Thomas Frank spoke to the media at Deutsche Bank Park on Tuesday evening, ahead of our UEFA Champions League MD8 clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night (8pm UK).
Here's what he had to say...
Thomas, can you tell us who's travelled and the reasons behind why those who haven't travelled haven't, and just clear up the situation regarding Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert?
Thomas: “Yeah, a few things to report. Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert are both fine. Unfortunately, both were involved in a minor accident. Everyone else involved in that accident was just fine. It was a tyre blowing up. So, the two of them are a little bit delayed, they will arrive a little later tonight. That’s the first thing. Then Pedro hasn't travelled, unfortunately he’s picked up a hamstring injury, so he’ll be out for four weeks. Micky hasn't travelled - minor, minor thing, possibly available for the weekend. I think that's it.”
Was there any update on Dejan Kulusevski?
Thomas: “No, I don't have any update on that one.”
Can you put your finger on the difference between the form in the Premier League and in Europe?
Thomas: “First and foremost, I think tomorrow we have a great opportunity to secure a position in the top eight, which will be a very good result, a very good achievement. We're very, very positive and looking forward to that. So, that's what we're focusing everything we can on. The other thing is that I think the performances for a while have been good in many ways, we just haven't got on the right side enough to get the three points. That's what we're working very hard on, sometimes you’re in that spell. The players are giving everything. But for me, tomorrow, it's all about Frankfurt. All about the opportunity ahead of us."
How confident are you of getting another player through the door before the window closes?
Thomas: “We are in the market. We are doing everything we can to see if we can improve the squad - we've said that the whole time. I think it's, of course, when things are not exactly where we want them, and we have some injuries, you can be pushed and forced to take decisions you don't really want to take if everything was on top. We need to be very, very smart and cool and calm and take good decisions to help us to optimise short-term success, but also secure long-term success."
Can I ask for more details of the car accident?
Thomas: “They were together. They are fine. It was on the way to the airport."
Does it feel like you're on a knife edge again here in Frankfurt - and does that make things harder?
Thomas: “I can't speak about last year, Dom can maybe talk about that in a second. For me, I see an opportunity ahead of us tomorrow that we want to do everything we can to grab with both hands. I think it's quite clear, I said before the Dortmund one, that we have just at this moment in time with injuries and the squad list, we have limited players available, so since that game, Lucas is unfortunately not available, and Pedro. So, the good news is we have Pape back from AFCON, winning AFCON with Senegal, he was not in the squad on the weekend because he had some illness, so he's not super where he should be, but he's available. Joao Palhinha is also available, so that's also a positive. We have enough good players and then, great opportunities for Academy players coming off the bench, and we saw Jun’ai get a fantastic debut against Dortmund. We are confident we can produce results, and that's what we're going for."
Going back to the accident again, are they shaken? Will they be in the right frame of mind for Eintracht Frankfurt?
Thomas: "That is my absolute understanding of everything. I haven't spoken to them personally yet, because the first thing we heard, the first message, is that they are fine. And nothing happened, as I said the first time. They'll fly out later, and I fully expect both to be available for tomorrow."
How proud are you of what you’ve done so far in the Champions League?
Thomas: “Again, it's not about me. It's about us. I'm very happy that the team and the Club we are in a position where, with a win tomorrow, we can finish top eight in the best club tournament in the world, and it's super, super competitive, as we know. So that we are very, very pleased with. Those results and some of those performances are also what we need to take going forward, of course, and build on that. Again, it's me, it's my job to look a little bit in the bigger perspective. You know, even that we haven't won as much as we want, it's very, very few things that need to go our way. You know, the small margins - keep doing the right thing, keep improving things you want to do, and getting quality players back, such as Dominic Solanke as I’ve talked about before. Dom is a huge for us, he's been out for six months. You know, to have your main striker and top scorer out - I'd like to see some of the other teams being out there as well, so that means something. Dom is a physical beast, great mentality, but he pushes to the limit as well, coming from being off the bench playing 50 minutes, then 70 minutes, going over the ground, then 90 minutes. So, he's pushing everything he can, but it's a tough job."
Another injury, Pedro, and he's one of your best players. How much of a blow is that?
Thomas: “It definitely does not help any of us. Of course, we prefer to have the best players out there on the pitch - any coach wants that, any team-mate wants that. We also have a squad that need other players to step up, as they've done before.”
Is there something about the Champions League that gets this team going more than other competitions?
Thomas: “I think there is. It's definitely proven, I would say. Maybe there's not a specific science behind it, but the mental and the physical load on players to produce every third and fourth game is very big. It's so big and it's more difficult to do that. And, of course, the bigger the competition, from Conference League to Europa League to Champions League, it's just better teams. That means you need to give more and that you need to have players in a squad that is, I would not say used to it but are learning over time to go out and produce no matter what. That's a big thing. A lot of teams you can see either getting (better) adapted to it. I know Newcastle talked a lot about it the first time they were in the Champions League a couple of years ago, and even this season as well. So, it's just as an example, or Villa last year, whatever it is. We just need to learn from it and keep producing. Then sometimes, it's the small things that even if you do a lot of things right, you don't get the result and then, oh, everything is a catastrophe. Actually, behind the scenes there's a lot of things going in the right direction."
Can I ask about Antonin Kinsky? Has he been frustrated not playing?
Thomas: “I'm happy with Kinsky. He's a great keeper. I think any player wants to play, but you also need good players if something happens with Vic, for example.”
On Micky - is it a hamstring?
Thomas: “It’s just a minor thing. We expect him to be a big possibility for City.”
Not a hamstring?
Thomas: “No, not a hamstring.”
Could you give us your thoughts on Eintracht Frankfurt? What kind of game do you expect?
Thomas: “Of course, we've studied them closely. They may not be in their best form, but it's a team, I think, done fantastic in the league last year. I still think they have done some fantastic results and played fantastic games this season. Recently, they just played 3-3 with Dortmund. I think that's four or five games ago. They have very good players, and they have a clear identity in what they want to do. I expect a very difficult game, where they will come in a man-man pressure tomorrow. I think they are very good in the transitions. I expect a difficult game. I know they are in pain, they don't have anything to play for, but sometimes you can play free. I've been in this game long enough that usually you don't know what you're going to face tomorrow. It, of course, needs to be thoughts on us, with big respect for Frankfurt. We know all their strengths, no doubt about that.”
