“It’s not a straightforward road” for troubled Spurs, says Frank

Thomas Frank insisted that he is “very aware of how this football world works” as pressure mounts on his Tottenham side to find form after winning just four of their last 16 matches.

The former Brentford boss will be hoping that Spurs can pick up a much-needed win on Saturday when they host a struggling West Ham side, who currently sit within the relegation zone.

Frank, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou in N17 at the start of the season, admitted that “there is a lot of noise” around his position at the moment – but he added that he believes the team must “focus on being calm and do the right thing, and keep carrying on.”

The 52-year-old is no stranger to finding himself in a difficult position, having won just one of his first 10 matches in charge of Brentford. There, he was afforded time to turn things around – and he did just that.

Asked if he needs everyone to trust that he can do the same in North London, Frank quipped that he can see the “small steps we’re constantly doing” and noted that he feels that there is “a culture that’s getting a little bit stronger” as the weeks go by.

Spurs will be bolstered by the recent signing of Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid, with the English midfielder arriving for a sum in the region of £34m. Reflecting on his latest acquisition, Frank said: “First and foremost, he’s a very good player [with] great experience in the Premier League, also in LaLiga.”

“He really liked the experience at Atletico, he really liked working with [Diego] Simeone. He really liked everything about it. Of course, we were privileged that he would like another chance [to play in the Premier League] and it was possible.”

The Tottenham boss added that he felt Gallagher was “at times, unplayable” during his stint at Chelsea, “so that’s the Conor Gallagher that we’re looking at. That’s the Conor Gallagher I’m thinking can step straight into this team and help us straight away.”

While the arrival of the 25-year-old midfielder is certainly a positive, Frank also issued some bad news for Spurs fans as he confirmed that Richarlison is set to spend seven weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.

“It’s not a straightforward road, let me put it that way,” the Dane explained, “but that’s football sometimes. We need just to get through it and get through the tough spells, and there’s only one way forward and that’s keep walking. If you are in a tough time, you can only walk forward, walk through it and work through it.”