Thomas Frank has made a clear attacking pledge to Tottenham supporters ahead of the Fulham clash, as the new Spurs boss looks to steady the ship and deliver a performance that reflects the demands of the fanbase.
Thomas Frank is learning quickly what it means to manage a Big Six club in his short stint at Tottenham Hotspur so far.
In a club of Tottenham’s stature, it is not only about the results, but the style of play matters hugely to supporters who want to see their team dominate football games.
Frank has struggled to do that in several matches this season, but with a London derby with Fulham this weekend, the Tottenham boss has now made an attacking promise to Spurs fans.
Thomas Frank makes attacking pledge to Tottenham fans before Fulham match
Tottenham are just three points away from 14th in the Premier League table, and a defeat to Fulham will see them drop to the bottom half.
Frank’s side is at home, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been anything but a fortress for Spurs in the league, but they will have to secure a second win on their own turf if they are to come away with all three points.
Speaking to the official Tottenham channel, Frank introduced his thoughts by stressing that the task ahead requires Tottenham to be more proactive on the ball while also acknowledging Fulham’s performances this season before detailing what he expects from his team.
He said: “We are facing a completely different game on Saturday, a game where we hopefully will be more on the ball and need to open Fulham up.
“I think actually Fulham, maybe they do not have the points they want, I have watched a lot of their games, they have performed well, they have been quite unlucky with some results but it will be a different challenge.
“But I am pleased with the performance response we got from the players against PSG, we did the aggression in the high pressure, the forwardness, the intensity we played with should have earned us a point or points, but a bit of randomness, some set-pieces, game management and we did not and that is the bit we need to learn from.
“Every decision I take is to do everything I can to win the next game. I am very aware that we need to win the day after tomorrow and the day after that and so on.”
Frank then touched on Tottenham’s home form and used the opportunity to issue a message to supporters, insisting that the team will look to set the tone from the opening stages while recognising that Fulham will not make things easy.
He continued: “Of course, I promise you we will do everything we can to deliver and we will do everything we can to come flying out, be positive, intense, energetic, forward, but I am also pretty sure that Fulham will do everything they can to avoid that. It is our job to perform well and if we do that, we have every chance to win the game.”
Spurs home form and Frank’s belief in improvement
Frank also expanded on the home form concerns and made it clear that confidence on the pitch is vital, while stressing that the aim of turning the stadium into a fortress has not changed, even if the performances have not always aligned with that ambition.
He added: “Any player, any team, needs to do what they can to play with confidence. The best performances you are intuitive, you do not think about it – that is key.
“I want our stadium to be a fortress, that has not changed. We need to perform, we need the fans with us, both together. We want for it to feel like it is impossible to beat us and that is what we are working towards.”
The Tottenham boss also discussed the contrasting demands of different types of matches, and he highlighted the need for Tottenham to develop further in possession play to break down stubborn defensive setups in the Premier League.
He said: “That is two different things. It is different to press and have spaces to run into. Then the other is opening up an opponent with 11 players behind the ball.
“It is difficult to break down a low block. We have a lot to develop and improve and on the journey we have to find solutions to create more chances and win more games.”
- READ MORE: Thomas Frank confirms ‘exciting’ star is fit enough to start again for Tottenham vs Fulham