Frank defends van de Ven following Slot comments | OneFootball

Thomas Frank says Micky van de Ven’s challenge on Alexander Isak was not a reckless one.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot criticised van de Ven for the challenge, with Isak set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a broken fibula.

“The tackle of van de Ven, if you make it ten times, I think ten times there is a serious chance a player gets a serious injury,” Slot said.

But Frank has defended van de Ven. “I’m obviously disagreeing in many ways,” Frank said when asked about Slot’s comments.

“I think we are talking about a defender in Micky van de Ven that will do everything he can to avoid the goal.

“It’s a transition, so he’s sprinting back in. There’s a ball slid down the side and he does everything he can to see if he can block that shot, so he’s sliding. Unfortunately, Isak’s planted his foot straight there and that makes it look worse than it is.

“I think that would be a natural reaction for any defender. I’ll put it this way, if my defenders don’t do that, then I don’t think they are true defenders. I don’t see that at all.

“Reckless challenges, normally you haven’t seen any from Micky, as I remember it. He’s a very fair and competitive player, so that’s one thing. The other thing is I also know the two players have sorted it out, so that’s a good sign.”