Thomas Frank explains what happened when he bumped into a Tottenham fan at lunch in London

The Tottenham boss ran into supporters from his present and former golf equipment forward of the New 12 months’s Day recreation on the Gtech Group Stadium

Whereas having fun with lunch in London together with his household, destiny threw Tottenham boss Thomas Frank into the trail of a slightly apt couple forward of the Dane’s previous and current conflict on New 12 months’s Day.

This afternoon Frank will make the brief journey throughout the capital again to Brentford, the place he spent nearly 9 years of his teaching profession, seven of these because the Bees’ head coach. Thursday’s recreation brings the 52-year-old again to the Gtech Group Stadium together with his Tottenham aspect and lots to show to his new fanbase whereas thanking the previous one.

A win to kick off 2026 would raise Thirteenth-placed Spurs above his previous aspect, who sit ninth within the Premier League desk, and start to win over a piece of the north London membership’s fanbase that holds doubts over the begin to his tenure and the usual of soccer.

Nevertheless, on Monday afternoon, whereas out for a meal with the remainder of the Franks in Covent Backyard, the Tottenham boss had a constructive expertise as he bumped into two supporters who will sit on both aspect of Thursday’s divide.

“I used to be in London yesterday and met a pair. One was a Brentford fan and the opposite, she was a Tottenham fan,” mentioned the Spurs boss. “The Brentford fan was very constructive and mentioned thanks for every thing I had achieved on the membership. I mentioned, ‘You’re welcome, it’s not solely about me, it’s everybody doing issues collectively’.

“The Tottenham supporter mentioned ‘hold doing what you’re doing, you’re doing a high job, I really like what you’re doing’. That was constructive.

“I assume those who should not that constructive are in all probability not courageous sufficient to say it to my face. It is in all probability a bit of bit simpler behind the keyboard, however the messages that I’ve are genuinely constructive.”

Frank is wanting ahead to stepping again inside a membership the place he achieved a lot in taking them into the Premier League and constructing a aspect that constantly beat the large boys.

“There have been many magical moments it was a privilege to be a part of with implausible folks,” mentioned the Dane. “After all the promotion is the stand-out achievement. Getting promoted to one of the best league on the earth, for the primary time in 74 years or one thing like that, that’s very distinctive.

“That’s pure happiness in someday., In order that’s particular. It was additionally fairly good to beat Arsenal 2-0 within the first recreation within the Premier League.”

At some point when he retires, Frank is planning to construct a room of recollections of his lengthy spell at Brentford and what he hopes will likely be an analogous time in north London.

“There are numerous recollections from these days, footage and bits and items that someday, once I’m not in soccer anymore, I’ll create that particular room in my dwelling of the seven years I spent in Brentford and every thing I achieved there, after which the seven years in Tottenham with every thing I obtain right here. That I am wanting ahead to,” he mentioned.

Spurs will go into their first match of 2026 at Brentford with out the suspended Xavi Simons however with captain Cristian Romero again from his personal one-game ban. The Argentine is awaiting the results of an FA cost for not leaving the sphere in a immediate vogue following his pink card in opposition to Liverpool.

Frank described Lucas Bergvall as a small doubt for the sport on the Gtech Group Stadium however he has seen Dominic Solanke take his first steps again into coaching with the workforce this week following a long-term ankle downside which has saved the England worldwide out of motion since August.

Frank’s remaining season at Brentford noticed him having to function with out new signing Igor Thiago for all however eight matches after the striker struggled with a knee downside all through the marketing campaign. The Tottenham boss admitted that dealing and not using a striker who has now scored 12 objectives in 19 matches this season for Brentford ready him for all times with out Solanke at Spurs.

“Yeah, you can say that. I additionally suppose Yoane Wissa did properly earlier than that. The 12 months earlier than he did very properly after which he continued taking part in,” he mentioned. “So even for the video games when Igor Thiago was out there, Wissa performed as a result of he was on fireplace. He ended up scoring 19 non-penalty objectives. It’s an unbelievable achievement.

“What I knew was that I used to be satisfied Igor could be a goalscorer for Brentford. I’m satisfied by the way in which he’s a character, his mindset, but additionally his skills and he’s confirmed that. I believe Keith and the teaching workers have achieved a high job to make him carry out in each side.

“It’s a bit of bit related right here. You can say Richy now has performed roughly numerous minutes and achieved properly. He was this far-off from scoring two objectives in opposition to Crystal Palace, however on the flip aspect I’m additionally satisfied that Solanke will rating numerous objectives for us when he comes again.”

Frank referred to as the victory at Selhurst Park on Sunday a “stunning ugly win” and he acknowledged that such matches are going to be key at occasions.

“I believe it is so essential. I believe each good workforce wants to have the ability to do this and we’re constructing one thing. I believe it is also truthful to say we’re not the place Metropolis or Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool are proper now sadly. We actually wish to be there, however even them, they want ugly wins generally the place they’re successful 1-0,” he mentioned.

“What number of occasions have Arsenal gained 1-0 with a set-piece this season? So, we want to have the ability to do this, and I do know it is going to be a really troublesome workforce at Brentford. I’m a part of creating what I do know I’m dealing with. I do know it is going to be very troublesome on the Gtech. They’ve gained six video games, drawn two and misplaced one. They misplaced 1-0 to Metropolis.

“They’ve crushed Liverpool there, Newcastle, there, Man United there, not too long ago 4-1 Bournemouth, so that’s wow and for those who don’t present respect to that, the three factors are going, however we will likely be very respectful. We all know what we face. We must be extraordinarily aggressive and I do know we will likely be.”

Spurs high the Premier League’s away type desk however in 2026 Frank is aware of he should repair Tottenham’s dwelling struggles and present extra of the membership’s motto in doing so.

“Let’s begin with the constructive first. To be aggressive away from house is an enormous a part of a profitable workforce. You want to have the ability to be aggressive and get sufficient factors on the highway and that’s the place we’ve proven numerous resilience and character, defensive clean-sheet mentality, set items being good,” he mentioned.

“Then we all know, at dwelling, it’s essential to dominate extra. We have to do it, to dare is to do. We have to add much more layers, and that, I am not doubtful of, will come, as a result of one factor for certain, all of the groups I’ve had scored numerous objectives and I create one high scorer after one other, 12 months in, 12 months out. That may also occur right here. We simply want among the guys which might be pure high scorers to be match and out there.”

So will Spurs followers need to shelve their hopes of ‘to dare is to do’ soccer till Frank’s workforce is actually up and working?

“No, I do not suppose so, as a result of it is not prefer it’s from zero to 100. There’s nonetheless, as an example, parts the place now we have proven excellent offensive soccer, however it’s simply not been as constant as the place we would like it to be,” mentioned the Dane. “And likewise a bit of bit understanding of the place we’re in the intervening time. We’re, I’ll hold repeating it, on a journey the place we have to enhance numerous stuff.

“The place we completed seventeenth final 12 months, performed Europa League and gained it, implausible. Now we’re taking part in Champions League – a step up – and we try to compete within the league with fairly just a few of the important thing gamers out. That is the actual fact.

“However the reality can also be we have to win, and we have to play, we have to do every thing we will to win with what now we have out there proper now, however consistently enhance the workforce to ensure we play higher offensively.”