insiders

There is unlikely to be a knee-jerk reaction at Tottenham to Sunday’s disappointing loss at Nottingham Forest.

Thomas Frank’s future has been thrust back into the spotlight once again following the 3-0 loss at the City Ground that, not for the first time this season, sparked anger from Spurs supporters towards their head coach.

But for the time being, there is no sense that the Dane’s future is under any immediate threat despite the lacklustre level of performance against Forest.

For context, Tottenham were on the back of a three-match unbeaten run ahead of Sunday’s loss – a credible 2-2 draw at Newcastle was followed by two straight victories over Brentford and Slavia Prague.

Prior to the loss to Sean Dyche’s side there had been shoots of improvement, so with that said Sunday’s loss is unlikely to prompt an immediate change of tact.

That’s not to say that the backing for Frank is entirely universal behind the scenes at the north London club.

Following the home loss to Fulham on November 29, which extended a worrying run of just one victory in eight matches, well-placed sources told BBC Sport at the time that Frank’s performance had come increasing internal scrutiny.

The apparent disdain from sections of supporters towards Frank during the opening half of the season is also an unsavoury dynamic that has not gone unnoticed.

Spurs, though, are yet to reach a point so far this season whereby they have given serious consideration to dispensing with Frank.

There is an acknowledgement that there will be bumps in the road, though you can imagine Frank can ill-afford many days like Sunday if those aforementioned doubts aren’t to resurface more prominently in the coming weeks.

It is also key to point out that chief executive Vinai Venkatesham was integral to Arsenal‘s decision to stick with Mikel Arteta during some of the lowest depths of the Spaniard’s stewardship at the Emirates.

Arsenal are now widely viewed as one of the strongest teams in European football.

Frank has some way to go emulate Arteta – but there is currently a willingness to give him an opportunity to lay foundations towards a similar path to success.

Results, though, will be key towards that continued support. Further disappointments like the one suffered on Sunday and Frank’s backing will wane.

Airlines’ sophisticated pricing strategies mean the traditional Tuesday booking rule no longer applies, with new research showing a new day of the week offers better savings of up to 17% on international flights

The cheapest day to book a flight has been revealed, and it flies in the face of longstanding conventional wisdom.

For years, travellers were told to watch out for deals on a Tuesday, convinced it was the golden moment to book cheap flights.

But airlines’ pricing methods have become more advanced in recent years, with demand continually shifting prices. One flight can change prices several times in a single day. While the sophistication of ticket pricing models means that there is no single magic day when it comes to grabbing a bargain, there are still better – and worse – times to book flights.

Recent data from booking sites and search engines does reveal patterns worth noting. Expedia’s latest Air Hacks report, based on large amounts of global booking data, found that Sunday is now the cheapest day to book. According to its research, people who booked on Sundays saved about 6% on domestic flights and up to 17% on international journeys compared with booking on a Monday or Friday. That might only be a small saving on a single ticket, but it adds up for a family or group.

Airlines now change prices frequently rather than offering big sales on a single day. If a flight is selling quickly, the price may rise even if it is a Sunday or Tuesday. If it is selling slowly, it may drop on any random afternoon.

Travel experts Ski Vertigo suggest that people should pay more attention to when they are travelling and how far in advance they are booking, because those factors have a clearer impact on price. For many routes, the best time to book falls around one to three months before departure. Booking almost a year ahead is often not the cheapest option, and leaving it to the last few days can be even worse, especially for busy routes.

Skyscanner’s recent trends report tell a similar story. It suggests booking around one to three months ahead for many short-haul trips, and roughly two to six months in advance for a lot of international flights. The exact sweet spot still depends on where you are going and when, but the general pattern is clear: there is usually a broad window where prices are more reasonable, rather than one perfect date circled on a calendar.

Ski Vertigo’s advice is that booking early is “by far the most reliable method” for periods such as Christmas, New Year and February half-term, when chalets and flights fill up quickly and prices rise as seats disappear. For people who are flexible on dates and departure airports, last-minute bargains can save some money. But they warn that this is a high-risk tactic and not a sensible way to plan a family holiday that has to fit around school terms.

The day you actually fly, as opposed to booking, seems to have more impact on price. Expedia’s analysis shows that Saturday departures often offer the cheapest domestic fares, while Thursday stands out as a good day for international journeys. This fits with a simple pattern: when most people want to fly – such as Fridays after work and Sundays before the new week – prices tend to be higher. When demand falls, fares follow.

For anyone trying to cut costs, this means being flexible where possible. If you can move your trip by a day or two, it is worth checking what happens to the price when you switch from a Sunday to a Saturday, or from a Friday to a Thursday. Tools such as Google Flights and Skyscanner make this easy by displaying a calendar of fares and allowing you to set price alerts for specific routes. You can see at a glance which days are cheaper and get an email when the fare drops.

In the end, there is no single secret day that works for every trip. The strongest patterns are simple: avoid obvious rush times when everyone else wants to book, aim for the sensible booking window before you travel, choose quieter days to fly where you can, and use price alerts to track changes. Treated this way, the idea of the “perfect time” to book becomes a useful guide rather than a stressful guessing game – and it can help you reach your next holiday without paying more than you need to.