Here's every single word Thomas Frank said in his press conference ahead of Tottenham's Premier League match against West Ham
Thomas Frank had mostly positive news to discuss in his latest press conference on Thursday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's Premier League match against West Ham.
Tottenham have brought in some much-needed quality for Frank's team with Conor Gallagher joining in a £34.7million move from Atletico Madrid after Rodrigo Bentancur underwent hamstring surgery, which will require at least three months of rehabilitation. Spurs are also set to bring in 19-year-old Brazilian left-back Souza in a £13million switch from Santos as he awaits a work permit.
Frank has some mixed injury updates on Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison and spoke about further transfers to come, as well as the impending departure of sporting director Fabio Paratici and the appointment of a new assistant manager in John Heitinga.
Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Scroll down for a full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.
What's the injury latest on Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall and Yves Bissouma coming back?
Yes, Richy unfortunately got a hamstring injury that will keep him out for up to seven weeks. Lucas could be available, hopefully available for Saturday.
Yeah, Bissouma is back, so he's available as well. Yeah, and then both Destiny and Dom are close to finishing a good week of training, so they're of course obviously a bit closer to, both be involved and available, but closer to play even more minutes. So that's positive, they look good, both of them.
Is Gallagher the player Spurs need, and what qualities will he add?
Yeah, I think it's a top signing. Can't praise Fabio, Johan and Vinai enough, the ownership, for doing it and get it done, get it over the line. We went quick.
I think what he brings in terms of abilities, first and foremost, he's a very good player, great experience in the Premier League, also in La Liga, captain of two teams. So that character, that leadership, that experience, and still young, 25, with plenty of development to reach, but coming in on a good level, bringing his pressing abilities, his directness, scoring goals, but also being able to find good positions on the pitch, is exactly what we need.
How will you approach the game and the pressure it brings this weekend?
Yeah, that's fine (the pressure). I'm happy to take that. It's all about how we can get the players out there full of confidence and brave and play forward. I know it's a big London derby, of course, against West Ham, with the rivalry and everything, but it's all about us. For me, it's all about us.
It's how we come out with energy, positive, forward, adding, hopefully, first half against Sunderland, second half against Villa. If we can do that, then we'll put a top performance out there, and then we'll win the game.
Do you need everyone to back you to turn things around?
Yes, I'm very aware of how this football world works, no doubt about that. I know that we haven't got enough of the result we want. I know, I can just see the small step we're constantly doing. I still refer to the last six games with more positive, consistent performances. Not perfect, but there's some good signs of a team where we are talking about sometimes not being able to deal with enough setbacks and resilience.
The two second halves against Bournemouth and Villa where it is so easy to fall apart. They actually step in together, they add more. I think that's talking about a culture that's getting a little bit stronger, a little bit more, come on, let's do everything we can to turn this little momentum.
In football, sometimes momentum changes like that. I can see the small signs of the culture, the training, how the boys have been training here, especially Tuesday, Thursday, very intense, focused, working very hard on the offensive part of the game, because we know the defensive in many ways looks quite good, not through the roof, but quite good. Big improvements, set pieces are there.
It's the offensive we need to do better. That's what we're working hard on. I think all the small steps we're doing, with everything from signing Conor, signing John Heitinga as assistant coach, excellent signing, Rafi as football operation officer, I think it's the correct title, but just a key member in the direction, how we want to do things. Everything is going forward. We just need to add a top performance and a win on Saturday.
How do you think Gallagher has evolved since his time in Spain and under Simeone?
I think every experience makes us better in a way, either clearly impact or reflection over it and learn from the experience. Quite a few of the conversations I had with Conor, he really liked the experience at Atletico, he really liked working with Simeone, he really liked everything about it (but) of course, we were privileged that he would like another chance and it was possible. I think that experience added to how he ended his last year in Chelsea, I think he was at times unplayable and I think he was a fantastic player for Chelsea that season. So that's the Conor Gallagher we are looking at. That's the Conor Gallagher I'm thinking can step straight into this team and help us straight away.
When you spoke to Gallagher, why do you think he decided Spurs is right project for him?
I think of course one thing is the Premier League, secondly is the project and the opportunity here, the role he could get in the team. I think first and foremost as a player that can help the team with his abilities, the character and the culture, I think the way he is as well in terms of pushing the group every single day, training matches. I think you can see he is very exciting and there is some very exciting potential in this club.
Nuno Espirito Santo has been successful everywhere other than Spurs and now at West Ham. How surprised are you at his results?
I think Nuno deserves a lot of respect for everything he has done in the Premier League. He has had huge success, especially Forest and Wolves. Remarkable what he did there in many, many ways. I think he is a top coach, he showed it many times. We know that every challenge is difficult, just different challenges, but for us on Saturday it is about us coming out with energy, positive and brave.
You said with Conor Gallagher, every experience makes you better. How has this experience of Spurs made you better?
Everything, you learn about the club, how it is working, you learn about the staff, the players, every person I am working with here, that definitely makes me better. No doubt about that. Closer and the more you know, the better decisions you hopefully can make. The sharper, the more precise you are about what needs to be done to get us to where we all want us to be, where this fantastic club should be and in the top of the Premier League, that is where we want to be.
How does it feel to be under this much pressure?
I think it is just, I would say for me it is only focusing on what I can affect. There is a lot of noise, I know that because I have been told and I am not stupid. Of course I know we want more good results, but I am also focusing on what I can see is actually working and we need to do more of that. I know we need to focus on being calm, do the right thing and keep carrying on. If you do that, then you know it is a random game, but if we keep doing the right thing, then that randomness, hopefully, because we do more things right and we have done that especially in the last six games, that randomness will turn because we keep going after the positive and believe what we are doing is the right thing and then things will turn.
At Brentford, you felt unbeatable at home, is it a self-fulfilling prophecy now that every time you play at home with Spurs, you are under pressure and it’s so difficult?
I definitely think something, especially when we turn this around and we won three games at home in every competition in a row, that would be a big step. I think it would be a very good idea to start on Saturday that unbeaten run at home in many ways, because sometimes it can feel a little bit not as smooth or easy, just coming, but as soon as you turn that corner, things will be a little bit more smooth if that makes sense? So, hopefully that energy and then the collaboration between the team and the fans that you felt second half against Villa, first half against Sunderland, that's what we need to get more of.
When you have that then it's a fantastic place, our fantastic stadium, our home, and that's where we need to be. I mean it. Any successful team needs to create a fortress. I know it's been difficult, but that's what we're aiming for. The more we do, the more we believe, the more we do together, the better chance we'll have.
Did you drive the process to bring John Heitinga through the door and did you sense someone who may have a bit of a point to prove after what happened at Ajax?
Yeah, it was a process we did together. Of course I was a big part of it, because Johan, Fabio and I were the main drivers of that. I think he was a standout candidate with everything he's experienced. Of course, obviously a top playing career, that's one thing, but also I like how he then did after that in terms of his experience in the academy of Ajax.
Of course, when you play there, that's one thing, but when you also go back and coach there, that's one of the best academies in the world. So he walked the hard way, and then on top of that had two good experiences in the Premier League in West Ham and Liverpool.
And now also been trying to stand out there where there's a bit more noise and wind sometimes. That gave him a perfect profile. I'd met him now a few times before, and all the character references we took, just a top guy, top integrity, top football person.
No Richarlison for almost two months, Kudus not back until April, waiting for Kulusevski to come back, are you in a situation where you have to sign someone in an attacking position, because we saw the other day you didn't have the options from the bench?
Yeah. It is what it is. We need to deal with what we have. But of course, Villa brought a little bit more experience and quality on the pitch than we were able to do there. But hey, it is what it is.
We are in the market, as I said many times, to see if we can improve the squad, but it needs to be something that we improve the squad, short and long term. It needs to be that decision.
It can't only be for the next four months. We need to think bigger picture as well. But of course, we know that we are a few offensive players down in that aspect.
We know Fabio Paratici is leaving now to go to Fiorentina, you spoke about Rafi coming through the doors as well. There is so much change at Tottenham, so many heads of department have changed, is it going to take a while for everyone to work out what they are doing, pick things up and take it forward?
Yes, but I know the one thing you don't have in football is time. But the one thing that has also been proven right to success is time. So it's a little bit of a conundrum. You need time, not only me, but everyone to gel and make this big engine tick and get up to momentum and pace. And then it's like an unstoppable force at one stage. That's the big aim we're aiming for.
But there's a few new people in and all of us to get to know each other and how we work and get the right process and structure in place is important. But alongside that, we need to perform to our best ability in the most positive way and that needs to start on Saturday against West Ham.
There was a great scene when Conor Gallagher was playing for Atletico and he made two crunching tackles and the crowd went nuts, Simeone loved it and he earned the nickname 'The Pitbull'. What do you think of the nickname and how did you sell the vision to Conor Gallagher to believe in your project?
Yeah, I think it's a great nickname. I think it shows Conor has a lot of good offensive abilities. His ability to arrive in the box scoring goals, his way of finishing. I think he's a clever finisher as well. I think his skill set around the last third is good in terms of arriving in the right positions.
I told him about the project and the plan with him, and the club and what we are aiming for and all that suited him very well. I think he suited us and I think we suited him.
Is he probably looking at it as well that he's got a great chance of making the England squad next summer? Is that part of his thinking?
To be fair, that we didn't speak about. Sometimes you could do that. He didn't mention it, I didn't mention it. I could imagine it's a very important thing for him but for me it was all about Tottenham. What can he add to us short-term, long-term? What is the plan, what is the vision for him and the club.
Just in terms of how you're feeling at the moment, it feels like you make progress, you sign Conor Gallagher, then you find out Richarlison is out for seven weeks. Is it a big two-step forward, one-step back for you at the moment?
Yeah, it's not a straightforward road, let me put it that way. I think we are probably one inch on Micky van de Ven's head away from a 3-2 winner against Bournemouth and we have eight points in four games, a bit more momentum. Sometimes these bits need to drop for you as well. It seems like when we get a fit player back, then another one gets injured.
That's football sometimes. We need just to get through it and get through the tough spells. There's only one way forward, that's keep walking. If you are in tough times, you can only walk forward and walk through it and work through it. So be calm, carry on.
