Every word Thomas Frank said on transfers, injuries, Mathys Tel, Yves Bissouma and Manor Solomon

Thomas Frank has held his first Premier League press conference as Tottenham Hotspur head coach ahead of Saturday's visit of Burnley.

The Dane spoke at Hotspur Way on Friday morning about a range of topics ahead of Scott Parker's return to Spurs with his promoted Clarets side looking to cause an opening day upset. It will be the first time that Frank steps out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the home dugout.

During his press conference on Friday he covered the latest injury news, was asked about transfers, Yves Bissouma's situation as well as the racist abuse suffered by Mathys Tel after the young Frenchman's penalty miss in the shoot-out defeat to PSG in Wednesday night's UEFA Super Cup.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank ahead of his home debut. Here's a full transcript with everything the Spurs head coach said in his press conference at Hotspur Way.

What's the latest team news?

Every player [from the last game] is available for the team tomorrow. Destiny [Udogie] is progressing, but it’s too early for him to be involved in the squad.

How is Mathys Tel after the abuse he suffered on Wednesday?

It’s, of course, terrible what happened to Matty, and we’re doing everything we can to support him in this situation. He’s a strong person, and with hopefully support from his family, friends and us he will get through it. But also there’s no real Tottenham supporter that ever will do that. The real Tottenham supporters that we’ll see tomorrow at the stadium, they'll back him, I expect them to. Listen, in tough times we step up together, and I expect the fans to give him a really, really, really big cheer tomorrow.

Do Spurs need to add a few players?

First and foremost, in many ways, I’m very happy with the squad. I think there’s a lot of good players. I think we saw a team that was very, very, very competitive, and on any other day we would have beaten the best team in Europe. Of course, we want as strong and competitive squad as possible. I know that Daniel (Levy), Johan (Lange) and Vinai (Venkatesham) are working night and day, and they have, by the way, been working night and day the last, whatever, six, seven, eight weeks. They definitely would like to do deals early. Sometimes, I think we need to understand it’s not that easy, but they’re working.

What's the latest on Bissouma?

There was a situation. I addressed this. There was a consequence. Bissouma will be in the squad tomorrow. Move forward and we have a big game tomorrow.

Where will Kudus play for Spurs, as a second striker, a number eight or a right winger?

I think depending on the game, the challenge, the game plan and so on that he can play in all those positions you just named there. I think preferably he’s probably right-wing or 10, (he) can play both positions, but I like flexible players. It gives us opportunities. But those are the two main positions.

What tactical battle are you expecting from Burnley?

In some ways, the challenge can't be more different from the challenge we just faced two days ago against PSG. But I think the level of challenge is the same. It's just different from not that much expectation to maybe slightly more expectation tomorrow for the game.

But against a team and a very good manager and coaching staff that have done very well last year. We all know their defensive record, that's insane. 29 clean sheets, 16 goals conceded. I know they [now] step up but that just shows the structure, the discipline, the mentality and ability to defend. So that's a challenge we need to embrace and we will embrace. We will be positive and we will attack.

But I think it's a game where we will dominate and it can take time before we score the first goal. Of course we'd like to score in the first minute and then the roof will go off the stadium, everyone will be happy. You never know, you need to be ready for everything. One thing's for sure, the team, I, us, all of us need to perform. The fans need to perform. We can only do it together. The fans and the team, if they are together it's like energy pushing the players forward that will make it so much easier. We need help of course.

What's the thing you've learnt about your players so far?

I'd like to say two things. One thing is the mentality of the group - I think a very strong mentality. We saw that against PSG, the way they dealt with that game, the way they worked, their approach to it. I think that was very good. And I think the ability to take on board messages and gameplans, because they executed it perfectly. That's the two things.

Will you have butterflies in your stomach because this is the first time you would have managed a team other than Brentford in the Premier League?

I will have tomorrow. If I'm honest now I'm in like a work mate, last planning, we have training in three hours. Normal focusing on that, that is normal with everything. Different players but it's the same so fully, fully focused on that.

But I know when I wake up tomorrow and I know when I step into the stadium that I will feel a little, no doubt.

How difficult is it to take on a newly-promoted team on the opening day when everyone expects you to win 4/5-0?

I think every game has its own challenges. The challenge tomorrow of course is that can we get enough tempo in the game, can we play quick enough, how do we break down the low block of a 5-4-1? That's again that focus, let's keep the tempo, let's keep the intensity. Make sure we put pressure on them and then in the end that will hopefully be enough.

What kind of player you are looking for to fill the number 10 role?

We are looking, of course, in the market, not only for the 10 positions but just to see if we can strengthen the squad and the players we're looking at are the only players we think can improve the squad, and I think that's the right thing we want to do. If we can pick the right player and if it fits, then we'll do something.

With Bissouma when you got back, did you have a long chat with him, because there's been incidents over previous summers as well, and he turns 29 this month so is one of those players that the younger players should be looking to?

Of course we've dealt with the situation. I think these situations you deal with internally, of course, so yeah, it's dealt with. I'm looking forward. There's a big game tomorrow, and that's where the main focus should be.

Another influential player, Richardson, it felt like one of his best games for Spurs the other night, how important could he be to you this season if you can keep him fit and available to play like that?

Yeah, I think Richy was really phenomenal. I think his hold-up play, his intensity, his pressing, his arriving in the box and so it was really, really top, really and his attitude, top, top, top. So I hope to see more of that. Of course, we're aware of the fitness situation. That's something we've monitored closely. That's why, for example, he didn't play the first game against Reading because we didn't feel that he was ready, so we'll really do our best to to help him and he's on it. He's very focused, that's the main thing and hopefully he can keep up the level.

One player we haven't heard too much about, Manor Solomon, where is he with his injury recovery and is he part of your plans for this season?

Every player that is here is part of the plans. Manor is just back from his injury, in terms of being on the pitch he had a part training with the team yesterday, so hopefully he can progress after that.

When you think of day one when you came in to now, are you where you want to be generally? Are you ahead of schedule, behind schedule, or on schedule?

I think we are. (Laughs) That's a good question. I think that will be an ongoing process throughout the season, throughout seasons, because you constantly want to build on that layers. That's what I'm a big believer of. We've had five weeks or something like that. That's been really good. I'm very pleased with and proud of what the team, how the team performed Wednesday against PSG.

I think that part of the game we showed that we got far with the defensive side of the game, high pressure, middle pressure, low pressure set pieces, aggressivity, intensity, mentality.

And now we have another part of the game. We'll be more offensively tomorrow. We have to and we want to. That's probably, to be completely honest, that's the area where we are probably not fully firing yet for various reasons. We will have a plan and we'll be very ready for tomorrow, but I think all that added together, to do that consistently every game, probably that will not just be fully firing (yet). Hopefully tomorrow will be very good and then it can be the next three games and be a dip and then we go again.

It was a big ask on Wednesday in Italy, hot conditions, can same team go again or need to freshen it up?

I think, you know, of course the physical demands in every area were big and also mentality in the heat and so on, but the players are very professional, they have recovered well, they have a good team behind them, the staff, that will help them. Of course it's always in this situation how much do I fresh up? Of course I'm thinking about that, but that can be from the start, that can also be during the game. I'm a big believer of when needed, use five subs to bring that energy and freshness on the pitch, but I’m also a big believer it’s the third game that is more tricky than the second.

With Bissouma, is it important to establish the standards you want here early on?

Yeah, you can say that, but I would have done exactly the same in Brentford or other places where I’ve worked. I just have a certain standards and demands. I think the players need that, a lot of love, but there needs to be a lot of demands and there also needs to be a consequence if the demands are reached. In this case there was a consequence.

You've let a lot of younger players go out on loan, we saw Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear part of the first-team last year but sent out this time, what is thinking behind that?

I think it’s important that there is a fine balance between, I think there’s a lot of learning training with the first-team boys here. I think that learning from the intensity, physicality, professional higher level players is very good and also part of having enough players in the squad. Then the next bit is the most important thing for any player is playing minutes, so that is that balance and we thought it was the right moment to get them out.

With Wednesday and the substitutions, you needed fresh legs but was there a reason why Lucas Bergvall and Brennan Johnson were not first options off the bench?

It was a slightly different shape that impacted it a little bit let’s say for Brennan’s case. Of course he can play as one of the two strikers as well, but I think Matty has done well. We’re going to need a lot of players in different positions, with different abilities. I think that Lucas has done very well, but I also think I like Archie as well. I think they are slightly different types. Lucas is probably a little bit more offensive, Archie a little bit more defensive, so that is why at that stage he came on. I think Archie’s profile just fitted a little bit better.

You'll walk out tomorrow at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for first time as Spurs manager, how much are you looking forward to that?

“That’s going to be special, of course. There’s a first time for everything and that’ll be the first time, so that’ll be special.