Thomas Frank spoke to the media at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after our 1-2 lose to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Tuesday evening. Here's what he had to say...
How do you feel when you hear the crowd's reaction towards you?
Thomas: "I understand the fans' frustration. We are in a position we don’t want to be in and we are working very hard day and night to change. I also think it is a situation now the club has been in, it’s fair to say, for almost two years and at the end of last season as well - clearly a pattern that we struggle to manage Europe and the Premier League. It’s something me, the team, the club, the players we need to learn to do even better physically and mentally to deal with that. Part of that of course is the 11 injuries or 10 plus a suspension plus another one today which of course doesn’t help in a situation like that. Then we face a Newcastle team which is struggling a little bit lately, look at what they put out on the pitch, compared to what they have done in the last three years. I think it’s fair to say it’s quite different to us. I think Newcastle were more on top first half. We came back in it very well. Then I think it was a little bit symbolic of our season that we had a transition going one way, then we misplaced a pass and defended badly for the 2-1 goal."
Will you still be in charge for the game against Arsenal?
Thomas: "Yeah, I’m convinced I will be. I understand the question and I understand it’s easy to point on me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone. If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows - directors, ownership, myself - what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on."
They can hear the boos as well...
Thomas: "I guess so, yeah."
Eddie Howe's just been here, he knows what it's like to have gone down with Bournemouth and you talked about how the injuries can play a massive role - how much do the hierarchy understand?
Thomas: "Of course they understand that. I think everyone can see that you can just put the 11 players that are out in a line-up and then you can compare the two teams and then you guys can judge which player is out. So, of course that affects things, but it's my job to do everything we can to find solutions with the players available."
He also said about needing players in these difficult times who give you everything - do you feel your players are giving you everything?
Thomas: "Yeah, if you see them out there, I think they're running very, very hard. It's tough for them. It is tough. Football and life is tough at times, it's just the way it is and when you have things going against you, you need to show resilience, you need to show your true colour. We are definitely tested to show that."
Do you have an update on the injury to Wilson Odobert?
Thomas: "No, not yet. I hope it's nothing too serious, but I don't know what it can be. I hope it's not a serious injury to a 20-year-old young player."
It feels like it's a theme that clubs come here on a poor run, low in confidence, and then turn it around here. Why do you think that is?
Thomas: "I think maybe there's a theme. I think we've lost definitely too many games at home. There's no doubt about that. This is a Newcastle team, a very experienced Newcastle team. They've been in various situations. They also know how to get out of situations like this, or whatever the situation they were in. Again, I think they were more on top in the first half. After, we're coming back, equalising, 1-1. At that stage it's an open game and that's where we need to understand, yes, we need to do everything we can to win, but we can't concede a goal like we conceded a goal."
How disappointed are you with the attacking play and the lack of patterns of play?
Thomas: "I think the injuries need to be massively taken into consideration. I haven’t really said it too much, but everyone can see the impact of things."
What was the reasoning behind Palhinha not starting?
Thomas: "I think you take decisions sometimes. but he did very well when he came on."
How convinced are you that you are the right man for this job? Do you still have that belief?
Thomas: "1,000 per cent sure. I am also 1,000 per cent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing, but I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience. I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together. That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We only get through this together."
Do you accept that if the club continue to get closer to the relegation zone, the manager is the only thing that can change at this stage...
Thomas: "I understand the mechanism in football, no doubt about that but there are a lot of studies that it is not the right thing to do. I know it's the only movement they have, but there's also plenty of situations where it's not the right thing to do. The only thing I'll focus on is fighting, doing the right thing together with everyone else."
Is there panic around the club and the team around relegation?
Thomas: "Of course we understand we're not in a good situation, but with everything in life you need to stay calm, keep doing it and keep going."