Spurs, who have not won a league match in 2026, are now 16th and firmly in the relegation battle. Frank's win percentage has dropped to 26.9 per cent - the lowest of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era - and scrutiny around his position is intensifying.

The Dane had urged his players to be "desperate" to win in the build-up, but his side produced a tepid and disjointed display.

Newcastle, themselves under pressure after winning only two of their previous 15 away league matches, controlled the contest from the outset.

Joe Willock thought he had given the visitors the lead, only for his effort to be ruled out for a very tight offside decision.

Six minutes later, Malick Thiaw made no mistake, putting Newcastle ahead before half-time.

Archie Gray briefly restored hope early in the second half, tapping home to equalise. However, parity lasted just four minutes as Jacob Ramsey fired in from inside the box despite being surrounded by defenders.

The win ended Newcastle's four-match league winless run and lifted Eddie Howe's side to 10th, easing the pressure on their manager.

Tottenham, meanwhile, were booed before kick-off and again at full-time, with their winless league run now stretching to eight matches.

"1,000 per cent [I believe I will keep my job]. I'm also 1,000 per cent sure I didn't expect us to be in the position we are in with 11-12 injuries," said Frank.

"There are a few before me up here at Tottenham and many other clubs that have lost their head. I have to stay calm. We have to get through this together.

"I also think there is a lot of studies that show it is not the right thing to do [to sack the manager].

"The only thing I am focused on is fighting. We of course understand we are not in a good situation. But with everything in life, you need to stay calm and keep going."

Meanwhile, Howe was pleased to see his players fighting for him on the pitch.

"I said again that I've got to believe that I am the right person to be in the job with all the sacrifices that it entails. I've got to feel the players are playing for me," said Howe.

"Today, they showed that they are. But that has to be consistent moving forward.

"It's brought us closer together and it's reinforced relationships and made us all look inward. It made us all look at what we're doing and how we can do it better. This is a really tough job that we're doing. We're at the very highest level."

Nigerian defender Olisa Ndah resurfaces at Stellenbosch training