Thomas Frank gives his honest thoughts on two potential Tottenham red cards

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Thomas Frank has revealed what was going through his mind when Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven brought down Villarreal striker, Georges Mikautadze, in the dying stages of the game.

Tottenham fans would have hoped for a convincing performance at the start of their Champions League campaign, but what they witnessed instead was a nervy one, with Spurs emerging 1-0 winners, courtesy of an own goal by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

Tensions were high in the stadium during the final 15 minutes of the game as the La Liga side threw bodies forward, hoping for an equaliser.

For the most part, the home side managed to deal with what was thrown at them and looked resolute at the back, but Frank has admitted that there was one particularly nervy moment around the end.

Thomas Frank admits he was concerned after Micky van de Ven’s late foul

Spurs fans would have had their hearts in their mouths when Van de Ven brought down Mikautadze as he was racing through on goal.

However, thankfully, the foul was committed outside the box, and the referee did not see it as a red card offence. Frank admitted that he was very concerned at the time, but insisted that the right decision had been made.

When asked if he was worried when Van de Ven made the foul, the Tottenham head coach responded (via Football.London): “Of course, just at the moment, it didn’t look top. Sometimes I can clearly see penalties and yellow cards when it’s going our way.

“This time, there was a little bit of need to hope. But when I’ve seen it back, clearly, outside our box, clearly, he’s a little bit in front. It’s a free kick and a yellow card.”

Frank was then asked about Xavi Simons’ cynical foul in the second half when he was already on a yellow, and he responded: “Yeah, maybe, I haven’t looked into it. I think there was one on that transition you could maybe discuss. Just because it looks dangerous it can’t be a yellow all the time. But of course, I understand why you ask the question. So yeah.”

Frank says win over Villarreal will do a lot of good for Tottenham’s morale

While Spurs may not have been at their best, the 51-year-old insisted that winning in this manner against a tough side builds team spirit.

The Tottenham boss remarked that he and his coaching staff are trying to lay strong foundations, and battles like the one they had against Villarreal help do just that.

When asked about the step up in quality of the opposition in the Champions League, Frank said: “Yeah, I agree with you, the Champions League is unbelievably tough. It was a very good team we faced today. And managed to get out of a very tight game as winners.

“With that feeling that you fight and run and you do a lot of things as a group together, and then get out on top and win, it’s exceptionally good. It just builds that extra foundation, extra layers. And sometimes [when] you can’t hit the highest level, and still get away with a win, in an even game, I think it’s fantastic.”