Thomas Frank supports Van de Ven following Slot's criticism of careless challenge on Isak

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has responded to Arne Slot's remarks after the Liverpool head coach condemned Micky van de Ven for a careless lunge that resulted in Alexander Isak suffering a fractured leg.

The Tottenham centre-back slid into Isak during an unsuccessful bid to prevent the Swedish forward from finding the net in Liverpool's narrow 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday.

Isak, who hobbled off the pitch following the collision with Van de Ven, had an operation for an ankle problem involving a broken fibula.

The 26-year-old forward faces a minimum absence of two months due to the damage to his left leg.

Slot directed strong words at the defender during his media briefing on Tuesday, labelling the action a careless challenge.

He commented that repeating such a move ten times would likely lead to severe harm for a player on at least ten occasions.

However, Frank came to his player's defence during his press session.

He stated that he strongly disagrees on several points. He described Van de Ven as a defender who gives his all to stop goals.

It happened during a quick break, with the ball played wide, and he slid in to block the effort.

Regrettably, Isak fixed his foot in place, which made the incident appear more severe than intended, though it remains a standard defensive move.

To put it simply, if a defender in my team fails to act that way, they cannot be considered proper defenders.

Frank emphasised that Van de Ven would never endanger an opponent's wellbeing through a hazardous challenge.

He rejected the notion of it being careless, adding that such behaviour is not typical of Micky.

He views him as an honest and fiercely competitive individual. Additionally, both players have resolved the matter, which is positive.

The loss to Liverpool has intensified the scrutiny on Frank at Tottenham.

Having joined from Brentford in the summer to succeed the dismissed Ange Postecoglou, the new manager has faced difficulties in north London.

Postecoglou had lifted Tottenham's 17-year wait for silverware by securing the Europa League, yet the shaky league results that plagued his era persist under Frank.

Currently sitting 14th in the Premier League table before their upcoming match at Crystal Palace, Frank holds firm in his belief that improvement is possible.

He noted that managing one of the globe's top clubs presents a greater and unique test.

The dual demands of Champions League and Premier League commitments add to the difficulty, as the team strives to progress while operating at full intensity.