Paul Robinson: Thomas Frank Must Rebuild Spurs’ Belief After Super Cup Collapse

Paul Robinson – Frank Has to Lift the Spurs Players

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes Thomas Frank’s biggest challenge after Tottenham’s UEFA Super Cup heartbreak will be psychological rather than tactical.

Spurs had one hand on the trophy in Udine, leading European champions Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 with six minutes to play, before the night unravelled. Lee Kang-in’s thumping 20-yard strike gave the French side hope, and Gonçalo Ramos’s stoppage-time header dragged the match into a penalty shootout.

From there, Nuno Mendes converted the decisive spot-kick to seal PSG’s victory and crush Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of lifting a second European trophy in three months.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Robinson underlined the importance of Frank’s role in restoring morale quickly: “In the next 24-48 hours, Thomas Frank has to go back to the training ground, unpack it, show the players a video of everything they did well and put the belief back into them.

“At the moment, they are so low that they could crawl under a snake's belly with a top hat on. Frank needs to pick them up and get them back to what they did for 75-80 minutes in this game.”

• Aaron Lennon: Spurs Lacked Game Management in Painful PSG Super Cup Defeat.

The Danish manager was taking charge of Spurs competitively for the first time since replacing Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed despite leading the club to Europa League glory in May.

Early signs were promising. Micky van de Ven reacted quickest to a rebound to give Spurs the lead before the break, and Cristian Romero’s header made it 2-0 soon after the restart.

Yet PSG, still easing back into action after their Club World Cup exploits, summoned a late surge worthy of champions. Their rally denied Frank his dream start and also served as a stark illustration of how little separates success from disappointment at the highest level.

• Spurs Boss Thomas Frank: ‘We will come flying out against Burnley.’

For Robinson, the lesson is clear: regroup, reset, and make sure this collapse becomes a one-off rather than a defining pattern of Frank’s tenure.