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Thomas Frank will remain in the dugout for Tottenham's clash with Borussia Dortmund, though a five-man shortlist reportedly exists should Spurs choose to dismiss him. The 52-year-old endured a torrid weekend as relegation-threatened West Ham secured a 2-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With supporters' jeers and boos reverberating around the ground, the former Brentford boss' prospects appeared increasingly grim. Reports suggest senior officials at Tottenham have been conducting talks regarding Frank's position at the club, despite expectations that he will oversee the Champions League encounter with Dortmund. Should Frank receive his marching orders, Spurs have already identified five potential replacements.

The Times claim that John Heitinga, the recently dismissed former Ajax boss who now serves in Frank's coaching staff, could assume control if Frank is shown the door. Given the Dutchman's difficulties at Ajax, this arrangement would likely be temporary.

Amongst the more long-term options is Andoni Iraola, though prising the highly-regarded Spaniard away from Bournemouth mid-season may prove challenging.

There has also been speculation that Mauricio Pochettino features on the list, which would represent an incredibly poignant homecoming for the Argentine.

Nevertheless, this would need to be postponed until after the World Cup at the very earliest, considering he is guiding the USA towards their home tournament.

Recently sacked former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is also among the candidates and was discussed during a recent board meeting. Should he fancy taking on the north London role, he could do so immediately, as he is presently without a club.

But he believes more attractive opportunities may arise if he holds out until the summer.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner could feature prominently on Tottenham's wishlist. The Austrian recently appeared poised to leave Selhurst Park, after he accused the club of "abandoning" him and his squad with their choices to sell Eberechi Eze in the summer and Marc Guehi in January.

The FA Cup winner is now poised to stay in position until his deal expires at the end of this campaign, however.

However, Frank remains convinced that he can reverse fortunes in north London. He was resolute when faced with questions regarding his future following the damaging defeat to West Ham.

He declared: "If you're not winning enough, we know that you're not getting enough support from the fans. But when we're winning, it will change when we start winning again, which we will do.

"Not in doubt of that. I also think you can look a little bit at the performances, let's say the Bournemouth and the Villa and this game here, if the players stop running or stop doing anything or not working hard, and we were not the team that was closest to winning, then you can say, okay.

"But I think the team is working very hard and I still think, and I know it sounds a little bit crazy, that we're closer to something very good than further away."