Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has issued a robust defence of his team's tactical approach, directly challenging critics who claim his side focuses too much on stopping opponents rather than playing their own football. The Dane's comments come ahead of a crucial Premier League fixture against reigning champions Liverpool this weekend.
Frank's Fiery Retort to Critics
Frank warned that showing respect to the league champions by defending well is not just advisable, but essential. "If you are not respectful of a team that won the Premier League and what kind of threat they pose, then I think you don't do well," stated the 52-year-old manager. He pointedly referenced the recent history between the two clubs to underline his point.
He reminded listeners of the four meetings between Spurs and Liverpool last season under previous manager Ange Postecoglou. "In the last four times we played them, we got a good 1-0 win and then I know the three other scores. You can check them. We conceded a few goals in those games," Frank said.
A Sobering Look at Recent History
Those results make for stark reading for Tottenham supporters. In the Premier League last season, Liverpool secured emphatic victories, winning 5-1 and 6-3. In the Carabao Cup semi-final, Spurs won the first leg 1-0 at home, but were then thrashed 4-0 in the return leg at Anfield.
"Probably a good idea to also defend a bit," Frank added wryly. "I think that's fair. We work hard on our strengths and principles. We work very hard on our breakthrough phase. We work very hard on our positions and we also worked very hard on our defensive side of the game. It's very important we do both."
Pressure Mounts After Forest Defeat
Frank's defence of his philosophy comes at a time of renewed pressure. After the positive boost of successive victories against Brentford and Slavia Prague, Spurs crashed back to earth with a sobering 3-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. This result leaves the North London club languishing in mid-table.
The manager acknowledged the scale of the task facing him, but expressed unwavering confidence in his own abilities. "This is not a quick fix, this will take time," Frank admitted. "I'm very comfortable and confident that I will fix it but it's not just me. When this club comes out on top, there will be a lot of good people working together, aligned at the same time through the years."
He concluded with a firm backing of his own credentials: "I just know one thing I'm pretty good at, I'm good at analysing things. I know what good looks like, and I know where we should get to... I'll back myself to be one of those key people to be in that position." All eyes will now be on whether his tactical blueprint can withstand the test posed by Arne Slot's resurgent Liverpool.
