Frank on Richarlison injury and getting fans back onside after Spurs are knocked out of FA Cup | OneFootball

Thomas Frank has praised the Tottenham fans for their continued support despite being knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 2-1 to Aston Villa.

Goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers secured Unai Emery’s side’s passage into the Fourth Round, despite Spurs pressure late on after Wilson Odobert had pulled a goal back for the hosts.

Defeat for Frank’s side means the north Londoners are now out of both domestic cup competitions and lie in 14th place in the Premier League, as the Dane’s difficult start in charge continues.

With boos ringing round the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium throughout the match, the 52-year-old knows that getting back to winning ways is the only way to turn the mood of the fans around.

“It’s the players and the performance that’s got to get the fans rather than the players asking the fans to back them without any doubt,” Frank said. “We all know there’s only one way to have everyone happy.

“That is performing consistently and winning enough games. That’s the only way. And we could see in the second half, especially the energy, how they feed off each other, the players and the fans. It was a fantastic experience to be in the middle of it.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get that fantastic comeback, which sometimes kicks start a momentum. And that’s what we’re working very hard to do. But I think the fans, the way they backed the team and pushed them forward in the second half was very, very good.

“We need to perform and then they can feed off the energy. But of course, we also need them in tough times, which they are. They’re travelling in big numbers to away games and they’re backing us. So that’s a two-way.”

Frank also confirmed that Richarlison, who came off in the 31st minute, appears to have injured his hamstring, and raised concerns about the current restraints in the footballing calendar.

“Yeah, it could look like that. I think we’ve done a lot of things right to get him where he is now. I think he’s done a lot of things right. I think it’s not only about us, it’s about every club.

“I think there’s a few injuries across the Premier League. I think it’s something for the football authorities to look into as well. We’ve played five games in 13 days, four in ten.

“That’s one of the few clubs who did that. This is our third time this season. That’s the most tricky thing with two days in between. We’re dealing with it. We’re doing everything we can to compete in it, but that’s a tough schedule.”