Thomas Frank names the Tottenham player who almost made him emotional against Leeds

Thomas Frank had plenty of praise for his players after Tottenham's 2-1 win at Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Spurs opened the scoring when Mohammed Kudus picked out the run of Mathys Tel and the Frenchman struck an early effort that deflected past Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

Kudus wasted a good opportunity to double Spurs' tally with a shot over the bar before Leeds levelled on 34 minutes. Guglielmo Vicario pushed aside Brenden Aaronson's deflected shot only for Noah Okafor to react faster than Destiny Udogie to bury the loose ball.

Tel sent a looping header against the crossbar from Wilson Odobert's cross in added time at the end of the first half.

Spurs retook the lead just before the hour when Kudus ran on to a loose ball, cut inside and hit a low shot that deflected into the bottom corner. Both sides had chances in the second period with Vicario making a big save from Joel Piroe in the final stages to help the visitors grab the victory.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Elland Road.

What's your initial reaction to a hard-fought win?

Extremely happy with the win. I think if you want to build any successful team, you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness. No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win. I think we are building that more and more in the team.

Let's say in the last 10-15, where they pushed us back and we also dropped a little back. But I thought it was throughout the game... I actually think that until the 80th minute, I'm very happy with those 80 minutes, give or take. We looked very solid defensively.

I think we gave the goal away, which is like a cross, deflected shot. And then, of course, I know they hit the post, but I think it looks more dangerous than it is. That's what we gave away until the 80th minute.

But I think we created two goals and other very good and dangerous situations and chances. So very happy with that. We need a little bit of surviving and a couple of good saves from Vicario.

Tottenham fans see the team second in the league - you must be delighted with your overall start?

Yeah of course I am. I think 14 points in seven is two on average. That's very good. So that overall start I'm happy with. I'm extremely happy that we now on the road have won three and a draw. Which I think that's part of that, if you want to achieve anything, you need to do that. So overall start, a good start, but we need to continue of course.

How important was it for Mathys Tel to get off the mark?

So, so almost emotional about him. So happy for him. I think the character he's shown from a young man just really impressed me from day one. But of course after a setback, not coming in the Champions League squad, not being an established player. Maybe playing a good position where I really can see him play and I think he's taking steps. Also been picked a little bit for the left. So just keep training well, which he does. He trains well every day.

Stay at home, when we went the Bodo the whole team, trained well. Just ready today. And also I think a big praise to Cameron [Campbell] and Justin [Cochrane] to work with Mathys. And the way we worked with him from a fine game against West Ham as a striker to a better game against Doncaster, where he arrives more in the right areas.

I know he could have scored two goals but as I say he arrives there, because we trained and we showed clips. To the next level today, where I think he worked hard, he scored a good goal. I know there was a little deflection, but the connection was good. He has a header, other good situations. So very, very pleased.

Did you see strands of the attacking play starting to gel with those four front players?

I think it looked promising today at times. I liked Xavi as a ten. I think that was his best game for us. There's still more to come, but I think he had some really good actions in there. Mo again getting his goal, which I'm pleased with. It was about time he scored that goal. But no, I'm so pleased for him. So you just see he looked a little bit more fluid.

Some might blame Vicario or Udogie for the goal but he showed character with those two big late saves?

Yeah, I agree. Two big saves. I think the one with the left hand was the biggest one. Very, very good and big save. The goal, I looked t it back. I think I need to look a little bit more calmly in it. But of course you can say, can we put the ball in another place, parry it out? And Dest could be more aware. I also think it drops, deflection, there's a few bits we could have done better there. So I don't think it's a massive mistake, if that makes sense. But I would rather want to praise two big saves.

There might not be a better centre-back pairing around than yours is there?

Thank you. I think the two there are very important. Of course the whole team is always important. The back four and all that. But I agree with you. You have the right pairing in the middle. It brings you a long way. So I think it's a big credit to the two of them.

I think it's a big credit to the performance and medical staff. They've done a very good job there and they are in a very good place, both of them right now, in terms of fitness. And especially, I'll say, I'll praise the medical and performance staff for a short turnaround with Cuti.

He got a big bruised foot from Wolves to this, but he got around and he managed to play through the pain in the end. So it also showed character and mentality.

This team seems, in the past, as if they have buckled when sides have gone at them. Your team seem to be a bit more streetwise, street fighting?

Yeah, I think football is such a competitive sport, and there'll be lots of small setbacks in a game, where you concede a corner that was maybe not a corner, or you lose the ball and you need to sprint back, or you need to defend for a long period. It's not going as well. You concede a goal after we were actually on top of the game.

We had a big chance for Mo to score 2-0. Boom, out of nowhere, out of nothing. Leeds score, but stay in the game, keep doing the right thing. I'm speaking a lot about it, showing clips what to do, and the players are really, really doing well.

You seem to know how to get over those roadblocks?

Yeah, I think the players definitely have it in them and I think they show very good character.

You're playing with a weakened squad yet still getting these good results. Is that something you have to address with the players? Are they not feeling sorry for themselves or not using that as an excuse?

Ah, that Dom and Kolo Muani are out? Yeah. I actually never speak about that. I never speak about to the players that we have injured players. I've never done that. I just look at the next one in line and do everything I can to prepare that player or those players and boost them. And I said from day one, and I more or less say once a week, that we're going to need everyone. Everyone needs to be ready, they need to help the team.

We know Djed Spence's qualities, but Destiny came in today and his left-footedness and being able to attack down that left perhaps a little bit more naturally than Djed, does it give you more natural width?

Yeah, maybe. I think actually Djed is very good at running forward with the ball as well. But there's something in the natural with the left footer. So there's something in that.

And I guess there's a reason that across the globe, most coaches tend to play a left-footed as a left-back. I'm just happy that I have three very good full-backs. I think actually Dest also showed some good bits today. He maybe should have scored himself instead of passing it to Mo.

You're the first team to win in the league at Elland Road in more than a year, I appreciate they were in the Championship for much of it, but was there a weakness you looked to exploit?

By the way, I've been in the Championship for many years. So I know how difficult a league it is and I always respect it. So, any weaknesses? I think before this game, and I think it's the same today, they concede very little chances on the XG. So if you look at the XG today, also in that sense they concede very little.

I think the one that maybe is hidden a little bit from the performance today is the thing that we had five or six top situations where we flashed the ball across the box, where we need to be there. And then it's maybe two goals and an XG of two. But I think I rather want to praise Leeds. I think they were good today. I think they were difficult to play against. I think they defended well and I felt they were very brave also on the ball.

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