Former Premier League midfielder Sandro has backed Thomas Frank to be a success at former club Tottenham in an exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports .
He has also offered his perspective Spurs attacker Brennan Johnson and lends his perspective into the Salah "debate" and what his absence during AFCON could mean for Liverpool but insists that Salah last season did not emulate the levels of a Prime Gareth Bale.
Sandro also gave his thoughts on the Isak vs Ekitike debate and his prediction for Tottenham vs Liverpool at the weekend.
Tottenham
Give Frank Time!
I will say that it's been a season of transition. When a new manager comes, it always takes time for the players to understand the coach and the coach to understand the players, too. If you are the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, there will always be a lot of expectation. It’s a big club with big pressure. You have to win. I think that is good pressure. If you are a manager of a top club, that pressure will be there, but we have to understand that it’s a new journey for Thomas Frank.
You have to look at what he did at Brentford. He did exceptional work there. That is why big clubs like Manchester United were looking at him. He created an identity. It was very hard to play against his Brentford team. They were also so compact. They had real spirit. The players played for each other. There was a real connection. He needs to build that at Tottenham.
Thomas Frank brings a totally different style to Ange Postecoglou. He’s changing. He’s starting to understand the players. He is an experienced coach. I think he will get there as the squad continues to evolve. Of course, there have been some tough moments.
Tottenham have to bring players in to help because I just want James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to come back. If Tottenham buy a top, top winger with Kulusevski and Maddison back, I think they can get back on track. They need Maddison and Kulusevski back to get their feel back, especially Maddison, for his happiness and his character. He will bring a lot of positive energy. If we have Maddison and Kulusevski back then, I think from February we will get more wins, more points and more confidence, so please hurry up, boys!
Managerial Change
It’s football. You cannot have everything. I think, honestly, what Ange did for us was amazing. He will always be a part of the club’s history. I was there in Bilbao. I watched every single game. It’s very good to be a fan now, and we have to clap. Ange brought a lot of positivity and belief to the club, and we won.
But I will say that, as good as that was, I don’t blame the club. I think it was the right thing to do, and now we are moving forward. Thomas Frank works in a different way, so how can you change between two completely different managers and expect it to work straight away? We were conceding a lot of goals, and I think that Frank can resolve that and build everything up through the field. Sure, we lost against Arsenal, but are we going to judge him right now after four months or so?
Frank needs to be strong. He seems to be a very nice guy, and I hope he can deal with the players and get them to do better so Tottenham can move forward in the table, because it’s hard to see Tottenham in such a tense position.
Will Thomas Frank Last The Season With Tottenham?
Brennan Johnson
I think to perform at the very top, you have to buy the very best. You have to have quality and strong players. We bought Mohammed Kudus, and he is very, very good. But we have to bring another winger in.
I'm not saying that Brennan Johnson is not good enough. He’s been there in the team. I like him. But we need someone who can perform like Sonny. You have to have those kinds of players against the top teams.
I will feel it’s a shame for Johnson because he was important for us, but competition can be healthy at a club.
Liverpool FC
Liverpool Without Salah
Are Liverpool more of a threat without Salah at the moment? No, I wouldn’t say that. I love Salah, and what Salah has done in the Premier League is outstanding. I’ve played against Salah. He’s a great, great player to have in your squad and to have in your team, but even if he’s on the bench, when you bring Salah on, it will be difficult for the other team.
Top players have good moments. He is on a wave that is not good for him at the moment, but there will be another wave soon, and after he starts to score again everything will be fine. I think he goes to AFCON, and once he comes back, he will show he is an exceptional player again. I think that Salah and Arne Slot are friends again, too.
Even if Tottenham win against Liverpool, I don’t think there will be pressure on Slot. Not now. Maybe if we had beaten them a few weeks ago.
Did Salah Overtake Bale Last Season?
Did Mohamed Salah overtake Gareth Bale for best season in Premier League history last season? No. Sorry, Salah. I’m so proud that I was on the same pitch as Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, too. That squad we had. I enjoyed it so much, but especially with Bale.
Bale smashed everyone. Whether we were having a good game, a bad game, we knew, everyone in the squad knew, just pass to Bale. If we were in a good moment, we passed to Bale and said Bale, do your trick! If we were in a bad moment, we passed to Bale. Bale, do your trick!
It was similar for Liverpool last year with Salah, but I would say that Bale had more to his game, more running, and taking the ball from very deep, and he had a free kick on him.
Isak vs Ekitike
Would Tottenham prefer to face Isak or Ekitike at this moment? Isak.
When a player like Isak is on the bench, they always want to show something, but on the other hand, Isak doesn’t have the games or minutes. He will keep suffering a little bit unless he gets the run of matches until he gets that feeling.
Etikike is looking like a top player, but sure they can bring Isak on off the bench too. Christian Romero can deal with him.
Who Would You Start Against Tottenham?
Weekend Prediction
Prediction: Tottenham vs Liverpool
It is a good moment for the Tottenham players to play Liverpool and build themselves back up, so let's hope.
It's very hard to predict the game, but I know Tottenham, and we can win this game. It's at home. We need the atmosphere from the fans, but if we feel that, score an early goal, and get the fans behind the team, it is completely different.
We always look like we can score from set pieces at the moment, but I want Kudus to keep doing what we know he can do because Kudus is very important for us. He can affect games against the big clubs, and it would be a good day for him to perform. hope Kudus can score, and I will say 2-1 to Tottenham, but there could be more goals, maybe.
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