Thomas Frank and Kevin Danso spoke to the media together at Stade Louis II on Tuesday evening, ahead of our UEFA Champions League MD3 clash against AS Monaco on Wednesday night (8pm UK).
Here’s what they had to say...
Is this a good time to put things right after Sunday's defeat?
Thomas: “Yeah, I think that's a good thing with playing games so shortly after each other. So, you just progress and move on to the next one. I think the good thing with the Villa game was overall a very good performance. Also, when we look back, I'm pleased with a lot of things there. Now we just need to take a lot of the bits into the game tomorrow against Monaco, a very good team with very good players. They already started the campaign I think quite well with a draw here against City. Last year they beat Villa, they beat Barcelona. Clearly, clearly a very talented team.”
Do you have any more on Cuti Romero’s situation?
Thomas: “It’s an adductor strain. We will assess it more this week before we come with any timeframe.”
Kevin - stepping in for Cristian Romero, a player who offers so much with the ball as well - are you thinking about the passes he plays in your role as well?
Kevin: “Definitely, but also just try to fulfil the role as best as I can. Obviously, he's a very important player for us. For me, it's just doing the job, defending first and foremost and try to replace him in that instance as best as I can. I think it was an okay game (on Sunday), unfortunately we didn't get the result we wanted, but the aim is to win here tomorrow.”
Thomas: “I think Kevin played a very good game against Villa.”
Should fans be concerned with Cuti’s injury?
Thomas: “No, I don't think so. For me it's an adductor strain. We'll assess him this week and then we'll know more.”
Monaco have just changed manager (Sebastien Pocognoli in for Adi Hutter) - how difficult is it to prepare with a new manager coming in?
Thomas: “Yeah, I think of course it's hard, but of course we studied for a couple of weeks. His team at Union did very well, they won the championship in Belgium. So, that's what we do. We look at the last game they played and then a lot of games from Union We have, I think, a good idea of what they want but also, we know that the very talented players speak for themselves, also under the former manager when they drew 2-2 here against City. So, it's a tough test but we look forward to it. We trust ourselves. We think we're in a good place and we'll do everything we can to win the game tomorrow.”
Thomas, is it fair you’re still trying to fine tune and find the right formula, or will you never settle on a formula?
Thomas: “I think it's fair to say that we are relatively early days in the time with all of us together here. I think there is, in my opinion, a lot of progress in a lot of areas. For example, I think we defended fantastic against Villa overall and I think we looked very good in high pressure, aggressive. I think we were very aggressive, very intense against Villa as well. I think offensively we still scored quite a few goals, if you compare that to the league, which is about to get it into the back of the net. Then you could say that playing, let's say, three games in a row, we're completely free-floating top football. How many teams do that right now in the Premier League? If you can name me three, it would be nice. We are aiming for the perfect game every single game. That's what we want to do. We know what we are working at and I think we're progressing nicely.”
On Xavi, could you talk a little bit about the difficulties when you're in his particular position of going into a different tempo and a different style? He’s not the only one, if you look at Wirtz at Liverpool, does it just take a little bit of time to get the rhythm?
Thomas: “I think that's a very good question, also a very good comparison with Wirtz, also a very good player, just like Xavi, a very good player coming into a couple of things, a new country, a new club, a new city, just needs to settle in. It is part of it. We're all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the little bit bigger perspective and see it over time. I always look for glimpses and bits and pieces we're working at. So, for example, Xavi, I think there were some good bits that we worked with him and I asked him to be more arriving in the box, which when I looked the game back, he did. Was there the big eye-catching moment? No, but there were good glimpses. So, I think it's constantly going a little bit in the right direction.”
Did Destiny Udogie travel? What’s the latest on him?
Thomas: “No. The latest is that he got that knee irritation after the international duty. That we are assessing and working very hard to get on top of. We'll know more probably, you know, day by day, or in the next week.”
Away form is really strong compared to the home form - is there anything you can put that down to?
Thomas: “I don't know exactly, it also depends on who you're facing, home and away. I know at home you may be playing in a specific way, and other teams are playing in a specific way against you, compared to when you go away. Then the team opens a little bit more up, so you can hit them a little bit more on the counter, so you don't have to create everything from scratch, and 11 players behind the ball. So, but I just think definitely away form has been very good in terms of what we said before. I think we've been extremely good in the foundation in football, in terms of we have a good base in the middle, low block, and also very high. I think it's very important that we probably have the most aggressive teams in the high pressure. That’s a big part of why we also are quite good away from home. We need to continue tomorrow against a very good team, but we're up for that.”
Kevin, it was late notice coming in for Romero on Sunday - has that happened to you before?
Kevin: “I think I'm experienced enough, old enough now to deal with whatever comes in a game of football. Things happen that are unexpected, but I've got ready, and I was ready, and I'll always be ready when the gaffer needs me. That's what I try to do in the game.”
Following up on what you said about not many teams playing free-flowing football, why do you think that is at the moment?
Thomas: “That's a big question. Please prepare me next time! I was looking, and this is with the biggest respect to Villa for example, they won the game, but I think they're a very good team, and they've been extremely free-floating, but they didn't really create anything. They scored two goals. So, it's just like, and I think both teams also, we didn't create massive, massive chances against Villa, but enough. Both teams, you know, try to cancel each other out. There's me looking at it, but I've got a big coaching staff. I've got, I don't know how many analysis guys that's also helping. Every team prepares so well to try to cancel each other out. It can be something with training time. It can be. I haven't thought about that. Then I think, depending on teams, I think there is part of that relationship. Kevin knows that, if you work together constantly in the back four, you know, you play every game and, you know, we have two in front of you. How do you hit them with the right passes? So, I think there's some of that where teams then suddenly click. Then even with the best teams, suddenly they play three very good games and then, oof, they're lack a little bit of, you know, flow. So, it's a little bit up and down, always.”
Is it quicker to sort of instil defensive principles, whereas the attacking blend takes a bit longer?
Thomas: “I think yes, because I think it's relatively easy-ish to do the defensive bit because you need to have your key principles and what you want to do in high pressure, middle pressure, how to defend the box, install mentality of, you know, sprint back, recovery runs. I think that's one thing, but offensively there's a lot of patterns, there's a lot of things you need to click and you also, how can you say, try how is the right blend with the players who is connecting well, but also part of it, I think.”
Lastly and sort of linked to that, can I just talk about the midfield balance, whether you're happy with that tactically or has maybe some of the passing has been not quite ambitious enough? Is that something you agree with, something you're working on?
Thomas: “I think in general I've been overall happy with the midfielders that have played so far this season. Of course, you always want passes through the lines, on diags and balls in behind, but I think overall I'm quite happy.”
Brennan Johnson scored arguably the most important goal in the club's history. He started the season really well, but he just seems to have kind of fallen away. Is it as simple as that you prefer Mo Kudus on the right at the moment, or can you provide any context to why Brennan hasn't really had many opportunities?
Thomas: “Brennan is a very important player, a fantastic, important goal last season. Also. the top scorer. He started the season well, scored two good goals so, again, probably a little bit down to how do we put the players out that make it fit. Brennan has trained very well the last couple of weeks, doing what he's doing very well, scoring goals in training, which is important to keep showing that I'm not taking the right decision if he's not in the team. I think Brennan can play both to the left and to the right as we said before. Of course, Mo Kudus has done very well on the right for example, and then on the left I actually think Wilson has done well. It's just a little bit of competition. Brennan just needs to keep going, he will get his games.”
Have you considered using a back three like you did in the Super Cup or is 4-3-3 the main system you’re going with?
Thomas: “As I've said before, for me, it's not about the system - it's the guiding principles. I think right now the 4-2-3-1 is the go-to depending on types. And as I said, if we had won that game against Villa 1-0, which we easily could have done, they wouldn't everyone have been happy? So, I think the performance were all good, very competitive. I'm happy with that. I'm very aware that we need to add extra layers, which we're working on.”
Kevin, did you get the chance to talk to Lucas Digne after the game on Sunday? I know there was no malice in the tackle whatsoever, but obviously quite a nasty cut in the end...
Kevin: “Yeah, these things happen in football. Of course, there was no intent, nothing behind it, just an unfortunate situation. I apologised to him while he was on the floor because I felt that I did catch him, but I clearly cleared the ball and then, with the follow-through, which does happen in football, sadly. I saw the picture of his ankle. I didn't have a chance after the game, but I apologised to him on the pitch. I would like to apologise to him publicly as well. Obviously, there was no malice, nothing behind it. My intention was never to injure anybody. But yeah, it was just part of football.”