Embargoed section of Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank’s pre match press conference ahead of Newcastle v Tottenham at St James’ Park in the Premier League.
Frank reflects on the mood after the 2-1 home defeat to Fulham, when goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed following his error for the second goal, and clarifies his “true Spurs fan” comments by insisting he still feels strong backing from the majority of supporters.
He stresses that Spurs are “nothing without the fans”, urges unity to turn Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a fortress again, and explains why he will not take Vicario out of the firing line.
He compares the emotional environment at Tottenham with his previous jobs at Brøndby and Brentford, admits there is pressure and tension but says he feels more experienced and calm, and outlines his plan to build consistency, competitiveness and culture while competing in the Premier League and Champions League.
Frank also talks about ownership expectations, the physical and mental demands of a hectic schedule and why a daunting trip to Newcastle is an opportunity to turn things around with a big performance.
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⏱ Timeline 0:00 Home atmosphere being the reason why home form is poor? 0:57 Players being afraid? 1:57 Leaving Vicario out the lineup? 2:07 Adapting to the method 3:36 More pressure? 4:13 Confident on the ownership being patient with him? 5:05 Big Difference in emotions 6:50 Fans 8:08 “Not true fan” comments 9:21 Players not clapping the fans after the game? 10:11 Relationship with the Fans 11:16 Newcastle an Ideal away game? 11:40 Biggest challenge? 13:16 Outro | Please like the video and subscribe!
#tottenham #spurs #thomasfrank | Thomas Frank Tottenham Hotspur Spurs embargoed press conference today
00:00The mood, that atmosphere in the stadium, is one of the reasons why you're all four so poor?
00:07I think mainly it's on the pitch. We need to improve.
00:16It's mainly that we need to perform and we need to, no matter what the mood is,
00:25find a good structure and calmness and do the right thing throughout 90 minutes.
00:32I think there's a reason why some, how can you say, home grounds are more successful for whatever reason.
00:45Because there's also that part of we can be pushed forward, which I definitely feel we do a lot of times.
00:51So the more we can do that as well, the better.
00:54Do you feel that any of the players are afraid or afraid to do certain things or become, or confidence drains quickly because of...
01:04But I think also now it's like with everything, sometimes a narrative can be truth, sometimes it can not be true.
01:11But there's a narrative out there and there's a lot of talk.
01:16It's a fact, by the way, we haven't won that many times at home, so that I can't run away from.
01:21But also, I don't think the relationship with the fans is that bad if it's like the big talk of the town.
01:31So every game we go out there, I definitely feel the fans are behind us and we keep going.
01:36Of course, last game was, I think everyone was a little bit self-shocked in the stadium, from players to me, to the fans, six minutes down.
01:44We all believe that now let's come out flying against a team that we respect, but we, on a good day, had a very good chance to beat.
01:51Is there anything to be gained by taking Vic out of the firing line?
01:55In what way, sorry?
01:57Leaving him out.
01:58Leaving him out?
01:59No, no, no, no, no, not for me.
02:01I don't know, he made one mistake, so, yeah.
02:03Good for me.
02:07You started slowly in terms of results at Bromley and Brentford before turning things around there.
02:12Obviously, all managers need time when they come into the clash, but what is it maybe about your teams in particular that take a bit of time to adapt to your network?
02:21Good question.
02:27At least I didn't, I started a little bit better here the first eight games or ten games that I did in the two other clubs, which is probably good.
02:36Yeah, I think there could be different reasons for that.
02:43I think when I took over in Bromley, it was a completely new start.
02:50The club was close to get relegated the year before, even it was a big club and bankrupt, so we started more or less from scratch.
02:58So that was built into it.
03:00I think we didn't win in eight, and then we were unbeaten in nine.
03:05We ran for the same, we lost eight out of ten, and then we were unbeaten in ten.
03:09Now it's a little bit the other way around.
03:11I just know that I build consistency and I build competitiveness and culture, and that will always take a bit of time.
03:23And the big thing here, we want to build it while we need to compete every single week, three times a week or two times a week, depending on how you see it.
03:30So, yeah, it's natural.
03:33Do you feel under more pressure now in this situation than you do in those starters?
03:39In a way, I got more experience, so I know what's needed.
03:48You can say the first job in Bromley was my first senior job in a massive club in Denmark with massive exposure.
03:58So, I would say, if anything, a little less.
04:04But, of course, I know there is, I can say, pressure or attention or that we need to win.
04:10And there's been a lot of talk this season about being a new era in terms of the ownership, and I think it's ambitious and demanding success.
04:16Are you confident they'll be patient and give you that time?
04:20Yeah, I'm very confident.
04:22I think the ownership seems like, of course, I'm just starting to know them, but seems like good guys, intelligent people, know how to run business, learning about football, learning more about how they become owners.
04:44And I think when we're dealing with intelligent people, they can see every successful, what do you say, dynasty, every successful club.
04:52It's taking time.
04:53They want to have one showcase.
04:55Yeah, you have one where you maybe win one year or the second year, but you can't sustain it if you don't build something sustainable, impossible.
05:05That's him.
05:06That's him.
05:07From afar, it looks like you've left an environment for breakfast that's really sensible, pragmatic, and everyone kind of is on board with that, understands it.
05:15When it comes to Spurs, which is a much more emotional club, certainly with the fan base, but probably to a extent inside the building too.
05:22Do you have that feeling when there's this big difference now in what you have to think about and those emotions you have to manage compared to what you've done in your career?
05:30Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is more often on another scale, of course, but more like my first job in Bonbu.
05:38Just, you know, you compare some of it where, as you say, Brentford was in a different way. No doubt about that.
05:49And you can say it's always a challenge when there's big expectations and no problem with the big expectation if you also have, how can you say, earned the right to really compete to the big expectations, which I think is fair to say we haven't done.
06:11As I said it, I think that I started, we haven't been able to compete in a cup tournament and Europa, Europe and Premier League in the last six years.
06:24And now we're just coming on back every season where we finished 17th and we did fantastic and won the Europa League.
06:31Now we want to compete both places. So, which is natural. We'll take a little bit of time without the normal front players, four front players that scored basically all the goals.
06:41So that's no problem. It's just the way it is. We will get there. I'm not in doubt of that. Not in doubt.
06:48You're a manager at a big club. A lot of players to manage. A huge amount of change. You've got a lot on your plate all the time.
06:54Do you not kind of feel like you've got enough to deal with for your own fans building your own players and then go grill Yost and then the press goal for them?
07:03Short answer, yes. I think the more I can spend time on the players and figure out all the small tweaks we can do to be bit by bit more and more competitive, the better it will be.
07:19But, hey, it is part of it. I would not even say unfortunately I'm enjoying these press conferences, but I have of course to meet up here and that's part of it.
07:28And the fans, you know, start or end saying with what I started saying. We're nothing without the fans.
07:36I guess, I mean, it's just there are more things to drain you here than perhaps before. Are you feeling that?
07:42Yeah, I think that's fair. And then I think that's linked with your stand being in your club. You get to know new players, staff and, you know, how do you know them before you and you need to invest time in them.
07:57And then of course with the program, that's of course training as well. But hey, that's part of it. That's why I took the job.
08:06Can I just clarify the remarks about what you made after the match?
08:15Overall, the debut during the match seems sensible, spaceful night, diplomatic.
08:23It's just that the not tree fan is good. It seems the opposite of that seems confrontational and controversial. Are you standing by that bit?
08:32I think what I'm standing by, what I think when I said the not true Spurs fan, I am 100% not convinced that I meant with that just to make it sure, to make it clear, was almost a mocking of one of their own players.
08:51So, he makes a mistake. I think there's a little bit of booing after that without me, as I remember it, you probably have seen him after.
08:59I think the next ball he clears is like a cheering. You can't do that. The opponents can do that. You can't do that as a fan.
09:09So, in that sense, that's where I would stand by that quote. I said that. The booing during, I don't think it's helpful, but we're all different. That's why I'm empowering.
09:21It also seems that the players decided not to clap a band. Are you happy with that? Even an instruction to do that? Or is it we don't let them do what they feel is right?
09:33I think, again, it's important that we connect with the fans. I think it's pretty obvious that away from home, we go to the away fans and thank for the traveling and support.
09:46And I think also it's pretty, maybe it's not as consistent. That was maybe not as many that clapped after the game, but I still saw a few. Myself did it as well.
09:55So, sometimes that can be emotional or whatever, but I would always say that clap the fans after the game, maybe don't have to do the big loop, but yeah.
10:06So, that's a specific instruction you will get?
10:08That's not a specific instruction. That's what I would recommend.
10:11I don't know. What have you said to the player about his relationship?
10:16So, they had a meeting after the Chelsea game.
10:21You were in the middle, Walker, so I thought, come on, you're still in this.
10:27Yeah, yeah, and that's fair. That's why I'm sitting here.
10:30I think, to make it clear, I'm always a little bit surprised at how things can get out of a meeting inside the club.
10:42That's always a little bit, okay.
10:45But you guys are doing a good job, because it's not coming out if you guys are not doing a good job, so well done for that.
10:51I actually mean that, it's not ironic.
10:56But we didn't have a meeting about the fans.
10:58We had a debrief after the game, about the game as we do all the time, and it was pretty evident.
11:08After that game, that was the first time there was a little bit talk about fans and relationship and all that, so we had to talk about that, which is natural.
11:16Newcastle, ideal away game, because you have to be a true man to go.
11:22True, definitely.
11:25I don't think there's any ideal game, I think the next one is always an opportunity to turn things around with a good performance and hopefully three points.
11:35Thank you for that, please.
11:37Thanks, Thomas.
11:38Does it surprise you how much scrutiny there is on the words and all the reactions that you have to any sort of...
11:45Is it one of the biggest challenges you've ever faced?
11:49It surprised me, I don't know, I knew when, of course you don't know to what extent or how it would be or whatever, I just of course knew that there would be a lot of scrutiny and focus on small details, wording that way or that way.
12:06But, yeah, I'm also a bit pragmatic, it is what it is, you just have to deal with it and sit here and answer the questions in the best possible way, I can answer them.
12:21And I just get completely reminded that it is a very, very good idea.
12:28I read nothing because there is a thousand articles out there, there is a thousand podcasts, there is thousands of social media experts and everyone have an opinion.
12:39And if I read all of them, I will probably more irritate than not.
12:42So it's better just to get the questions here and the odd one, get the reminder before from Anthony and then take them there.
12:49Did you anticipate it might get by this quite quickly, it results in going away given what happened last season, one with a home of these etc?
12:57Yeah, I expected that we will have a bad spell at some point and then there will be a lot of talks, of course.
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