Thomas Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo know they cannot afford to cause any more damage as Tottenham and West Ham face off after years of similar problems.
West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Tottenham’s Thomas Frank are under huge pressure ahead of the London derby (Image: 2026 James Gill – Danehouse)
Tottenham and West Ham have more in common than a bitter rivalry and recent European trophy wins. Both managers are under huge pressure ahead of Saturday’s London derby after inappropriate transfers and poor results left fans worried.
Spurs are in 14th place with one win in six games, missing out on the cup competition. The only possibility for them this season is the Champions League.
West Ham are without a win in 10 games in the Premier League and sit in a safe 18th place with just seven points to go. Another bad loss could be the last for either manager.
Asked whether Thomas Frank had to win today to keep his job, former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood told Sky Sports: “It’s like Nuno has to win to keep on managing at West Ham. It’s El Sac Ico. It’s a huge game of football.” Or, given his performances this season, it could be more like El Clap Ico, the Derby of the Damned. This is where everything went wrong.
read more: Nuno Espirito Santo admits he is ‘deeply concerned’ over Lucas Paqueta transfer scandalread more: Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United preview, team news and predictions
Confusing management changes
David Moyes won his first major trophy in 43 years in the UEFA Conference League in May 2023, but disappeared the following year as West Ham finished ninth.
Desiring more attacking football, the Hammers brought in and released Julian Lopetegui and Graham Potter. They have now returned to defense-first Nuno Espirito Santo, who resembles Moyes, and are once again set to lead the relegation battle.
Spurs have had less time to sack Ange Postecoglou after finishing 17th in last season’s UEFA Europa League, winning the north London club’s first trophy in 17 years. The Australian divided opinion among Tottenham fans, but was guaranteed to provide entertainment on and off the pitch. Frank brought them together at Bournemouth with an Arsenal coffee cup.
Thomas Frank accidentally drinks coffee from Arsenal cup in Bournemouth (Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill – AMA)
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malicious transfer transaction
Tottenham sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in 2013 for £85m and acquired Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela, two of their less expensive new players.
West Ham committed £105m to Declan Rice in 2023, spent £30m on James Ward-Prowse and £35m on Edson Alvarez. Selling your best players won’t make your team better. Both clubs spent a lot of money, but it was terrible.
West Ham sell Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m after winning the 2023 UEFA Conference League (Image: )
star quality
A good barometer of a team’s strength is how many players are on a team that is a title contender. Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta play for their former club at West Ham. For Tottenham it would be Sergio Polo and probably Micky van de Ven. There are more places to choose from in the Crystal Palace area.
fan dissatisfaction
West Ham supporters have been protesting throughout the season demanding changes at the club, including calling for the resignation of owner David Sullivan and vice-chairman Karen Brady. They took over in 2010, selling the Boleyn Ground in favor of a divisive move to the London Stadium. Fans of both teams want attacking football, but for the Hammers survival is the priority.
Tottenham fans finally got their way when president Daniel Levy resigned in September after winning two trophies in 24 years. However, Thomas Frank’s style of football did not satisfy the club, whose motto was “A challenge is a challenge”, and during a scoreless stalemate against Brentford, the away supporters shouted “Boring, boring Tottenham” amidst boos.
Injuries and absences of Brazilian players
Tottenham are without record signings Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrygo Bentancur this season, and Richarlison is currently out for seven weeks with a hamstring strain.
Paqueta has had more influence than ever since his move to Manchester City collapsed in August 2023 amid allegations of spot-fixing. He did not feature in the FA Cup win over QPR due to interest in a move from his former club Flamengo, but there are doubts about whether he will play for West Ham again.
Lucas Paqueta is doubtful to play for West Ham against Tottenham on Saturday (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
In search of January’s savior
Both clubs have been active in this transfer window, including new coaching staff members in John Heitinga and Paco Jemez, and are expected to make further signings in the future.
Tottenham have spent £34.7m to sign England star Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and are aiming to sign Brazilian left-back Souza.
Argentine Tati Castellanos scored his first goal for West Ham in the FA Cup, while Brazilian Pablo looked in good form off the bench.
Conor Gallagher turns down Aston Villa’s move from Atletico Madrid to Tottenham (Image: )
So is this a must-win for both managers who are under pressure?
“We have to win, we have to lose. No, it’s a match. It’s a match. There’s a lot of football to play, but we have to realize that every match is very important for us. It’s very important for us,” Nuno said.
“Yes, at this moment, yes, we need to win this game 100%,” Spurs defender Pedro Polo said. Frank said, “There’s a lot of noise. I know that’s what I’ve been told, and I’m not stupid.”
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