Thomas Frank has flexed his muscles to Tottenham’s squad by excluding Yves Bissouma from the travelling party to face Paris Saint-Germain owing to persistent lateness.
Spurs make their Uefa Super Cup debut in Udine on Wednesday in a fiendish early test for their manager, who is overseeing his first pre-season since moving from Brentford in June. Frank has wasted no time pressing home his standards and explained he had opted against selecting Bissouma, the Mali international midfielder, because of multiple lapses.
“Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons,” Frank said after their arrival in north-east Italy. “He has been late several times and the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and there also need to be consequences. This time there was a consequence for that.”
Frank suggested the punishment applied only to this fixture and that he would “follow up when I come home”. The infraction will heighten doubts over Bissouma’s future. He has entered the final year of his contract with little sign a new deal is imminent and his three seasons at Tottenham have been decidedly mixed. The club suspended him from the trip to Leicester last August after he was recorded inhaling nitrous oxide and their former manager Ange Postecoglou said he “sometimes lets the game drift by him” after the defeat by Fulham in March.
Although the Super Cup sits below Uefa’s three other major club competitions in terms of prestige, Frank played up the importance of following their Europa League win by toppling the Champions League holders. “It’s a massive game,” he said. “A great challenge and an even bigger opportunity. That’s how my brain works, I see opportunities instead of pressure. So for me, massive opportunity. We will definitely embrace it and we will do everything.”
Spurs’s squad for the coming Premier League season remains incomplete and they are trying to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace under the noses of Arsenal. Frank did not take the bait when asked about any deal for the forward. “There are a lot of good players out there, there are also a few from the PSG team, but I don’t think we can buy them right now.” he said. “In general, players in and players out, I’m only speaking if something is done or not done.”
Frank must improvise in attack given the long-term absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. On the brighter side, Dominic Solanke has recovered from an ankle injury that has plagued his summer and should take a place on the bench. Destiny Udogie is also available after a knee problem.
