Frank and Emery face off on Sundayplaceholder image
Frank and Emery face off on Sunday | Getty Images
Thomas Frank has been speaking about Aston Villa ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash.
It will be interesting to see whether Spurs can back up their solid start over the coming weeks, and they have a tough start out of the gate after the break, welcoming a Villa side that is desperate to get back to the form they have shown in recent seasons.
Villa have just nine points in their first seven games, but they have shown signs of getting back to form, winning their last four games across all competitions. Unai Emery’s men are being backed to rebound, but it has been a struggle overall for the West Midlands club to date.
Asked if he is surprised by Villa’s start, Spurs boss Frank said: “This is meant as a positive. I would say no, because when I see them performing and their structure and the way they play, I see a lot of the same that I've seen from Unai Emery's Villa team in the last three seasons. I see a lot of the same strengths. They're very, very good in the build-up and in phase two and have fantastic structure.
“They're very composed and have fantastic players. We know in Rogers, doing fantastic, Ollie Watkins, Malen is starting to score goals, Onana in midfield, Kamara, I know Tielemans is injury, but that's a top team. The back four is very good as well. It's a team and you can see they're growing. I expect an unbelievable, tight game on Sunday that we're very positive about and that we will do everything to edge. We hope and I believe we can, but it will be a strong test on Sunday.”
Frank on home form
One thing Spurs need to address is their home form, and Frank is well aware of that. “In general, I think every team, and I can speak us, we would like our home to be a fortress,” he added. “That is the ultimate aim. Can we make our home an unbelievably difficult place to come to? Then the job is half done in terms of what we like to try to achieve.
“That is an unbelievable cohesion between the team and the fans. That needs to go hand in hand. It can not only be the team. It can not only be the fans. It needs to be both. And we need to bring energy to each other. That is absolutely key and we need to do everything that we can to work unbelievably hard, perform well, try to be positive, all of that, but we also need a little bit of help. We know football, in every game, goes a little bit up and down.
“You have good spells, bad spells. The Premier League is the most relentless league in the world. It's so difficult to compete in, so we need the fans, especially, especially in the tough moments. The better they can be behind the team, not easy, because it's not easy, the better it will be and they will feel more success for the team. So, we need that. When our fans are behind the team, and the stadium is rocking, I think it's one of the best places in the world.”
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