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Thomas Frank has hailed Richarlison after the Brazilian striker produced a stunning display to fire Tottenham to an opening-day victory.
It was a near-perfect display from Tottenham Hotspur in their opening game of the season, as the Lilywhites secured an emphatic 3-0 win against newly promoted Burnley.
A clean sheet, which was hard to come by last term, was managed in this tie, while Tottenham also maintained their cutting edge in front of goal despite not having a recognised number ten on the pitch.
Richarlison was undoubtedly the standout performer, with the Brazilian grabbing two well-taken goals, the second the pick of the bunch after a superbly executed overhead kick.
Thomas Frank praises Tottenham striker Richarlison
After the match, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank was quick to single out Richarlison for praise, noting the quality of both goals and the overall dominance of his performance.
Speaking to football.london, Frank said: “Fantastic, he is scoring. The first one is definitely easier to score without being easy, but I have a striker that takes those two chances and helps us win the game.
“He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.”
Frank also pointed out the role Tottenham’s backroom staff played in helping Richarlison build fitness ahead of the campaign, adding: “So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him.
“I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him. That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season.”
On Richarlison’s second goal, Frank added: “It is only the second game of the season, there is a long way to go, but very positive with him.
“Second goal, 17 passes in the team I have been told, every player touched the ball and finished with two top actions. First from Mohammed Kudus and then second an exceptional finish by Richarlison. I am a little disappointed that so early we have goal of the season, but must be a contender.”
Keeping Richarlison fit is key for Spurs
Richarlison, of course, is a top striker when fit and firing, but the problem with the Brazilian international is his inability to stay fit throughout a season.
Last season, the Brazilian missed a staggering 37 games because of injuries, which is a huge number in this level of football, where matches come thick and fast.
For Frank, the focus now will be on keeping the forward fit and firing, and perhaps that should be easier to manage given that Dominic Solanke is working his way back to full fitness.
The Spurs boss said about Richarlison (Tottenham Official): “I think it’s fair to say that he hasn’t played every game in the last three or four seasons because of injuries, so I think we need to be smart with him.
“What is the right answer to that? I don’t know. That can be getting out earlier, that can be coming from the bench. There can be various ways, there can be playing five games in a row, you know. We need to get to know him as well. That’s the next thing. I don’t know him, know him.”
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