Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank praised his side’s “mentality and character” after they came from two goals down to snatch a point in their Champions League clash with Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday.
In what was a largely unconvincing performance from Spurs inside the Artic Circle, a second-half Jens Hauge brace gave Bodo a deserved lead before Micky van de Ven and a scrappy Jostein Gundersen own goal late on salvaged a draw for the north Londoners.
It comes just three days after another late Spurs fightback when a stoppage-time strike from Joao Palhinha earned Frank’s team a point against Wolves in the Premier League.
And that resilience is a trait Frank was quick to highlight after the game in Norway.
The Spurs boss said: “The positive is the mentality and the character of the players was very good. [We] stayed in the game, kept fighting and that gave us a very good point when you’re 2-0 down, away from home in the Champions League, especially against a Bodo team who are very good here.
“So I’m happy that we got back into the game, I think that’s very positive.
“I think it’s fair to say until 2-0 Bodo was better than us. We know they are exceptionally good at what they are doing. They’re very well-coached, that was clear to see.
“But after 2-0 I felt we were the best team in the last part of the game.”
When asked for reasons for his side’s underwhelming display, Frank refused to be drawn into a debate about Bodo’s artificial surface, but instead chalked it up to a bad day at the office and insisted he was pleased with Spurs’ Champions League points return so far.
“It is what it is,” Frank said. “I think we could have kept the ball better, no doubt about that. That can just be on the day where you didn’t hit your highest level as a team or as a player. But the most important thing is to keep trying and keep doing the right thing.
“It’s hugely important that we show that mentality and keep running and keep fighting hard.
“I think four points from the two games is good. That’s a fine start and we need to work from here.”
Tottenham are currently fourth in the Champions League table. They next travel to Monaco on 22 October but first have Premier League fixtures against Leeds United and Aston Villa.
