Thomas Frank was in a bright mood despite seeing his team ship five goals in Paris, but the Tottenham boss was rightfully "pleased" with what he saw on Wednesday night.
The Dane entered the contest in a spot of bather, having overseeing one of the worst Spurs performances in a North London Derby for a very long time. Such beatdowns weigh heavy on the minds of supporters, with the most emotional calling for his head.
More and more are starting to turn, and another showing in which Spurs failed to lay a glove on their, admittedly, obviously superior opponents would've piled the pressure on immensely ahead of a significant Premier League game at home to Fulham on Saturday.
"Today, we competed. Today, we showed a team with soul and character" 👊
Spurs manager Thomas Frank analyses his side's defeat in Paris, their performance, Vitinha and looking ahead to the weekend.
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Frank once again raised eyebrows with his team selection, with the diamond midfield only becoming clear a few minutes into the contest, but, unlike Sunday, Spurs performed with aggression and intent. They were rewarded by taking 1-0 and 2-1 leads. The collapse after Randal Kolo Muani's first Tottenham goal was bitterly disappointing, and a 5-3 defeat points towards the eventually excellent hosts enjoying a degree of comfort.
However, the visitors made life difficult for the European champions, and Frank deserves credit for overseeing a response, even in defeat, from the weekend.
Thomas Frank proud of Tottenham side in defeat to PSG
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Spurs took 1-0 and 2-1 leads but were beaten 5-3 in Paris. | FRANCK FIFE/GettyImages
“I am very pleased with the performance. Today was much more the identity of the team, the bravery and aggressiveness of the team," Frank told TNT Sports post-match.
While Spurs barely laid a glove on their fiercest rivals in the derby, they were in the faces of PSG from the outset on Wednesday. Their work without the ball allowed them to settle in, and there were fer periods in the first half when Frank's side were forced to suffer. His personnel in midfield worked as a combination, and the boss was also happy with what he saw from a vintage strike partnership.
“There were lots of positives, the two strikers scoring three goals between them, the whole team performed really well. The performance was to get something out of the game but then you need to have the margins with you but we can’t concede some of the goals we did," he added.
Randal Kolo Muani has certainly made an impression against his parent club ⚽⚽🤝 pic.twitter.com/3aUdDYOH2o
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Richarlison nodded in the opener, while Kolo Muani officially announced his arrival with a brace and the assist for his buddy up top. He's a fine forward who now looks fully fit after a disrupted start to the season.
“It can definitely be a turning point [for Kolo Muani] but the two goals will give him confidence going forward. He has struggled a bit with confidence but now he is looking better and better," Frank said.
Ultimately, though, Spurs were undone by a couple of poor defensive sequences they'd love to have back, as well as some individual brilliance from PSG's superstars. Vitinha's hat-trick was the first of his senior career, and the boss labelled the Portuguese maestro as the "best midfielder in the world," and the favourite for next year's Ballon d'Or.
His majesty, combined with an off day for Cristian Romero, swung a bonkers Champions League affair the Parisians' way, but this isn't a night for Frank derision and slander. The gameplan gave his team the best chance of winning the game, and that, really, is all we can ask from the manager.