Thomas Frank Hints It May Be Goodbye To Tottenham For Son Heung-min

Thomas Frank has said he is yet to determine whether to support Son Heung-min arsenic his skipper astatine Tottenham and nan caller head did not connection immoderate guarantees that nan club’s marquee subordinate would enactment beyond nan closure of nan summertime transportation window.

Frank addressed a big of subjects astatine his charismatic position connected Friday earlier his first Spurs crippled – nan friends astatine Reading connected Saturday – taking successful his targets, really he intends to play and nan desire to defender against nan level of injuries that undermined his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou. He revealed that Dejan Kulusevski, who underwent knee room connected 14 May, would not beryllium disposable for nan commencement of nan season.

Frank was typically friendly, if a small nervous; nan packed media auditorium was a acold outcry from what he was utilized to during his 7 years astatine his erstwhile club, Brentford. He appeared wished to support his cards adjacent to his chest, to sidestep nan tricky questions but his wish to unrecorded successful nan infinitesimal and not look excessively acold up did small to person on Son.

The 33-year-old Son, who led Spurs to Europa League glory past season – his first silverware successful 10 years astatine nan nine – has 12 months connected his contract. There has been nary denotation that Son is fresh to work together to caller position and nan chair, Daniel Levy, would surely dislike to suffer him arsenic a free agent.

“Good question,” Frank said, erstwhile pressed connected whether Son would stay captain. “I haven’t decided thing connected that. I person a agelong database of slug points I request to get done and I return them successful nan correct order.”

Frank said that Son would skipper nan squad for 1 half of nan Reading game, pinch Cristian Romero, 1 of nan vice-captains from past season, wearing nan armband for nan different half. Romero has been tracked by Atlético Madrid, though location are doubts arsenic to whether nan Spanish nine would beryllium capable to make a compelling connection for him, which would request to beryllium astatine slightest £60m.

Frank was asked whether Son had earned nan correct to determine his ain future. “It’s ever tricky, situations for illustration that … if that happens,” Frank said. “Right now I person a subordinate that is afloat committed and training good and will play tomorrow. If a subordinate has been astatine a nine a agelong time, past location will ever beryllium a determination for nan nine to take.

Son Heung-min celebrates pinch nan Europa League trophy, nan first silverware he has won successful his 10 years astatine Tottenham. Photograph: Luis Tejido/EPA

“Because location is thing successful it if personification wants to time off astatine a definite shape … past location tin beryllium thing there. But nan nine will ever determine successful nan end. First and foremost, he’s present now. I’m not worried excessively overmuch astir it. Let’s return that 5 aliases six weeks down nan line. That will astir apt [be a question] I get nan pursuing week, truthful I’ll practise my answers. Right now, he’s here.”

Frank fell backmost connected much than 1 juncture connected 3 buzz words: he wants his squad to beryllium brave, fierce and attacking. And while he agreed pinch Levy’s assertion that nan ambition had to beryllium to triumph nan Premier League and Champions League, Frank made clear that nan astir pressing extremity was to beryllium competitory successful each 4 competitions – including nan Champions League, to which Spurs person won a return.

“What are nan likelihood for america winning nan Premier League this season?” he said. “I deliberation we’re astir apt not nan favourites. There are astir apt 3 teams astatine slightest up of america but we will do what we tin to build a beardown and competitory team.

“The first purpose is that we request to beryllium capable to compete successful each 4 tournaments and do it connected a accordant level. I deliberation 2019 was nan past play wherever nan nine managed to compete successful much than 1 competition. If we tin compete, there’s possibly a chance that you tin hopefully extremity top. But we request to beryllium capable to build to compete first.”

On nan basking taxable of fitness, Frank acknowledged nan remorselessness of nan schedule. But he said: “Hopefully nan measurement we train, building layers, building robustness into nan players, is going to beryllium a large portion and making nan players much disposable done nan season. Hopefully we tin make bully decisions, pinch feeling, pinch knowledge, pinch numbers, [about] erstwhile to rotate and erstwhile to rest. It’s a large point arsenic well.”

Frank joked he made his “first rookie mistake” erstwhile he mentioned Arsenal and their Invincible play – “the squad that we can’t mention [at this club]”. He did truthful successful nan discourse of an reply successful which he said it was “100% sure” Spurs would suffer convention matches because virtually everybody did – isolated from you cognize who. It was portion of his wide anticipation guidance sweep.

Frank besides sewage a fewer smiles erstwhile he considered really Spurs had sacked 5 managers successful nan clip that he spent astatine Brentford. “Only five?” he said. “I for illustration to situation myself. I person nan privilege that I person ne'er been sacked before. That is 1 of nan reasons why I took nan job. I get a small spot much consequence successful my regular life.”

The bottommost statement is that Frank will beryllium nether pressure, partially because he is succeeding a trophy-winning manager, who immoderate of nan fans did not want to spot go; partially because of nan talent successful nan squad, which will beryllium supplemented during nan transportation window. Frank made nary remark connected nan ongoing pursuit of nan £60m-rated Nottingham Forest midfielder, Morgan Gibbs-White.

“It’s nan easy portion now – nan honeymoon,” Frank said. “Everyone is happy, nan sun is shining, we haven’t played a crippled yet. I deliberation nan honeymoon is five, six weeks of pre-season. Then it’s reality, nary matter if we won [a trophy] past play aliases not. So, five, six weeks wherever you tin do a batch of bully worldly and past it’s reality. I look guardant to that.”