarding Frank’s immediate future at Tottenham in recent weeks that this loss is certain to prompt further soul-searching from the club’s leadership group.

The fact that the Tottenham board have stuck with Frank during this difficult period proves they want the appointment to succeed.

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

However, Tottenham officials believe Frank has been hit hard.

There is an admission that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

There is also an acknowledgment that the team needs repair work, especially given the departure of their main goal-providers, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There is also a feeling behind the scenes that the team lacks leadership. That’s why they signed England international Conor Gallagher and tried to sign Andy Robertson from Liverpool, both of whom have plenty of Premier League experience.

There is also a feeling among Tottenham’s executive team that the club needs a period of managerial stability.

But by the same token, sources told BBC Sport that working on a contingency plan in case a decision is made they don’t want to make shows just how serious Frank’s situation is.

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

This leaves Tottenham with a long window to implement the replacement plan and leaves Frank’s successor time to implement a plan for the north London derby.

The pressure on Frank reached the breaking point. We are about to find out if Tottenham will collapse or not.