Brentford 0-0 Spurs | Every word of Thomas Frank's post-match press conference

Thomas Frank spoke to the media at the Gtech Community Stadium after our goalless draw against Brentford in the Premier League on New Year's Day.

Here's what he had to say...

Another clean sheet, but struggling to create tonight...

Thomas: "Yeah, bang on. I think the positive is that we're going here against a very good home team that you need to respect with the results they've done where they're beating Liverpool, United, Newcastle, Villa, drawing with Chelsea and keeping them on that low amount of chances. They had seven shots in total. I think that's a very, very strong defensive performance. I think the back four did excellent, the whole team did excellent, especially Micky and Romero did very well with Thiago and Kevin Schade up there. So that's a positive. I think the amount of unforced errors is the biggest negative, I would say. That's the bit where you can make too many mistakes on unforced technical errors that then take out eight, nine maybe good half-transitions where you're not getting into good positions and then when we were up there, lacked the cutting edge on the day."

The fans voiced their frustrations at you in particular when you went over at the end...

Thomas: "Yeah, I think it seemed like they were not too satisfied and it's fair when we don't hit that top performance overall, but I think it's double-sided because I think what we need to understand is the acknowledgement of the defensive side of the game, which we've done excellent today against a team that just scored three against Liverpool, three against Man United, so on and so on, but of course the offensive part needs to be better. There's no two ways about that."

Can I ask you about your bench? Two goalkeepers, no Brennan Johnson. It didn't feel like you had a lot of options to change?

Thomas: "That's true. Yeah, that's true."

Can I ask you about Brennan not being there?

Thomas: "Yeah, obviously there are some rumours out there and it's probably close to some of the rumours."

You said about having to respect Brentford, how conscious are you of wanting to be entertaining for the fans because you saw how frustrated they were and coupling that with trying to be defensively resilient?

Thomas: "Yeah, but I think there's two things in it. I think if you as a team are not strong defensively and that's not the same as you can't play offensive football, it's just impossible to compete over a long season, impossible. If you want to end in the nice, good position you'd like to end in. Then of course the offensive part of it, you need to open up enough and do that. I think we still do that. Then there's another element, no matter what shape, offensive or defensive you are, you can't make the amount of unforced errors we do today. For example, or our last game against Crystal Palace, that's the bit we need to definitely see if we can improve. Then the next bit is you need to work on the offensive patterns and the structure and keep working very hard on that. Then the final bit is probably a little bit some key offensive players out for a game like this, for example. The ones we talked about a lot and then on top of that Xavi and Lucas. So probably that didn't help as well."

Do you worry about losing the faith of the fans if you don't play a bit more attacking football?

Thomas: "Of course we need to play, it's not that we don't want to play offensive or attacking football. I just think when we're not, how can you say, on the top of the game we would like to be, we work very, very hard on that, but while you work hard on that you can't, if you struggle scoring goals, let's say that, or create enough chances, you can't open up too much because then you need to score too many goals. So, it's a fine balance."

Are you comfortable with Brennan leaving when you've got such limited attacking options?

Thomas: "I think it's fair to say that Lucas and Xavi are hopefully soon back with the team, that are attacking options. So, that's some element. Hopefully Solanke at one stage also will come back and help the team and then that should be fine. Then, as I said, we are in the market and we are looking for everything we can to see if we can improve the squad, but it's a difficult January window and we need to be calm and take the right decisions."

Can we ask about Dominic Solanke, there was the video released by Spurs where he was training, so that seems pretty optimistic?

Thomas: "That is positive, no doubt of that. He is out there on the pitch, and part of training with the group."

Does that feel like he could be back this month?

Thomas: "It feels that there could be a possibility for that, yes."

Respectfully, it must be difficult to hear the boos at the end when you're trying to win over the fans?

Thomas: "Yeah of course, you'd prefer everyone is happy and we're winning 3-0. I think the understanding of where we are right now, as a team, and as a club. That's the transparent view of it. I think we have to play with Archie as a 10 - or I decided to do that - we did a little bit different at the end of the game. That's just step by step, we do those things. I'm very confident we will make it fluent and better and scoring enough goals, but with the amount of games and limited training times and the right offensive players available, that's part of it, it's no problem."

Do you think the fans are understanding or need to be more understanding?

Thomas: "That question is very difficult for me to answer, going off a few boos after the game, and as I say, I'm not really reading anything on social media, or articles or all that. I watch the team. I'm very aware that we are not where I want us to be, very aware."

Two clean sheets in two London derbies away from home this week, four points out of six, are you surprised at the response after what hasn't been a fruitless week?

Thomas: "I agree. This league is so tight, just look at the results today and two days ago. So tight, so even, small margins that change games. So I think we put a lot of foundation work into those two performances and competitiveness that you need to have in the team. Then we need to add the next layers. It's not that we're not working on it. It is what it is. I know we'll get to where we want to go. Maybe not exactly where everyone wanted to be right now, but we'll get there."

Are you confident the club understands that?

Thomas: "Very confident."