- 7 weeks ago
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank on making home stadium a Fortress and having final say in transfers
17/10/2025
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
17/10/2025
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00No live tweeting during the broadcast section.
00:02How are you doing? You all right?
00:05Yeah, very good, thank you.
00:06Nice break.
00:07Yeah, very nice, thank you.
00:08Good, good.
00:09How's the squad looking in terms of Dom, his surgery,
00:12Kyla Mawani, Bissouma, Ben Davis?
00:15I hope I've included everyone.
00:17Yeah, yeah.
00:18All fine compared to last time.
00:25Kyla Mawani have trained now for two weeks with the team,
00:30so that's good.
00:32He looks better and better.
00:33He would be in contention for the squad for tomorrow,
00:36so that's positive.
00:38Dom's progressed well after the surgery,
00:41been on pitch.
00:44Actually, I don't know if it was today,
00:46but it definitely was the two days before that.
00:48So the detail is he's progressing and he's going forward,
00:52so that's good.
00:54But Biss, unfortunately, had a situation with the national team.
01:01I think everyone saw that, unfortunately.
01:02So he got a ligament injury to his ankle.
01:05They'll keep him out for weeks.
01:06Yeah.
01:11Great.
01:11Okay, and then obviously news this week,
01:13big news this week,
01:14the return of Fabio Paratici.
01:17It's an exciting one.
01:18I think a lot of Spurs fans are quite excited by it.
01:20In your eyes, how will it work, all of you together?
01:23Yeah, also positive about it.
01:28Obviously, Fabio worked as a consultant for the club,
01:32so I met him there a few times in the last couple of months.
01:37Looking forward to get to know him more.
01:41Of course, when it's more day-to-day,
01:43you will get to know each other even better.
01:46Looking forward to work together.
01:47I'm not in doubt that Fabio, Johan, I, and Vinay
01:54will create a very, very strong team.
01:57And together, I'm convinced that we can create something very good.
02:02And I really, you know, I'm used to work with two sports directors.
02:06I've done that for nine years in Brentford,
02:08first with Phil Giles and Rasmus Angersen,
02:10then Phil Giles and Lee Dykes.
02:13I actually think you need two these days to cover everything
02:16because it's such a big job.
02:19And I think also the two of them complement each other.
02:21Ah, you've just answered my second question.
02:23Ah, good. I'm so good. Okay, done.
02:26Brilliant.
02:27Well, I was going to say, because I know you had it at Brentford,
02:29so did you have an input into it?
02:31Did you sort of speak to Vinay and say,
02:32do you know what, Vinay, I had two before,
02:35and it worked well for me.
02:36And the actual role of the sporting director is so vast now.
02:39Yeah, you know, I would say there was thoughts about it.
02:45Of course, it happens when to win the first time,
02:48when I spoke about it.
02:51I was a little bit, like you said there, very positive about it
02:54because I think it will work very well.
02:58And I think there is no one that is perfect in this world.
03:03And I think the way the strong abilities both Johan and Fabio have,
03:09I think that they complement each other so well,
03:12so it's like a perfect match.
03:14So they're just like this, and then we cover more together.
03:18Vinay says he expects disagreements because everyone's different.
03:22Will you hope to have the final say,
03:24if it's a player potentially in January or the summer?
03:26I'll always have a final say.
03:28You know that, yeah, of course, in the end.
03:31No, it's teamwork.
03:35I'm pretty sure if one of the, I would say three of us,
03:41because Vinay is, as he's saying, not technically,
03:45technical or whatever you call it,
03:46of course, he will have an opinion,
03:50but the three of us need to agree.
03:52And if one, let's take an example,
03:54it doesn't matter if it's me, Fabio,
03:55and he's very, very, very strong.
03:58They should not be the player,
03:59then that's probably not that right.
04:03So I'm pretty sure that we will find a good way to go.
04:08Good luck, Sande.
04:11Thomas, good to see you.
04:12By my reckoning, you've got seven games coming up
04:15in the next 22 days.
04:17I presume after the start that Tottenham Hotspur have had this season,
04:20that fills you with excitement and not apprehension.
04:23Oh, yeah, definitely.
04:24We love to play games.
04:26Every footballer loves to play a game instead of training.
04:30Coaches, we like to train a little bit more sometimes,
04:33but in general, no, we love to play the games.
04:36We have a fantastic run of games ahead of us,
04:39starting with Villa on Sunday.
04:43The top team, top manager, Unai.
04:47I respect him a lot.
04:48I think what he's done in his career is amazing.
04:50What he created at Villa is fantastic in so many areas.
04:55I think they did well in Champions League last season
05:00and almost qualified for the Champions League again,
05:04which is very impressive.
05:05I think they have a very strong team.
05:07So, yeah, looking forward to it.
05:09Does the fact that you've managed to do what you've done
05:12as a squad so far this season,
05:15having missed out on a couple of key players,
05:18if you like, due to injury,
05:19does that whet the appetite for what could be achieved
05:21once you do have all those players back?
05:23I think we all have an idea in our head
05:28what could be the strongest team
05:31with all players available.
05:34But probably reality is that
05:36you need to create the strongest possible team
05:40of the players you have available now.
05:42That is my task.
05:44That is my job.
05:44I get the best out of that.
05:46So it's nice to dream a little bit,
05:48but like with all dreams,
05:49it's not reality.
05:51You know, reality is here, now,
05:54what kind of players we have available
05:55and then I need to perform for them.
05:58That said, of course,
05:59I've lost some of them to be fit and available.
06:01Just on Aston Villa,
06:02I know you mentioned them before,
06:03but 13th in the Premier League table,
06:05just a couple of wins for them so far this season.
06:07Are you a little bit surprised
06:09with what you've seen from them
06:10considering just how good they've been
06:12over the past couple of years?
06:13This is meant positive,
06:21I would say no,
06:22because when I see them performing
06:24and their structure
06:25and the way they play,
06:27I see a lot of the same
06:28that I've seen from
06:29when I'm in his team,
06:31when I'm in his Villa team
06:32the last three seasons.
06:34I see a lot of the same strengths.
06:36They're very, very good
06:37in the build-up
06:39and in phase two
06:40and have a fantastic structure.
06:42They're very composed
06:43and have fantastic players.
06:45We know in Rochester
06:47they've been doing fantastic.
06:49Ollie Watkins,
06:50Marlon Navarroin
06:51who scored goals,
06:52Unada in the midfield,
06:53Kamara,
06:54I know Thielman's injured,
06:55but that's a top team.
06:58The back four is very good as well.
07:00So it's a team
07:01and you can see they're growing
07:03and I expect an unbelievable,
07:06tight game
07:08on Sunday
07:09that we're very positive about
07:12and that we will do everything to edge
07:13and we hope
07:13and I believe we can
07:14but that'll be a strong test
07:17on Sunday.
07:19George.
07:20Thomas,
07:20one of my colleagues
07:21on the BBC website
07:22has done a really interesting article
07:23about XG
07:24and Premier League clubs
07:26and the start to the season
07:27and it just got me thinking
07:28how much has it taken
07:31influencing you as a manager
07:32that data has developed
07:33over the years
07:34and I just wondered
07:35how much info
07:37do you use with data
07:38in regards to your approach
07:39to match days
07:39in your squads really?
07:41Not too much
07:42to match days
07:43I would say.
07:45I use data of course
07:46to
07:47I've done that
07:49for a long time
07:50how can I say
07:51to create the right narrative
07:53that I want to
07:54maybe get across
07:56to the players
07:56or to you guys
07:57to make sure
07:59we get the right message
08:00out there
08:00that's one thing
08:03secondly
08:04I think it's good
08:05to have
08:05another indicator
08:09or benchmark
08:11that you could look towards
08:13that are analysing performance
08:16but my eyes
08:18and my knowledge
08:20or principles
08:21of what I believe in
08:22is always the most important thing
08:24but I think it's very important
08:25to have the stats
08:26to back up the performance
08:28either way
08:29you know
08:29good or bad
08:30because sometimes
08:31oh put it to the top corner
08:33two times
08:33you want 2-0
08:34everything is beautiful
08:35in terms of XG
08:38and shot against
08:39and all that
08:39so
08:40we need to use both
08:42I think
08:42and just in terms of
08:44your approach to this season
08:45I've noticed a couple of things
08:46you've been really clinical
08:47in front of goal
08:48I think you've been overperforming there
08:49Vicario's done
08:50very well
08:52the other end
08:53just what have you made
08:54when you look at the stats
08:55at your start of the season
08:56does it match up
08:56with what your eyes are telling you
08:58after these games
08:59yeah
09:01I think there is
09:02yes and no
09:03I think there's some areas
09:04I've been very happy with
09:06so there's not only XG
09:07both ends
09:09that's very simple to look at
09:11I look at that as well
09:11of course I've always wanted to be
09:13top and the other end
09:14but I think 7 games
09:15is a very small sample
09:16in general
09:19so there's elements
09:21that's part of our game
09:22I've been very pleased with
09:23for example
09:24the high pressure
09:24a bit of the
09:26phase 1 as well
09:27I think our middle pressure
09:29is getting better and better
09:30for example
09:30and then
09:32a big thing for me
09:33number of crosses
09:34and arriving in a box
09:35we are in the top
09:36and I think that's key for me
09:37because if we put a lot of crosses in
09:40hopefully more with quality
09:41have enough players arriving in there
09:43in the right gaps
09:44in the right areas
09:45that will give us a big opportunity
09:46for scoring goals
09:47so that's the other bits
09:48something that we need to
09:48thank you
09:50George in the back please
09:51I just want to ask you
09:56about a couple of your strikers
09:56first of all
09:57with Dom
09:58do you think it's likely
09:59we see him during this
10:00kind of 22 day period
10:02before the next
10:03international break
10:04and do you need to be
10:05kind of cautious with him
10:06or once he's trained
10:07a little bit
10:07you can kind of come
10:08straight back in
10:09I think
10:11the good thing is
10:14he's positive
10:15he's progressing now
10:16but he's still training
10:17on his own
10:17so
10:18I don't want to be
10:21too excited
10:21or too negative
10:22either way
10:23so I'm actually taking
10:24a little bit day by day
10:25and week by week
10:26to see how quick
10:28he progresses
10:29Dom is a natural fit player
10:32there's some players
10:33that natural get
10:34that fitness up
10:35to a high level
10:37but of course
10:38we also need to
10:39take into consideration
10:40he basically hasn't trained
10:41with the team
10:42since July
10:44but that's not the same
10:46it will take
10:47three months
10:47to get up to pace
10:48it will
10:49but it's just
10:50it will take
10:50a little bit of time
10:51to get up to pace
10:52how long
10:52I don't know
10:52and you mentioned
10:54Randall Colomani
10:55is back training
10:56I mean now he's back
10:58and he's played
10:5945 minutes
10:59how sort of excited
11:00are you to actually
11:01get him out on the pitch
11:02and I think he's played
11:03one or two games
11:04and if Spurs
11:04about to use him
11:05during this busy period
11:06I think it's
11:08very important
11:09to have him
11:10fit and available
11:11I think he looks
11:13better and better
11:14I think it's also
11:16fair to say
11:17that he has
11:17trained two weeks
11:18with the team
11:19when he came
11:201st September
11:22what is it
11:23oh my god
11:23that's six
11:24seven weeks ago
11:24time flies
11:25he still needed
11:28a bit
11:28to go up
11:29to the higher level
11:29but it's not the same
11:31that he can't be
11:33involved tomorrow
11:34and maybe
11:34can play minutes
11:36but I think
11:38it's fair to say
11:38they need a little
11:39bit of time
11:39to get up
11:39to fully firing
11:40and just finally
11:41for me
11:41Tottenham's home
11:43form in the
11:43Premier League
11:43has been quite
11:44poor for quite a
11:45while now
11:45mainly before your
11:47time
11:47I think it's
11:48looking at the
11:49fixtures you've
11:49got Aston Villa
11:50Chelsea
11:51Man United
11:51on paper
11:52they seem
11:52hard fixtures
11:53but are they
11:54the sort of
11:54type of home
11:55games you're
11:55going to relish
11:56over this period
11:56to kind of
11:57correct this
11:58home form
11:59which has
11:59been a long
12:00hangover
12:00yeah I think
12:02in general
12:03I think
12:03every team
12:05and I can speak
12:06for us
12:06Tottenham
12:07Hotspur
12:08we would like
12:09our home
12:10to be a fortress
12:11that is the
12:12ultimate aim
12:13can we make
12:14our home
12:15an unbelievable
12:16difficult place
12:16to come to
12:17then
12:18the job is
12:19half done
12:20in terms of
12:21what we'd like
12:21to try to achieve
12:23and that is
12:24like a
12:25unbelievable
12:28like how you
12:29can say
12:29cohesion
12:29between the
12:31team and the
12:31fans
12:32and that
12:33need to go
12:33hand in hand
12:34it can not only
12:35be the team
12:35it can not only
12:35be the fans
12:36it need to be
12:37both
12:37and we need
12:38to bring
12:38energy to
12:39each other
12:39and I think
12:39that is
12:40absolutely key
12:41and we need
12:42to do
12:42everything that
12:43we can
12:43to work
12:44unbelievably
12:45hard
12:45perform well
12:46try to be
12:47positive
12:48all that
12:49but also need
12:50a little bit
12:50of help
12:50because we know
12:51football
12:52in every game
12:53goes a little bit
12:54up and down
12:54you have good
12:55spells
12:55bad spells
12:56the primary league
12:57is the most
12:58relentless league
12:59in the world
12:59so difficult
13:00to compete in
13:02so we need
13:03the fans
13:03especially
13:04especially
13:04in the tough
13:05moments
13:05the better
13:06they can be
13:07behind the team
13:07the not easy
13:10because it's not
13:10easier
13:10the better
13:11it will be
13:12and they will
13:12feel more success
13:13for the team
13:14so we need that
13:16but when our fans
13:17are behind the team
13:18and the stadium
13:18is rocking
13:19I think it's
13:19one of the best
13:20plays in the world
13:21hi Thomas
13:24Wilson-Odebert
13:26and Matthias Tell
13:27had a really great
13:28international break
13:29for France
13:29under 21
13:30scoring six goals
13:32I think between
13:32them and linking up
13:33how pleasing was that
13:35and how keen are you
13:37to sort of continue
13:38sort of trying to help
13:39them fulfill their potential
13:40because it's clear
13:41they're two very exciting
13:42young players
13:43yeah I agree
13:45I think it was
13:45so nice to see
13:48both of them
13:48perform well
13:49for their country
13:50and agree
13:51watching all their
13:52assists and goals
13:53and actions
13:53from their games
13:56and it's nice
13:57they bring
13:57I think
13:58sometimes you are
14:00in momentum
14:00and you're in good rhythm
14:02and clearly both of them
14:03are in a good rhythm
14:03scoring goals
14:05performing well
14:05having good actions
14:06so I think that's key
14:08I'm pleased with both
14:11players in general
14:12I think they are
14:13developing
14:14and taking steps
14:16in the right direction
14:17so I think it's positive
14:19and just going back to Randall
14:21you mentioned how quickly
14:23the time's gone
14:23since he's signed
14:24I think it's nearly
14:25two months now
14:26obviously he'll have his
14:27eyes set on the World Cup
14:28played a big part
14:29in Qatar with France
14:30last time
14:31have you spoken to him
14:32about that
14:32because it's a huge thing
14:34for a player to go
14:35to the World Cup
14:35and you know
14:36time is of the essence
14:37and how long do you think
14:39it will be before we see him
14:40or the Randall
14:41Kolo Mouane
14:42that you know
14:42Spurs signed
14:43I don't know
14:45I think the World Cup
14:46is far away from
14:47in general
14:51and I understand
14:52that the players
14:53are thinking about it
14:54I haven't spoken
14:56to him about it
14:57if I'm honest
14:58because I think
14:59for any player
15:01to want to be involved
15:02in World Cup
15:02you need to play
15:03and for whatever reason
15:05he hasn't been
15:06able to do it yet
15:06what I'm focusing on
15:08is to make sure
15:08that he is in a good place
15:10try to get him
15:12into his best
15:13best possible
15:15performance level
15:16and when he are
15:17in that best possible
15:18performance level
15:19he will hopefully
15:20do very well for us
15:21and then the rest
15:22will take care of ourselves
15:23thank you
15:24okay we'll end
15:25the broadcast section there
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