LONDON — Following the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Saturday, Thomas Frank defended his substitution choices after facing boos from the crowd.
With United taking the lead thanks to Bryan Mbeumo‘s goal in the 32nd minute, Frank decided to replace Xavi Simons with Mathys Tel during the final eleven minutes.
This decision was met with loud boos from the fans; however, just five minutes later, Tel maneuvered cleverly in the box and unleashed a deflected shot that found the back of the net, leveling the score.
As the match approached its conclusion, it seemed Spurs had snatched a win when Richarlison redirected Wilson Odobert‘s shot into the net in the first minute of stoppage time. However, Matthijs de Ligt scored a header in the 96th minute, rescuing a point for United.
Frank made a total of five substitutions, including the half-time withdrawal of Randal Kolo Muani. When questioned if the decision to bring on Tel justified the negative crowd reaction, he responded: “Sometimes luck is on your side, but I always make substitutions with one goal in mind: to help the team win or get back into the game or manage the game effectively.”
“My focus is singular: to win the match. No question about it; Mathys performed well, scoring a great goal and contributing significantly. Overall, I believe we played well and positively, but there’s also a need for fresh legs.”
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When pressed on what he specifically expected from Tel, Frank replied: “To score a goal.”
He also noted that Kolo Muani was subbed off due to a minor, unspecified issue, while Cristian Romero exited the game with just two minutes remaining due to fatigue, not an injury.