After a transfer window that frustrated the fans the Tottenham Hotspur boss has been speaking about the Lewis family who own the club
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank believes the Lewis family are "very, very serious" owners after comments by the outgoing Fabio Paratici about his new bosses at Fiorentina.
Paratici left Spurs just three months after returning as a joint sporting director with Johan Lange, citing personal reasons for heading back to Italy for a prominent role at Fiorentina. During his unveiling in Florence this week, the 53-year-old said that "Fiorentina have a serious set of owners, a very serious set of owners who are of great value".
Some took as a dig at Spurs' owners, the Lewis family, and it comes after a transfer window that frustrated the Tottenham fans with a net spend of just £13million as Brennan Johnson was sold to Crystal Palace for £35million before Conor Gallagher's arrival from Atletico Madrid for a similar fee.
The north London club then signed 19-year-old Santos left-back Souza for £13million but failed to add anyone else to the squad despite January bringing nine new injuries to Frank's squad, a number of them long term, and the Dane admitting that more attacking options would help and suggesting loan signings as a way of fixing the problems temporarily.
When asked whether Tottenham have serious owners after Paratici's comments, Frank laughed.
"They have very, very serious owners. I understand why you need to ask that but I can only laugh about that," he said. "Yes, very, very serious.
“I speak to them. I’m together with them, so I’m not in doubt. I think it’s a little bit unfair to judge them on a January transfer window. That’s the only window where they’ve been in charge. Is this correct?"
It was pointed out that ENIC, the investment company the Lewis family owns, has been at the helm of Tottenham for 25 years before the next generation of the family, in siblings Vivienne and Charles Lewis and Vivienne's son-in-law Nick Beucher, took a more active interest in the running of the club last year.
"But I also think it’s fair to say that that was different before that. That’s everyone’s assumption, isn’t it?" said Frank. "I think it’s unfair to judge them after this window, I really, truly do.
"Judge them after the next window and the following window. I understand there is a lot of scrutiny about the club, that’s fair, but let’s be fair."
Frank has high hopes for Gallagher, who grabbed his first assist for the club last weekend with the cross for Dominic Solanke's spectacular scorpion kick goal against Manchester City.
"I think Conor has a lot of the bits we need to get to where we want. His character is unbelievable. He is a player who can build a top culture going forward," said the Spurs boss.
"His work-rate and how he can carry the team on his back, more or less, though it’s not only about one player. That situation [for Solanke's goal] is a fantastic situation, where he’s running very hard, winning the second ball in front of two players and then put a cross in and we scored from that.
"He’s impressed me and I think even though he came fit and available, he’s still adapting to the team. Of course, he played Premier League before but it’s different to La Liga. I also expect him to be even better when everyone knows him.
“I agree [that people underrate his technical ability]. For example his finishing is very technically good. He’s an excellent finisher."
This Saturday Spurs travel to Manchester United with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven fit and available but Djed Spence "touch and go" to be involved after his calf injury.
Frank will come up against United's interim boss Michael Carrick just four months after the former Tottenham midfielder interviewed the Tottenham head coach for Amazon Prime Video Sport and the Dane is looking forward to seeing him again.
"First of all he came across as a fantastic person. That’s a key thing. Secondly he has had an excellent career, having done everything, won everything," he said.
“Then he had his time in Middlesbrough where he had a top experience in the Championship for a few years with all the mistakes we need to do as a head coach.
“With his history and experience from Man Utd, who knows what will happen in the summer. He definitely had a good start, that’s one thing, of course he needs to continue it and I wish him all the best, except on Saturday."