Eddie Howe’s just been here, he knows what it’s like to have gone down with Bournemouth and you talked about how the injuries can play a massive role – how much do the hierarchy understand?

Thomas: “Of course they understand that. I think everyone can see that you can just put the 11 players that are out in a line-up and then you can compare the two teams and then you guys can judge which player is out. So, of course that affects things, but it’s my job to do everything we can to find solutions with the players available.”

He also said about needing players in these difficult times who give you everything – do you feel your players are giving you everything?

Thomas: “Yeah, if you see them out there, I think they’re running very, very hard. It’s tough for them. It is tough. Football and life is tough at times, it’s just the way it is and when you have things going against you, you need to show resilience, you need to show your true colour. We are definitely tested to show that.”

Do you have an update on the injury to Wilson Odobert?

Thomas: “No, not yet. I hope it’s nothing too serious, but I don’t know what it can be. I hope it’s not a serious injury to a 20-year-old young player.”

It feels like it’s a theme that clubs come here on a poor run, low in confidence, and then turn it around here. Why do you think that is?

Thomas: “I think maybe there’s a theme. I think we’ve lost definitely too many games at home. There’s no doubt about that. This is a Newcastle team, a very experienced Newcastle team. They’ve been in various situations. They also know how to get out of situations like this, or whatever the situation they were in. Again, I think they were more on top in the first half. After, we’re coming back, equalising, 1-1. At that stage it’s an open game and that’s where we need to understand, yes, we need to do everything we can to win, but we can’t concede a goal like we conceded a goal.”

How disappointed are you with the attacking play and the lack of patterns of play?

Thomas: “I think the injuries need to be massively taken into consideration. I haven’t really said it too much, but everyone can see the impact of things.”

What was the reasoning behind Palhinha not starting?

Thomas: “I think you take decisions sometimes. but he did very well when he came on.”

How convinced are you that you are the right man for this job? Do you still have that belief?

Thomas: “1,000 per cent sure. I am also 1,000 per cent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing, but I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience. I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together. That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We only get through this together.”

Do you accept that if the club continue to get closer to the relegation zone, the manager is the only thing that can change at this stage…

Thomas: “I understand the mechanism in football, no doubt about that but there are a lot of studies that it is not the right thing to do. I know it’s the only movement they have, but there’s also plenty of situations where it’s not the right thing to do. The only thing I’ll focus on is fighting, doing the right thing together with everyone else.”

Is there panic around the club and the team around relegation?

Thomas: “Of course we understand we’re not in a good situation, but with everything in life you need to stay calm, keep doing it and keep going.”