It is not like Football Manager – Tottenham boss Frank outlines why January business is difficult

Thomas Frank insists Tottenham won’t look for a quick fix over long-term suitability when it comes to signing players and says the transfer window is “not like Football Manager”.

Spurs’ hopes of pulling away from the lower reaches of the Premier League have been hampered by a lengthening injury list but the Dane would only consider bringing in a player before the window closes on Monday if he feels it would benefit the team for years to come.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Manchester City, Frank said: “We can’t be too obsessed with a short-term fix that’s not helping in the long term, because if we do that, all the hard work we put in now can be limited for the future. And that’s not that we [don’t] badly want short-term success as well.”

Tottenham were in for Semenyo

Frank did admit Spurs were in for Antoine Semenyo before he moved to City, adding: “It’s clear that the club wanted to sign Semenyo. They did everything.

“I think that’s a clear signal that the Lewis family is very committed. That’s a big signing with finances and all that. So it’s aligned with that. That’s the quality of player we are looking for to improve the squad. And if we can’t find that, then it’s definitely better to take the right decision.

“And I’m sure if we’re not, for whatever reason, able to get another player in, or players in this window, then for the summer, it’s a big summer ahead, and I’m sure we’ll see big improvements there.”

Frank has come in for heavy criticism from the Spurs fans this season but he hopes they will understand the club’s stance.

“The fans just want the best for the club like I do, the owners and everyone in the club,” he said. “It’s fair to say though that the transfer window is not like Football Manager. Maybe it would be more boring if it was with less to talk about.”

We hoped to be higher than 14th

Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek saw them qualify automatically for the Champions League round of 16 but it has been less straightforward domestically and they start the weekend in 14th place in the Premier League.

Frank said: ”As always for Tottenham we are very ambitious, but this is a transitional season where we need to be very ambitious and do as good as we can in every single competition.

“I definitely expected and hoped and believed that we would be up higher, but I also think it is fair to say that if some of the margins were different we could easily have had six points more and there would be completely different talk.

“Unfortunately we haven’t and it is what it is and we keep going.”

Central defender Micky van de Ven is “touch and go” for the clash with City on Sunday.