Under pressure, Frank talks to Romero after social media ‘mistake’

Thomas Frank says Cristian Romero made a ‘mistake’ by appearing to criticize the Tottenham hierarchy and had clear discussions with the defender this morning.

Romero took to Instagram immediately after the disappointing 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth last night and wrote a now-deleted post that suggested “other people” should come and talk and that they “only show up when things are good, to tell a few lies.”

It’s unclear who Romero was talking about specifically, but his words only add to the feeling of unease around the Spurs. which occupies 14th place in the Premier League table.

Asked about his captaincy this afternoon ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round at home to Aston Villa, Frank said: “I think after Cuti [Romero] became captain, he did a lot of good things. I said it when I named him captain, even though he is an experienced player, he is still a young leader. And I think a lot of things he did well on and off the field satisfy me.

“I’m actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a real captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking at half-time when we were down 2-1, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you’re a young leader, sometimes you make a mistake, of course, it’s good to keep it internal.

“[Technical director] John [Lange] and I had a good chat with him this morning about everything which of course we keep in-house.

Tottenham are lined up – Frank

Frank insisted that he and senior members of the club, including Lange and general manager Vinai Venkatesham, were working closely to improve their current situation and denied suggestions that Romero’s outburst would delay potential January signings.

He added: “I think, especially in football, the most important thing is not to make noise. Then you can see there is this situation with Cuti’s post.

“There might be others where it’s maybe not so positive or where a lot of people are talking.

“When we want to attract players we need to tell our story, as close as possible, unbiased and a good story about this fantastic, wonderful club and why you should come to the club. I’m pretty sure smart players and agents can look through it if there’s a bit of noise.

“I think it’s very important to emphasize that even though there is noise, the club is very aligned. Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned. The ownership is very aligned. We know it’s a difficult time we have to get through.”

Frank evaded a question about the incidents after the match at the Vitality Stadium which saw Micky van de Ven confront Spurs fans after booing the team.

“I think our away fans were very good throughout the game last night,” said the Dane. “They were supporting us, singing and cheering like they should. Everyone will be happy when we win more games. It’s that simple.”

Hard blow for Tottenham with Kudus sidelined

Winning more games won’t be easy due to an injury list that grows longer by the day.

Frank confirmed midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall were injured at Bournemouth.

“Lucas Bergvall is being assessed today. We will know more later today with him,” he said.

“Same with Rodrigo Bentancur. Rodri has a hamstring injury – which unfortunately seems more serious. We don’t know the timetable. We will find out later.”

Summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who limped off during the draw against Sunderland on Sunday, is expected to miss at least two months.

Frank said: “Mohammed Kudus is unfortunately a bigger tendon in the quad. That’s where we expect him after the international break in March.”

We deserve better – Tottenham boss Frank

Frank remains under intense pressure at Spurs, but he insists it is not all doom and gloom and claimed his side’s recent performances deserved a bigger points haul.

“I think the last five games we’ve played have been consistent, good, competitive performances and that’s what you need in a long season,” he said.

“These five games should have given us more than the five points we got. Probably eight, nine, 10 points. That’s what we’re focusing on.

“It’s my job to deal with the scrutiny. I will accept all the questions and blame. It’s also my job to examine everything and look beyond last night’s loss. It was emotional but in many ways it was good and we deserve more.

“We have to keep doing that. The last two games should have given us four points, maybe more.”