Every word Thomas Frank said on the funny thing he told Kolo Muani and his two Solanke decisions

Here’s every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said in his press conference after the Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt

Thomas Frank was a very happy man at his press conference after Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night secured their place in the Champions League last 16.

The German side had conceded three goals in each of their previous five matches and their defence showed that vulnerability throughout. The returning Joao Palhinha, playing on the right of a back three, and Pape Matar Sarr both had early efforts at goal before Wilson Odobert struck the right-hand post.

Xavi Simons was then gifted the ball by Eintracht goalkeeper Kaua Santos in the Frankfurt box before the break but the stopper got a toe to the Dutchman’s strike. The hosts had a late chance before the break when Hugo Larsson’s strike bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Spurs finally scored the goal they had been threatening just two minutes into the second half when Xavi’s deep cross was headed into the six-yard box by the unmarked Cristian Romero and Randal Kolo Muani flicked the ball into the net with his heel.

The visitors had plenty more efforts. Sarr’s low shot was saved by Santos before Xavi’s deflected effort rolled wide of the Frankfurt goal with the goalkeeper wrong-footed. the impressive 19-year-old Archie Gray had a strike blocked in the box before Romero sent a header at the keeper.

It was left to Dominic Solanke to come off the bench to seal the win in the 77th minute with a low assured finish after running on to Mahmoud Dahoud’s poor header back, sending Spurs into the last 16 and a fourth place finish in the big Champions League table.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here’s the full transcript from the press conference at Deutsche Bank Park.

Job done, what was the most pleasing aspect of it for you?

I think, first of all, very happy for the performance. I think the players showed great character, their mentality. We basically had 12 available players for Dortmund and in this game and in both games the players stepped up.

And I think this game we were more or less in control from the beginning to the end of the game. I think that’s a big thing. I need to say, we’ve seen some of the results in the Champions League tonight. We’ve seen some of the results throughout the league phase. There’s no easy games. So we’re sitting here with 17 points, ending, finishing fourth in the group stage, sixth sheet.

I think it’s very impressive, but throughout the game today I think we were good in the high pressure. I think we looked strong when we defended low. I’m very happy how we progressed with the ball and how we got quick up the pitch. And then, of course, still working on creating, but I think we created quite a lot today, which I’m very pleased with. So, yeah, very, very happy with that.

And then, of course, the fans I think were fantastic. Very happy, so many of them travelling in numbers and the support throughout the game.

On a personal note, this is your first time ever managing the Champions League, you’ve taken a side through in fourth place, the likes of Real Madrid and Inter and PSG have to go and play a play-off now. Can you take some personal pride in that?

Yeah, of course I’m happy, but it’s not about me. I think I’m very happy that the staff, the players, everyone, how we prepared the team for these games in general, I think is very positive. And I think, of course, we need to look forward to the round of 16, which is hugely important that you are qualified for everything, but also gives us some time between games to train. And I also think, let’s say, the 3-4-3 also looked good in the last three games.

Randal Kolo Muani, another goal against a former club. How do you get him playing like that week in, week out in the Premier League?

First of all, I was very happy that he scored the goal. I think, actually, he looked like a threat. He almost got an assist with the first one that was disallowed. He was very involved in that. Great action. I think he has had great actions throughout the game. So I’m very happy that he got the goal and I said to him, please start scoring against others than your former clubs, that would be nice.

But we know when you come to a new club, a new country, it’s never straightforward and never in the Premier League. I hope this will give him some confidence.

And the second goal, Dominic Solanke coming on, how much does that back up your decision to bring him back into the squad?

Yeah, I’m so happy not only to have him in the Champions League squad, but also it was a tough decision. It was a big game tonight and I wanted to start Dom, but we need to take clever decisions like we’ve done throughout, because we have been pushing him to the limit.

So we know every sign, every experience says that it was the right thing not to start him. So I’m happy that it turned out to be a very good decision.

Given the context and what it means, where do you rate that performance in terms of the season? It must be one of the best?

Yeah, you say the context, everything, I think it was overall a good performance. I think it was actually, as you say, a quite complete performance. I think how we defended in high pressure, how we defended in low pressure, how you controlled the ball, the chances we created, all that I think looked very good, yeah.

With Kolo Muani and what happened yesterday, was there any chance of him not coming in? Had circumstances been different, if you had more players, might you have not brought him out here because of the accident?

No, no, he was ready. Of course, if there was any doubt that he couldn’t play, then we wouldn’t have done it. But he was fine and no physical aspect or mental aspect from the accident.

There’s five English teams in the top eight of the Champions League, what does that say about the Premier League?

I haven’t checked that, but that is dominant. I think we’ve all said for a few years that the Premier League is the best league in the world, and I think that’s another sign of it, no doubt about that.