London Evening Standard

New poll shows Labour clinging on to London as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surges to more than 300 MPs

Labour clings to London as poll predicts Reform will surge to 300 MPs

Barack Obama tells audience at London's O2: 'I've been digging myself out of a hole with Michelle for years'

Barack Obama tells O2: 'I've dug myself out of a hole with Michelle'

The Spurs boss believes his ‘holistic’ approach to training has had an immediate effect

Instant impact: Thomas Frank

Getty Images

Matt Verri

COMMENTS

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Thomas Frank believes Tottenham have made progress with their injury record so far this season, insisting the issues they have suffered have been "relatively unlucky".

Spurs had a disastrous run of injury problems last season and spent large chunks of the campaign without key first-team players.

Dejan Kulusevski is still out with the serious knee injury he picked up at the end of the season, and it is hoped he could return to action before the turn of the year.

Frank is without a number of players, including Dominic Solanke, who has not been in the Spurs squad since the win over Manchester City last month.

That absence is due to an ankle issue that hampered him in pre-season and has returned. It was caused by Solanke miskicking a ball.

The forward will once again be absent when Spurs host Wolves on Saturday night as Frank tries to get on top of the problem.

Read More

Frank confident in Spurs owners after takeover approach snubbed

Spurs reject approach amid reports of record £4.5bn takeover bid

Frank issues message as Spurs aim to end winless streak against Wolves

Sponsored

"I think sometimes let’s say you’ve got a calf strain or a hamstring or even an ACL, very simple, very easy," Frank said.

"Sometimes it’s just a little more tricky. So this is a little more tricky without being a problem."

Frank confirmed it was not a ligament issue and again said "it's still not a big thing", but he was coy when asked if Solanke would be available before the international break.

"I expect him back as soon as possible," Frank said.

In his first press conference at the start of the summer, Frank highlighted the club's injury record as an area that needed attention.

He has been keen to reduce the number of muscle injuries the team pick up and, although he is still in the early stages of his tenure, Frank is confident that effort is paying off.

"That was one of the big areas we looked into when we came in," Frank said.

"I see it as a holistic picture. It’s between the coaching, performance and medical departments. It can’t be three departments not communicating with each other, it has to be three constantly communicating back and forth.

"It’s how we train, how well we train and how well we plan that. All that so far has been good. Touch wood we haven’t had any soft tissue or muscle injuries which are the big ones we’d like to avoid.

"We’ve had an injury to [Randal] Kolo Muani which is a dead leg contact injury, then we have Dom miskicking a ball. So we have two relatively unlucky ones.

"So can we nail and get on top of the muscle injuries? Probably impossible to not have any of those injuries but so far so good and we’re very aware of it."

He added: "I think it’s workload in training. It’s not too little, definitely enough intensity because we train and play with intensity then I think it’s all about the planning – gym, recovery, lots of things."

MORE ABOUT

Striker Solanke has not played for Spurs since the 2-0 win over Manchester City in late August as he continues to struggle with a lingering ankle injury.

He stepped up his comeback bid out on the grass at Tottenham training last week, but Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round clash with Doncaster came too soon for a return.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has now confirmed that Solanke will not play against Wolves on Saturday night either, telling reporters at Friday’s pre-match press conference: “It's an ankle injury that's just been a little bit tricky. Nothing big. We are relatively positive that it will be relatively quick.”

Also still sidelined is Tottenham’s Deadline Day signing Kolo Muani, who has only featured once for his new club so far as a late substitute in the Champions League win over Villarreal last week.

He was not fit to line up either in last weekend’s battling 2-2 draw at Brighton or against Doncaster due to a dead leg that has yet to heal.

“Dead leg is just dragging on. Little bit annoying... he will not be available,” Frank said of the Paris Saint-Germain loanee on Friday.

Frank said after the win over Doncaster that there was a “good chance” midfielder Pape Matar Sarr would be fit to return against Wolves following a slight groin injury that ruled him out of the win over League One opponents.

Ben Davies has been dealing with a small knee issue of late, while summer signing Kota Takai recently returned to working outside on the grass along with Solanke.

Daniel Levy's exit at the start of September sparked speculation that the majority-shareholding Lewis family were preparing for a sale.

Sources close to the family have insisted that is not the case and that they remain committed to the club long-term, but others are not so sure and two expressions of interest in a takeover were registered earlier this month.

Despite both of those being rejected, there is now fresh talk of a £4.5billion takeover move from a US consortium led by Brooklyn Earick.

It is claimed that £3.3bn would be offered to take full control of Spurs, and £1.2bn would then be invested in the squad. There is also a £250m stadium naming rights deal reportedly being lined up.

Earick has had an unusual career path to get to the stage where he is being linked with a massive bid for a Premier League club.

The 41-year-old started as a DJ in his teenage years, performing at the Sundance Music Festival, and he secured a deal with Warner Records.

After almost a decade doing that, Earick experienced burnout and opted for a complete shift in career. He moved to San Francisco and began an internship at NASA as an electrical engineer in the small spacecraft division.

Earick became increasingly interested in computer programming and took up courses on coding, which led to a move into the tech industry.

He has been involved in apps such as Phoodie and Littlstar, as well as investing in NFTs and other online projects.

Earick founded Redacted RnD, a company with a focus on technology, sports, media and entertainment, and Algorith Capital, an investment fund entity.

Tottenham's owners insist that the club is still "not for sale" despite reports that a US consortium is preparing a £4.5billion takeover bid.

Spurs’ majority owners ENIC, run by the Lewis Family Trust, "unequivocally rejected" two preliminary expressions of interest in the club earlier this month, including one from Amanda Staveley's PCP International Finance Limited.

As Spurs follow the UK Takeover Code, any expressions of interest or official bids must be made public. PCP confirmed that it does not intend to make an offer and cannot return to do so for the next six months.

Reports from The Sun have since claimed that a consortium led by American tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick has launched a £4.5bn takeover move.

It is suggested that £3.3bn of that would be to buy the club, with the remaining £1.2bn set aside for investment in the team. A £250m stadium naming rights deal is also reportedly being lined up.

Earick is said to want to be in place for the start of the January transfer window as he looks to quickly kickstart an ambitious project.

NFL and NBA investors are reportedly part of the 12-man consortium with Earick, who earlier this year was involved in a failed attempt to acquire Formula E team Maserati.

Despite those latest reports, a source close to the Lewis family told Standard Sport that the club is "not for sale".

It is understood that no expression of interest or bid has currently been received by the family from Earick's consortium.

The Lewis family's stance applies both to a full sale, which is not being considered at this time, and also minority investment. The owners are believed to have no desire to part with any of ENIC's 87 per cent share in Spurs.

Speaking earlier this month, Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham said: "There's been a lot of newspaper articles and a lot of media speculation around a takeover, so I can be really clear on this. So the Lewis family are really clear.

"They see their involvement in Tottenham Hotspur being long-term and they see their involvement continuing through the generations.

Tottenham fans have outlined where they want the club to improve, as the Lewis family embark on a new era at Spurs.

The departure of Daniel Levy signalled a fresh start for Spurs and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) have published the results of their annual survey.

The results show 69 per cent of fans are unhappy the club’s transfer policy last season and 54 per cent are dissatisfied with team performance, despite Europa League success last season.

Despite the signings of promising young midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, as well as striker Dominic Solanke, Tottenham were left short in defence last season and struggled to cope with a growing injury list.

The loan signing of centre-back Kevin Danso, a move that has since been made permanent, in January eased some of the pressure on Tottenham’s backline, but regardless Sours struggled to name a settled defence for much of the season.

Publishing the result of the survey, THST said: “Thank you to every Tottenham Hotspur fan who took part in our recent surveys - your voices have been heard.

“Your feedback has given us a clear picture of how Spurs supporters view the key issues facing the club.

“We use this vital insight to highlight to the club what fans are thinking and where improvements are needed.

Carabao Cup fourth round draw in full: Arsenal get home tie as Chelsea and Tottenham face away trips

Carabao Cup fourth round draw: Arsenal get home tie but Chelsea away

Thomas Frank warned Luca Williams-Barnett he has a “very tough” next step to take in his development after making his Tottenham debut.

The 16-year-old came on for the final minutes of Spurs’ 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster, becoming the 900th player to represent the club.

Williams-Barnett was one of three academy stars on the bench and got the nod for his first-team bow after registering six goals and four assists in four appearances for the Under-21 side this season.

“I think it's always a pleasure to be part of a young player's debut. So, yeah, happy with that.”

This is Williams-Barnett’s first season with the U21s but he has already looked a cut above, scoring and assisting in the UEFA Youth League against Villarreal earlier this month.

He also scored a hat-trick against Leicester last week to take his PL2 tally to four goals and two assists in four matches.

Spurs are not alone in giving minutes to young talents, with 15-year-old Max Dowman making his Arsenal debut earlier this season and Rio Ngumoha featuring for Liverpool having only just turned 17.

Frank praised Williams-Barnett for making the first step on his journey to becoming a first-team regular, but made it clear there is still a long way to go for the teenager.

“I think that definitely over the last many years the focus on the talent development and academies across the world is so big,” Frank said.

“But one thing is the debut when you're 16. The next step, and much more important, is how Luca or other players take those steps forward. It's very tough to keep going and then get into the first team as a really regular player. But the first step is very important.”

Tottenham barely broke into a sweat as they eased into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 win over Doncaster.

Boss Thomas Frank had promised to have a decent crack at the competition this season and he was as good as his word as Joao Palhinha's improvised strike, a Jay McGrath own goal and Brennan Johnson's stoppage-time breakaway disposed of League One Rovers.

Mathys Tel only needed to get a touch on Johnson's low cross six yards out but the French forward missed the ball completely.

That act of generosity almost backfired when the teenager hooked the ball across goal, only for Toyosi Olusanya to fluff his header at the far post.

Instead Spurs went ahead in the 14th minute after Rovers goalkeeper Ian Lawlor missed his punch at a corner.

Sean Grehan headed the loose ball off the line but only as far as Palhinha, who hooked an overhead kick back over the defender and into an empty net.

Spurs doubled their lead three minutes later when Wilson Odobert raided down the left and sent in another low cross.

Doncaster defender McGrath was unable to sort his feet out in time and succeeded only in bundling the ball into his own net.

The Premier League side sensed they could end the tie as a contest before half-time, but Lawlor made good saves to deny Tel and Gray while Bentancur's header from a corner floated just wide.

And Rovers almost pulled one back before the break when Owen Bailey's Paolo Di Canio-style volley was tipped onto a post by Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky.

That was the only moment of mild peril Spurs faced, however, and Frank was able to shuffle his pack by sending on Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison for the final 30 minutes as well as handing a late debut to 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett.

They should have had a third when Bergvall drilled in a low cross from the right, but Tel knew it was not his night when he came up with another air shot from six yards.

A home tie against League One opposition appeared on paper to be a generous start to the competition and so it proved, with Spurs firmly in control inside 20 minutes.

Joao Palhinha opened the scoring with a clever overhead kick and almost immediately the lead was doubled when Jay McGrath turned into his own net.

There was little to get the fans going after the break until the closing stages, when 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett came on for his debut, and Brennan Johnson then sealed victory with a nice dinked finish deep into stoppage-time.

Spent most of the first half stretching, trying to stay warm, but then produced a brilliant save to tip Owen Bailey’s volley onto the post.

Handed the captain’s armband and was keen to mark it with a goal, trying his luck from distance on several occasions. Booked for diving late in the match.

Yet another classy performance, even in a more unfamiliar position. Composed in defence and finished brilliantly with an overhead kick to make it 1-0. Always delivers for Frank.

Impact came more in attack, where his long throws were a real threat and Doncaster struggled to deal with him from set-pieces. Nasty cut early in first half but played on with bandaged head.

Read play brilliantly to stop a Doncaster counter in the first half but otherwise largely untroubled in defence. Did not offer much in attack.

Thrived in more attacking midfield role in first half, making runs beyond Brennan Johnson and forcing Ian Lawlor into a smart save. Assured when dropping deeper after the break.

Solid enough as the deepest midfielder and played the full 90 minutes, despite tiring as the second half went on. Vocal presence in midfield, barking orders.

Particularly bright early on when driving from deep into space and looked like he was in for a fun night. Didn’t quite materialise though, as he faded before being replaced on the hour mark.

Brighter on the right wing. Clipped a couple of lovely crosses into the box and deserved at least one assist on the night, and took his goal cooly as ever when played in with the final kick of the match.

Another frustrating night. Got into good positions but no calmness when his chances came, twice swinging at thin air when picked out in the box by Johnson.

More encouraging display from the Frenchman. Direct and purposeful when he had the ball, his cross forced McGrath’s own goal.

Hardly had a kick after coming on. Spurs could do with him rediscovering early-season form.

Added a bit more energy to midfield. Denied late goal by offside flag but picked out Johnson through the middle for third goal.