Thomas Frank
The Tottenham Hotspur manager, Thomas Frank, has been addressing recent criticisms directed at his team and discussing the role of their £51 million summer signing, Xavi Simons. Since joining from RB Leipzig, Simons has struggled to secure a consistent starting position in Frank’s lineup. Despite a promising start under Frank, Tottenham has only managed three wins in their last 12 matches, leading to increased scrutiny from pundits and former players.
Thomas Frank said: “I have 100% not seen it, because I don’t read anything. [My press officer] will let me know if there is anything that is valuable for me to know. One thing for sure when I walked into this club, all I knew besides we would lose football matches is I would be criticised. So I literally don’t care what they say. I listen to the trusted people that know me, close to me and others, the only thing I’d say it is slightly easier to be on the outside.”
Thomas Frank continued: “Xavi has been fine. Different games, different abilities. At the end of the day it’s all about performance. No matter if it’s Xavi – what about Wilson [Odobert]? What about Mo [Kudus]? What about whatever player didn’t play [against PSG], Joao [Palhinha]. It’s different things. This is not about Xavi it’s in general, this is about what do you give to the team for any specific game. With the offense, no matter what type of player you are, do you give enough to the offensive part of the game? That means do you either play forward enough, do you create chances enough, do you use crosses? Whatever the position is, full-back, midfielder, winger. The defensive side of the game. Do you work hard enough? Do you win duels? Do you get on to the ball? Can you press with the intensity we want? And there is the set-pieces. Do you bring enough to the defensive ones? All that, that’s the reason we select players, how they can perform. And then there’s a little difference between playing Arsenal away and whatever, another team at home or PSG away.”
Thomas Frank added: “Yeah, definitely could [provide Xavi with the chance to enjoy a breakout performance]. Where are we as a team, how do we create enough chances because that’s a thing we’ve been thinking about. How do we get enough goalscorers on the pitch? [In Paris] it worked with two strikers. We are very aware that we are not the finished article at all. Before we are closer to what we want to be, maybe there is kind of a middle ground to go through to make sure we are arriving where we want to be.”
Tottenham’s recent form has seen them concede nine goals to Arsenal and PSG, although they displayed an improved attacking performance in their 5-3 Champions League defeat in Paris. The team’s current struggles have led to criticism, notably from former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega, who expressed his frustration over Frank’s tactical approach on talkSPORT.
Despite the challenges, Frank remains focused on his team’s development and is looking ahead to their upcoming match against Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The game presents an opportunity for Xavi Simons to potentially make a significant impact, similar to Randal Kolo Muani’s performance against PSG.
Frank is keen to dispel any notions of being a cautious manager, emphasizing his commitment to offensive, front-footed football. He acknowledged the need for adjustments following their recent defeat to Arsenal and expressed his determination to instill his desired identity within the team.
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