Every word Thomas Frank said on Fabio Paratici and why he didn't understand Arne Slot words

Here's every single word the Tottenham boss said at his festive press conference ahead of the Premier League match at Crystal Palace

Thomas Frank has plenty to say at press conference on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's Premier League match at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Spurs boss had lots of talking points to be quizzed about from the chaotic 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, losing Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero to red cards, while Liverpool boss Arne Slot was also unhappy with Micky van de Ven's attempted block for Alexander Isak's goal, which left the Swede with an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture.

There is also the news that Fiorentina are attempting to take sporting director Fabio Paratici back to Italy while Frank's assistant coach Matt Wells has departed to MLS side Colorado Rapids.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

What's the latest team news?

Yeah, team news, same as before the Liverpool game, so everyone who was available there is available for the Crystal Palace game, yeah five days away.

Dominic Solanke and Dominic Kulusevski, how close are they to returning?

The same as I said before, both of them. I will be very happy when I can announce now they are part of the squad. So that's, yeah, that's where it is.

Do they feel close?

Yes or no. I'm just, you know, we speak about it all the time. I know it's been a while since you've been here, so I'm just, I think it's much better to speak about when they're available.

You're going to be without Xavi, were you considering, as a club, appealing the red card at all?

Yeah, I would like to do it, but I know it doesn't make sense because of the way the rules are. You know, we can appeal, but we'll get nothing out of it, as I've been told. So that is where it is.

Arne Slot made some comments about Micky van de Ven's challenge on Alexander Isak, he felt the challenge from Micky was reckless? Looking back at it, do you think that's something you agree with or do you disagree with him?

Nah, I'm obviously disagreeing in many ways. I think we are talking about a defender in Micky van de Ven that will do everything he can to avoid the goal. So it's a transition. He's sprinting back in. There's a ball down the side and he does everything he can to see if he can block that shot. So he's sliding.

Unfortunately, Isak plants his foot straight there and that makes it look worse than it is. I think that would be a natural reaction for any defender. I'll put it this way, if my defenders don't do that, then I don't think they are true defenders. So I don't see that at all, and I think reckless challenges, normally you haven't seen any from Micky.

He's a very fair and competitive player. So that's one thing. The other thing, you also know that the two players have sorted it out. So that's a good sign of how they sorted it out. A good sign.

You're going to be without Cristian Romero as well for the game against Crystal Palace, have you had a conversation with him specifically about his role as a captain, as a leader of the group, to lead by example in those situations?

Many times and after this game, and not because it's Cuti, I speak to the players in general, as I said. I know we can put that label on when it's a captain. For me, all the players need to have a cool head and lead by example. You cannot have only one leader on the pitch. I know he's the one with the armband.

So that's one thing. We're talking about a player, a very passionate player, that when he is at his absolute top, he carries the team on his back, like he did in the Europa League final. Without him, we wouldn't have won the trophy, like he did away to Newcastle, like he's done many times.

When you're very passionate, sometimes you can maybe, in a few moments, lack the extra coolness. Sometimes, maybe. Something he's working on.

I think you have a player where the second goal for me still is a clear, clear, clear foul. And, OK, I haven't played on the highest level. Everyone who played on the highest level, if they know there's a foul, they know it's a foul. And they're very, very reactive. It's a clear foul. So he felt hard done by.

So the mistake he did there was he was running, unfortunately, touching John Brooks. That means he, when he touched the ref, you know, unfortunately, you need to have a yellow. But let's say it was a foul given Don't give the first yellow. You don't get the second yellow. The second yellow is a mistake, obviously, from Cuti, which he's agreeing on.

But before that, he was the one that competed, like, very passionate for the first corner. Competed on that duel. And the second duel, when we scored to make it 2-1.

So you need to accept if you have passionate players that, you know, it's part of it.

How do you manage this eight day gap with the chance to work on things balanced with players getting family time at Christmas?

I think it's the first full week we had since August. So it's pretty welcome that we have that. And this week we actually handle in the same way I would have done with any other week. If it was not Christmas, it was still done the same.

So we have two days leading to the game, day off, two days. So today and tomorrow and then off on 25th and then two days. Then it's perfectly fit the Christmas family schedule, which is very good. And I'm a big believer of being a top professional. And that's something I believe the players are and should be. Some need to be guided more than others.

But also they are grown up individuals that if I need to hold their hand the whole time, we have a bigger problem in my opinion. Then the way to make sure anyone does need to have their hand held, that can be, of course, that can be part of the journey. But this I will do any other day.

But I also believe in clear communication. So I believe in when I said why we train tactical today after two days off to get the body going, why we trained set pieces extra today. I expect them to be absolutely bang on it tomorrow we have a sharper, intense training.

So everyone after training can get out of here because they want to spend time with the family because I think that's hugely important, 25th off and then we meet a little bit later on the 26th. But that also, that they need, of course, to pay back being professional.

So spending time with the family is, of course, fantastic. So the only thing I do a little bit different is probably meeting a bit later on 26th. The rest is the same.

How confident are you that the current squad, you've got enough depth in the squad to overcome this period with positive results?

I'm confident we can get good results. Of course, you always want a fully fit squad. But right now, we have the players we have available and we need to deal with it and find a way and get good performances out there and results.

On Crystal Palace, they suffered a big defeat recently against Leeds, but in general, how impressive has it been with Oliver Glasner's work at Palace, winning the FA Cup and taking them to the Europa League?

I think Oliver has done a top job at Palace in many ways. Really, really impressive. Clear identity of the team. Defend low. Very compact, very difficult breakdown. Incredibly good on the counters. Probably one of the best in the league. Added, I think it was last season as well, end of last season, definitely this season as well.

So very good on set pieces as well. One of the best on corners. Added long throws also last season. So very strong on set pieces as well. And also, when they build, have a clear identity with their 3-4-3 position. So they've done a really good, impressive job.

Can I ask you about the system they play? At Palace, it feels like a very similar system that Amorim is playing at United, what's the biggest challenge of facing them and trying to find a solution?

I think there's a lot of similarities in the way the two are approaching it, if I'm honest. That's a little bit different. I think one is more solo, the other one is a little bit more man-orientated defensively. But on the ball, a lot of them are a lot of the same patterns. But you can't compare Man United and Crystal Palace. It's two different beasts.

From the outside it looks like your team is a very angry team, a team that needs to learn how to keep its emotions in check. We've seen a few times this season examples of that, when the players came off the pitch and didn't shake your hand, again, we saw on Saturday when your captain touched the referee. Is that a fair comment?

I understand why you asked the question, because that was definitely the topic after the game, which is probably fair. I think it's two different situations. If you're talking about a player that's a little bit disappointed because he was subbed off or disappointed with his own performance or whatever it is. I think that's two different things.

I think it was more fair what happened two to three times this season than what happened in the game. I think it happens sometimes. If you don't play with your emotions, don't play with passion, you don't play to win, then of course you also need to have a cool head. Of course, that's part of it. So the answer is no.

I probably think you have very different players at Brentford to the players you had out at Spurs, but I don't recall you having to speak about this after games?

No, I think you're right. But again, I can't remember. Even now, we've played a lot of games this season, so I can't remember another game like this. I think this was hopefully an odd one out, I must admit.

You probably didn't expect to be 14th at Christmas, with a bad home record to put it politely, is this the hardest job you've ever had?

I think I see a lot of similarities to my first head coach job. Of course, completely different scale. This is, of course, a massive club. One of the biggest clubs in the world and so much focus on it, so that makes it of course bigger and a different challenges, but I see a lot of similarities when I had my first head coach job in Brondby and here where you try to build something over time. You inherit something that you need to try to get right with a lot of good people around me and then where this makes it extra challenging is, of course, that we play Champions League and Premier League at the same time.

And we try to improve while we are driving 100 miles an hour, but that's part of it. That's a good challenge. I think I see a lot of good things we improve, but we, of course, it's all about how can we have even more consistency in performances. It's all about that. How can you create consistency in performances day in, day out? That's the thing we're working on every single day.

You spoke about working hard with the team to respond better to setbacks, how do you do that? Through yourself of sports psychologists?

That's with me and the coaches and, of course... How can I say? With the experience we had, I worked with a lot of performance psychologists in my career and some of their tools we tried to use, of course. So reinforce good messages, good habits, and that's how can you install that in training? We haven't been able to train that much. How can you keep talking about it before games, during games, after games, before games? So I think that's a big part of it.

So, for example, even though it looked bad, the Nottingham game in many, many, many ways, there were still some small good steps in a direction that don't need underlying indicators we need to look into.

And I think overall, the team did well against Liverpool, as I said, after the game as well. That hasn't changed, especially after I watched the game back. I think after I watched the game back, I'm super happy with the first 30 minutes. That had some really good promise.

Are you going to be able to switch off on Christmas Day and put the phone away?

Yes, that day I will try to get ahead of the curve and plan everything these two days. And then we have a good long day on the 26th. That would be the main bit, so... Yeah, that would be the main bit. It would be good to relax a bit.

Matty Wells has left for his first managerial role. How sad are you to see him go? Also, what kind of manager do you think he will be? He's had a lot of influences in his career already.

Very happy for Matt, it’s a great opportunity for him. He is a very talented coach and I think he has got a good potential to become a good coach. It’s different when you stand out there on your own but I think he has got all the abilities to be able to do well. I wish him all the best and I really want him to do well.

Will you replace him?

We will definitely look into replacing him. When, how and how that will look is not clear yet.

Just going back to Micky van de Ven and Isak, you said they've spoken. Was that after the game on Saturday or did Micky call him this week when he found out the severity of the injury?

I just know they have spoken. That's the main bit.

And they're all good?

Yeah.

Fabio Paratici has been linked with a move away, what's your latest understanding of what could happen potentially?

I think, first and foremost, it's not the first rumour I need to speak about. If it's a staff director or player, in general I'm not speaking about that. I just try to focus on the Crystal Palace game and probably also something for someone higher up in the club.

I think you did a double over Palace last season at Brentford, can you just take anything from that?

I think it's two different teams. Sometimes teams suit each other in different ways. It's good or bad. I know we face a team that is very well organised. I know they're very good on the counters. I know they have such a threat going forward, I would say. So it's a game where you need to be super concentrated throughout it so you don't give too many unnecessary transitions away, for example, or open space to defend.

What's the impact of losing Matt Wells?

When someone leaves others need to step up and take more responsibility. That will be down to Cameron, Justin and Andreas to take a step forward. Of course Justin already took a big responsibility, Andreas as well. When someone is leaving there will just be a little bit more for them to fill in but I’m confident they are capable of doing that. Back in the day it was only one assistant you had so I’m pretty sure we will survive.

On Micky again you said yourself he's a very fair player, are you worried about Slot's comments and how big they've obviously become could change the perception of referees maybe around Micky and thinking he's not a fair player as maybe he was before?

I hope not. I don't really understand the comment, but that's not for me to be too clever about. I just think if you look at that, there's not too much in it, and it's the first time, as you said, so I don't think it'll be a problem.

And just finally, in terms of Fabio, have you spoken to him since Saturday?

We spoke after the game. We spoke both to Fabio and Johan. But these days, it's Christmas, so I think everyone, when you have the privilege to be able to work from home, in this case, Johan and Fabio, I think it's fair they do that.