Thomas Frank defended Tottenham’s decision to sell Brennan Johnson following a frustrating 1-1 draw with Sunderland that ended in boos from discontented supporters, a mood worsened by an early injury to Mohammed Kudus.

Johnson completed a £35 million move to Crystal Palace earlier this week, despite having scored 18 goals last season. The sale raised questions about Tottenham’s attacking depth, particularly given their ongoing struggles in front of goal, although the Wales international had largely fallen behind Kudus in the pecking order this campaign.

Those concerns were amplified when Kudus was forced off just 19 minutes into Sunday’s match with a left-leg injury, leaving Spurs short of attacking options and Johnson’s absence keenly felt.

Tottenham made a strong start and were rewarded when Ben Davies opened the scoring in the 30th minute. However, Frank’s side failed to build on their advantage and were punished late on, with Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey netting an equaliser in the 80th minute.

After the match, Frank acknowledged the frustration but stood firmly by the club’s decision-making.

“We lacked a bit of freshness,” he said. “I watched some teams last night who could make like-for-like changes. Decisions are made, and I stand by them in every aspect. There’s always a bigger picture behind these choices. Sometimes the timing looks perfect, sometimes it doesn’t.”

When asked whether allowing Johnson to leave was a risk, Frank stressed that the decision had been taken before Kudus’ injury.

“We made that decision before Mo got injured. You can’t always delay these things,” he explained. “Sometimes the logic behind decisions only becomes clear further down the line. There was an opportunity to sell a player, and historically the club hasn’t always done that well. There will be games where you’re light — that happens.”

Tottenham now sit 13th in the Premier League following another disappointing home performance. Frustration among supporters has been building, with sarcastic chants of “boring Tottenham” also heard during last week’s goalless draw at Brentford.

With pressure growing in his first season in charge, Frank admitted the club will look to strengthen during the January transfer window.

“We’re very alert,” he said. “The club really want to see what we can do to strengthen the squad and the team.”