Burnley vs Spurs | Every word of Thomas Frank’s pre-match press conference

Thomas Frank spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Thursday afternoon, ahead of our Premier League clash against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday (3pm UK).

Here’s what he had to say…

What’s the latest team news?

Thomas: “Unfortunately, Lucas picked up an ankle injury, we keep being very unlucky with injuries, and it looks like it could be a longer one. He's been assessed these two days, so time frame I’ll know more about in the next couple of days. Joao Palhinha is progressing, could be close for Burnley, that could be a tight one. Dominic Solanke and Destiny, Xavi, all three got well through the game against Dortmund, and just extra recovery for various reasons, and all three should be available for Burnley on Saturday.”

Is Lucas’ injury similar to the one he had last season?

Thomas: “It's an ankle injury, and a longer one, and the time frame I'll come back to when we know more in the next couple of days.”

After a difficult week or so, how well did you sleep on Tuesday night?

Thomas: “In general I sleep well, but of course it was a big win for all of us. It was a much needed, I would say, performance and win, and I was very happy the way we had it. For example, I think we started very well in the first 25 minutes before the red card. I think we were the team that was in charge, the team that was dominating, the team that looked dangerous, the team that looked confident going forward, aggressive - exactly what we would like to be, and throughout performed a good game against a good team and won a well-deserved win. So, now it's up to us to build on it, to keep adding layers and keeping the result consistency and also adding even more to performances. I've said it, I mean it, it's not been through the roof all, but the last eight games there's much more consistency, there's much more in those performances. They could have given us much more than we got so far, but we need to keep it up with another top performance against Burnley, and we come on a top performance, top concentration, give us a top opportunity to win the game.”

How hard is it to get the team to back it up a few days later in the Premier League?

Thomas: “I also think, I can't remember all of them, I also think we've seen them win after a Champions League game, I'm pretty sure of that, actually, if I'm honest. So, it's not like we're losing every single time we've played a Champions League game. So, we've won at least once, if not twice, after a Champions League game. But the mindset. I would say the thing is, where you're bang on is, it's a big task, but that's what we want, and that's where we want to be. It's a big task to perform every third or fourth day. We want the big task, and we need to perform every third or fourth day. But that's where we, how can we say, build that strength, determination, mental power, focus to go, yeah, resilience to go every third or fourth day. That's what we try to do our very best to build on.”

It feels like a big moment in the season…

Thomas: “Yeah, I think the support has been exceptional throughout the season. I know there's a few questions about me, but it's not about me. It's about me, the staff, the players, the club, and that needs to be aligned, and that direction and alignment is very clear. From ownership to the board, to Vinai, Johan, everyone is on the same page, and there's a lot of things going in the right direction. We just need to back it up even more, good performance and more, good result. We had lunch with Nick and Johan again today. I think it's, again, a good sign of just that support there is. We need to keep going. We have, as always, the next game is the most important one. Away to Burnley is a very important one. After that, there's away game to Frankfurt, a very important one. All the games are very important. I know we need more points, but if we're higher up, they will also be very important, because they want to achieve more. So, I think the big thing is to, how can you say, stay calm, no matter if you're getting too excited about things, or it's too much, whatever, negative. Stay calm, do what you trust, all of us, carry on and everything will be fine after that.”

How much will you need to manage Dominic Solanke’s minutes? How close do you think he is back to the point where that doesn't need to happen anymore?

Thomas: “I think he's not close to it, I would say. I think we saw Solanke that was on, whatever, 70%, or whatever. I think we saw a lot of good things from him. He scored a goal exactly where he should be, with a nice little triple contact. The big positive is he was where he should be in the box. There were three other situations where he was just doing the wrong movement and then arrived front post instead of behind the defender and on the end of the cross from Pedro, where both of them we know have a good connection. How do you get that in? That's playing minutes together. He’s very fit player in general. He can play with high intensity throughout the game. After 65, he's just done, you know. That means there is more to come and we would just, because it's the first 65 minutes in seven months, something like that, so we are very aware of that. Two good recovery days, then train tomorrow, then he's available and ready for Saturday, and then we take it game by game. So, there is no, his injury is not, it's more his fitness, his match fitness, his injury is fine.”

You said you want to build on Tuesday's performance, but specifically away at Burnley, what does that look like?

Thomas: “I think that's, again, that's a completely different game against a different opponent. Scott Parker's team, you know, they're a promoted team. We've seen in a lot of their games, they're very competitive - at Anfield, they had a 1-1 draw. So, it's going to be another extremely tight game. It's about us. It's about, we focus on what we can do to try to hit a top performance and really, really, really do what we can to win the game. How can I say, manage their threats in terms of both set pieces, counters, but be on top of it and, of course, create the opportunities - we need to score goals.”

How different are Burnley now, not just personnel, but style and tactics, compared to the August game?

Thomas: “I think it's as many of the same trends, I would say. They still have some clear patterns in how they want to build. We've just been looking at them in details today. They're still very solid, working very hard for each other, very difficult to break down, know who they are. In general, they look like a good threat, especially when they play at home.”

Last season, Tottenham were really good in Europe, not so good in the Premier League. This season, similar - good results in the Champions League, not so good in the Premier League. How do you change that? How do you reduce that gap between performances?

Thomas: “That's a good question. We badly want to win every game. We badly want to do very well in the Premier League, very aware that the results haven’t been where we want them to be. We are fully focused, we said to the players today, the top players, the best teams, where we want to be, they know we need to come with an absolutely elite, top mindset on Saturday and build on the win and the performance. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm very proud of the players, what they did against Dortmund. It's not easy, when it's been a little bit windy, stormy times, to go out and perform like we did against Dortmund, but it's still a little bit under the floodlights, the Champions League, everything so very good, but sometimes it can be more tricky to really hit the same, whatever it is, away from home. The reality is that when you go to very, very difficult places like Burnley, against a very good team and coach in Scott Parker, and they know what they do, we know it's going to be very difficult, but that's what we need to build on and keep going on.”

Do you think right now the Premier League is more competitive than European football?

Thomas: “I think the Premier League is, yeah, they have no doubt the best league in the world. I think the competitiveness in the Premier League is insane, every game is so difficult. There's a lot of Premier League teams that would be, if they play in the Champions League, they would do very well, no doubt about that. Champions League is difficult, especially when you play away from home, it's very, very difficult.”

Why is it so hard for a football team to perform consistently four days after they've just played in Europe?

Thomas: “I think there are definitely football teams that can do that consistently and that's what we're aiming for and want to do, no doubt about that. As I said, we've also done that before, very aware that to build that consistency where you can do it is something you need to keep working on. How can you say, that focus and the mindset and awareness and ability to do it because it demands such a mental strength, that's something we're working very hard on.”

Would you consider - obviously without Bergvall - playing the same team at Burnley because they did so well the other night?

Thomas: “I always think about how we can create a consistency and that's also where it adds a little bit to the complexity with the mental and the physical load. Who's ready to go again? Where are they borderline if they are extremely… the cumulative load has just been too much in some players enabling me to not load them as much depending on where they are, coming back from injury or not, or played a lot of minutes, but there's no doubt that the best teams that are performing have a core group of players, seven to eight, that play most of the minutes. That's just historically everything you know about it. They play most of the minutes, so that's definitely what I need to come, or I wouldn't say end, but go to.”

Without necessarily telling me exactly what they've said to you, just take us inside what that looks like, and is it normal for a manager to have lunch two or three times a week with his bosses?

Thomas: “I would say that there's always… Nick was here this week, that was planned five weeks ago, so that's normal if he's over that we have lunch one or two days in the training ground. I have lunch with Vinai three times a week because it's a good way to, how can I say, talk, get around all the small bits we need to do because we're also busy with meetings and a busy schedule. The same with Johan, the same with Fabio. So, it makes sense to use that time to have lunch and talk.”

Is this the most long-term injuries you've had in one time as a manager?

Thomas: “It must be close to, I think, my third year in the Premier League with Brentford, where we also had a horrendous year, which impacted massively on the Premier League season, unfortunately. So, I think this is definitely one of the things, some of it is we always need to assess and look at what can we do to avoid some of the injuries. Then we know there's a lot of contact injuries. Bergvall, how unlucky is that? There was another contact injury I just recently saw. There was Joao, there were a few situations, Kudos. Some of them are like, ‘okay, what's happening here?’ It seems like we are cursed or something like that. But injuries is a part of football. So, the next bit we need to look into, how can we make sure that we return to play, that we do absolutely the maximum we can to get the players back as quick as possible?

I asked your predecessor the same question - he said in his long career it was the most injuries he'd ever had as well…

Thomas: “I actually think there's a lot of moving parts in it. I think there's something in the match schedule, the amount of games, we're not the only club who is struggling with injuries at all - many, many clubs have that, especially playing European football, especially playing Champions League. I think that's a big part of that. The load is just so big. I think that the medical and the performance department, overall, are very happy with the progress they've made this year. I think there are some clear highlights. We talked about them before. I know Richarlison has a hamstring injury, but he was fit and available and played 12 90-minute games. He hasn't done that for, I don't know how many years. You can check that. That's a big upgrade. Micky, big upgrade, Cuti, big upgrade, others are in a very good place. Then there's others where we have been, I would say, a little bit unlucky, unfortunately, how we get injuries. Now the test is how can we get them returned to play. Dominic, he miskicked a ball in the pre-season camp.”

This is my last one - about Nick and the lunch…

Thomas: “It was a good lunch. We had, by the way, a chicken sandwich.”

It was more about Nick - could you tell us a little bit about him and the way he sees the club?

Thomas: “I think the most visible one is Vivienne, Nick, and then Peter Carrington. All three are very determined, focused to do everything they can so that this club has success. They're very, very committed. They're very, very, how can you say, into it and they want to do everything they can that we get to where we all want to be in the future.”

The system you used on Tuesday, 3-4-3, definitely out of possession, is that something that you can build on and become the blueprint and the go-to for yourself? Or was that more of a special operation?

Thomas: “I think there are two ways to look at that. The first thing could be a little bit special operation kind of thing. You always really try to have laser focus on the game in front of me or in front of us. That's where you hopefully do your best and not think too far ahead and really have that focus on the next team, next opponent, so you make sure you make a top game plan and everything is perfect. I knew a little time before that Dortmund could play 3-4-3 and maybe we need to match them up in certain areas because that would be good for us in our man-man pressure, which was successful Tuesday night. I've shown before I have no problem in changing system, if that's for the better, with the players available, but it's a different game, a different opponent on Saturday. I like what I saw Tuesday night.”

Do you feel Micky van de Ven is happy at the club?

Thomas: “I've just seen Micky today. He seems very happy and smiling. He was very happy after the game that we won when he was in the changing room. I think Micky is an excellent player. I think he's a fantastic ambassador for this club. I think he has potentially his best season so far. He's fit, he's strong, he's good defensively, he's growing as a leader, he's scoring goals as well. He's a very important player for us this season and for the future.”

Is he off limits and not for sale at any price?

Thomas: “I would say he's very important for us. Micky is a top-notch player now and for the future.”