Thomas Frank spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash against Brighton at the Amex (3pm UK).
Here's what he had to say...
Q1: What's the latest on Dominic Solanke?
Thomas: "The positive thing is that he's back (training) on the grass, he's been there for three, four days and progressing forward, slowly, but forward. It's too early for him (at Brighton) tomorrow, too early for Doncaster, but the positive is that he's on the grass and progressing forward."
Can you reflect on your first three months in charge?
Thomas: "It's gone so quick. It seems like I've been here for longer. You're also in that moment where things are just constantly happening and you are, we say dealing with it, putting processes in place, structures, and I think we and the team and the club is in a good place. I don't want to look too far ahead, or too far behind, we need to stay now, in the moment and do everything we can to win tomorrow."
When do you start looking at the league table?
Thomas: "April! I looked at the table a couple of times after the last games and think, 'oo, is that team that low or that high?' because I'm not looking at it, I'm trying really to focus on ourselves and our performances and what we can do. It's so easy to get dragged into something you can't control. I think for the fans, they should dream, they should hope, all that, that's what football is all about. I also dream and hope, but I'm a little bit closer to the action, so I need to stay level headed, focus on the next training. We need to be perfect - like today, I think it was very good training, the coaches, staff, top players. Everything ran well, and then I do what I can to make sure we try to win tomorrow."
How highly do you rate Cuti Romero?
Thomas: "I rate him super high. I agree that right now, he's one of the best centre-backs in the world. Clearly, it helps when you've won the World Cup and the Copa America and the Europa League and more things. The best, they perform consistently, week in, week out. Of course, I don't know Cuti inside out, I've only been here three months. Of course, I've followed him over the years. I definitely see a more mature player and person, not that he hasn't been that before, it's not like it's happened the last three months. I'm not saying that, because he was very good last year and also won the World Cup. About that consistency, now I see a player who is very aggressive when he needs to be very aggressive, cool and composed when he needs to be cool and composed, and I think he got that rare combination of being super aggressive in the duels, but also in the box, okay, I need to move two steps, header, that's the top level centre-backs who do that."
What kind of personality does Cuti have in the dressing room - what do you make of him as a person?
Thomas: "He's a great character. He loves his football, just loves his football. He's like a young boy sometimes, just loving playing out there with the boys, and that's a big thing, you need to love the game. He clearly does that. When we train, focus. He's got that ability. We went through set pieces, stop start, it's a little bit boring, but he's focused. You can see it in his eyes. He has that ability, 'boom', now it's game time, now he's competing. So, great character."
What work have you been doing with Lucas Bergvall?
Thomas: "I think it's fair to say that he had a good season last year. He played a lot of minutes that laid the foundation for this season, because in the beginning of the season, he came back from the ankle injury last year and he just needed time to go. You can see now he's going from strength to strength and has that extra confidence. You can see there was a situation in the second half where he got the ball from Mo in and around the box, just took it forward inside the box. That's the movement you see from a player that has confidence. The coaches and I have been working with him on a couple of things. He's got so much energy that sometimes you need to say, pause, stop, don't run when we have the ball and find the more dangerous positions. For example, the deep run where he scored the goal against West Ham was a big thing. The deep run where he was involved in the own goal against Villarreal. So, those deep runs and arriving in a higher positions up the pitch is key, I think. Then he's learning to be more and more clever in the pressure. We need all his energy and enthusiasm in driving the team, but also how does he need to be goal side when he marks in the man to man and how does he need to close the angles and stuff like that."
What do you make of Fabian Hurzeler?
Thomas: "He deserves massive praise to be able to, first and foremost, get a job in the Premier League club, then you have done something right. He's definitely done something right last year with Brighton as well. So, you know, he's young and he's learning every day. I'm learning every day, but he's clearly, you can see from last season, done well. Also, you learn processes, doing all the things right. He's got a great future ahead of him. I was thinking myself at 32. Wow, that's a few years ago. I think I'm still quite young. It's a great job he's done."
What does Destiny Udogie offer that is different to the other full-backs?
"I'm privileged to have four good full-backs, including Ben Davies. It's also fair to say that probably Destiny, Djed and Pedro are a little bit ahead and those three are performing at a very high level. Destiny has done very well the last two seasons when he's been fully fit. Pedro has been at just an unbelievable level, I think, and Djed just built last year, impressive how he lifted his level, and the way he started the season has been super impressive. So, of course, you can say the classic one is that Destiny offers his left foot as a left-back. So, some things are a little bit more natural for him in that sense. I think both him and Djed are a little bit similar. They have that fantastic physicality or ability to go all the time up and down. That's a fantastic thing to do, also to drive forward. So, yeah, I'm happy and it's a privilege to have good full-backs."
Why is Destiny's left foot so important on that side of the pitch?
Thomas: "It is very important, but I also think just to put it into perspective, Djed gives us something else because when you have a right-footer, like we did with Keane Lewis-Potter last year in Brentford, you can then cut in on your right and you almost can play as a winger sometimes. You can cut in and have the strong foot on the inside. The left foot gives some different angles when you play, you can play different angle passes into the six, to the eight, to the nine. When you're running forward and you're overlapping, it's more natural to your stronger foot, of course."
Andreas Georgson (assistant coach) - how long have you known him and what does he bring to the role?
Thomas: "I've known him since he was at Brentford when I appointed him there, together with Brentford and the other guys there. We stayed in contact over the years. He offers a lot to the coaching team. We have three assistant coaches - him, Matt Wells and Justin. All three bring different things to the table. The big responsibility for Andreas is obviously set pieces, but also culture, also he got a different approach, which I think is important in a group, to ask different questions. Sometimes extremely annoying, and puts me a little bit on the spot but that's good. We need that, I need that. Obviously on the set pieces, you can see I think we have a very good foundation to stand on. We can get better, but defensively we look strong, offensively we look strong. Big credit to him, but also a massive credit to Sean (McManus) our analyst, but also to the players that really bought into it."
Has starting Xavi Simons on the left been about introducing him more gently into the Premier League, rather than in the middle?
Thomas: "I also think it's how we let the team grow and develop. Where we came from in the summer... in the last two seasons, definitely last year, it was Kulusevski, Son, Maddison, Solanke. None of them are available, so it's a completely new front four. Xavi came in late to the picture. Mo came in in pre-season. Dom hasn't been fully fit. We've played with Pape and Lucas as the 10. So, we're trying to add those layers, you know, game for game. Right now, our strongest bit in the team is the structure and the way we defend, which is also a very offensive way of defending with the high pressure, because we win the ball high, we keep the initiative, we can be aggressive and intense. Then we are building more into how we can add maybe more offensive players in the future, depending on how players are developing. I also need to say that Lucas is doing quite well in the number 10 position, a different profile than Xavi, but offers something different. We're going to play a lot of games this season."
How do you manage Archie Gray's expectations this season? How do you see his development? What position will he play?
Thomas: "I think it is fair to say that mainly played as a centre-back and full-back last season. There were very few as a central midfielder. I like flexible players, every coach likes that. I definitely like that. Also it gives a little more squad depth at times and more opportunities, different abilities for different games. I see him more as a midfielder, as an eight or centre-back, I think he can play both. Sometimes you need that little run of games like Lucas gets now and you take the next steps. I must admit Archie really impressed me. He played a very good pre-season friendly against Newcastle and he really grew into the game against Burnley, he was very good in the second half and I like his mentality. He was not in the squad for West Ham and the day after he trained fantastically. Yesterday, fantastic. He does the bit I like for example, from a midfielder, he can twist and turn to go forward, he is very mobile, he is reliable, so I really like Archie. Unfortunately, you can only play 11. Can we change the rules? Get a few more on the pitch, it would help a little bit!"
Any news on your leadership group?
Thomas: "What’s that again?"
Your leadership group?
Thomas: "I need to do that. Actually that will come. I promise you soon. You have put pressure on me now, that's good."
What's the latest on Kota Takai?
Thomas: "He is very close to training with the group - I'm pretty sure he will train with the group on Monday."