Frank defends Tottenham after Burnley draw: ‘Dubravka was man of the match’

Thomas Frank defended Tottenham‘s performance against Burnley after they needed a late Cristian Romero goal to salvage a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor.

After easing some of the pressure on Frank with a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in midweek, it was a familiar tale for Tottenham in the Premier League as they endured more frustration.

Micky van de Ven fired Tottenham into a 38th-minute lead, only for Axel Tuanzebe to level on the stroke of half-time.

Lyle Foster completed the turnaround for relegation-threatened Burnley 14 minutes from the end of normal time, but late Spurs pressure told as Romero’s 90th-minute header sealed a share of the spoils.

Spurs are just eight points above the bottom three, with the same margin separating them from the Champions League places, illustrating the lack of progress domestically under Frank.

Tottenham fans made their feelings clear after the game with chants demanding the end of his time in charge.

But Frank was defiant, telling a press conference: “I don’t think it was a bad performance. It was maybe not the result we hoped for. I think the performance, if you look at it throughout the game, especially the first half, was good. The way we ended the game, good. Average second half, which you’ve seen many times.

“Then unfortunately it lacked with two moments where we didn’t defend it well enough. That’s what we are working very, very hard on, to try to get on top of. While we are fighting with everything we can to perform in the Champions League and Premier League. That’s the way it is.”

Frank: Tottenham did more than enough to win

Hammering home his point, Frank highlighted the performance of Burnley goalkeeper, who made nine saves in ensuring the Clarets claimed a point, if not the win that has eluded them for 14 successive Premier League matches.

“Dubravka was Man of the Match, he was that for a reason. That means we did a lot of things right offensively. I think we came here, took some of the confidence from the game against Dortmund into the game. I think first half we were good. I think actually we were very good, dominating the game, on top of the game, scoring 1-0 goal, creating a lot of chances, opportunities, could have done the 2-0, more or less if not out of sight, then definitely in a very good way to try to win a football match.

“We give nothing away first half, except a goal at the end of the first half, that we can never, ever, ever concede that goal. Because it just changed a little bit the momentum going into half-time. 

“Then the second half, we’re coming out, we’re not as dominant. But I still think we are ok on top. We’ve got a big chance for Dominic Solanke to go 2-1 up. And then we concede another goal that we can never, ever, ever concede. That makes it difficult for us.

“But big praise to the players for showing the character and running power and will-power to keep going. And we created big chances to match, to Xavi [Simons] and I think there was one more. And then the goal.

“So we did more than enough to get the equaliser. And over the game I think did more than enough to win it. But unfortunately not.”

Asked for his message to the disgruntled fans, Frank said: “I think the message to the fans, as I’ve said the whole time, is that we’re working very hard to make sure everything is going in the right direction and we’ll keep doing that.”