I've waited a little while before giving my first opinions on Thomas Frank's Tottenham as I thought it only fair to give him a bit of time to get his ideas across, especially with the usual transfer window failures (not that these ones were 'usual' failures), and the inevitable fourth or fifth choices that we invariably end up with at the end of the window, which plug some gaps with high-ceilinged potential while losing the consistent delivery of the world-class player that we've lost, and always leave us frustratingly short of either quality or quantity in a couple of positions.
Hopefully, and it's hard to say that with any genuine confidence after 25 years of nearlys and almosts (for trophies, but even more so for world-class players we 'tried' to sign) until last season's Europa League win, dragged-out transfer dealings that initially excite us, until the realisation hits that they've gone on too long and something is wrong, will be a thing of the past now that we're under new leadership at board level.
That's all I'll say about Mr Levy, as I'd rather talk about the present and the future. He leaves behind an incredible infrastructure, both aesthetically and financially, and a fantastic opportunity to kick on from here.
My initial observation of Thomas Frank's Tottenham is hardly groundbreaking. He's made us difficult to beat. Probably a good place to start, as last season we were very easy to beat! Even when Bournemouth totally dominated us and deservedly took the three points, we only lost 1-0, giving us a chance of salvaging something from the game right until the final whistle. Against Wolves we did salvage a point right at the end, and the goal we conceded was entirely of our own doing and shouldn't have happened (I'll come back to that), but for the most part it was our long-standing issue of failing to overcome a low block, along with Simons – our aforementioned 'high-ceilinged potential' number 10 – having an absolute stinker, rather than defensive issues, being the reason that we failed to get the three points.
The position that we had failed to adequately fill for the longest period of time is the number six role. Not since Dembélé did we have a secure presence in front of the back four, and even more so when he had Wanyama alongside him. Fulham connection aside, Palhinha and Dembélé are not particularly comparable as players. Many have said that Dembélé was the best player they'd ever played with, or against. You won't hear comments like that about Palhinha, but you will see him at the top or near the top of all the stats that you want to see from a defensive midfielder, plus he's already chipped in with three important goals. Dembélé, one of my favourite players to ever wear the shirt, scored 10 in 250 games, but goals were less of a priority for him with Kane, Son, Eriksen and Dele at the top of their game.
If you want to be hard to beat, a top number six is so important. Rodri, Rice, Gravenberch and Caicedo are all elite, and look where those teams finished in the PL last season. I know Rodri is back from a long-term injury and still isn't back to his best, but before that he won the Ballon D'or. Players like these, that drag their team over the line when they're not at their best, are hard to get, and usually very expensive. We now have one of those players. Different, but same. And that's why we're now hard to beat. We also can't ignore the abandonment of the suicidal high line, a fully fit back 5 (for now), and a much bigger emphasis on set pieces, although this seems to have stagnated over the last few games, predominantly from an attacking perspective.
The Villareal match was the first time I noticed it, as they dealt with our corners and long throws better than any PL side had done up to that point, and since then the trend has continued. We're still going through the motions, but we're not winning the headers or second balls anymore. I put this down to the period we are now in of match-recover-plan for the next match... and so on, with no real chance to work on things on the training ground. We need that edge back, and quickly, as our attacking threats in open play are nowhere near the level of our rivals at the moment. Seeing how Arsenal turned the match around yesterday, and how many they've scored from corners over the past couple of seasons, should be a clear example of how important it is to be a threat from set pieces.
I'm sure that Thomas Frank has noticed this. I've been impressed by most of his interviews so far. He's been honest and insightful. None of the: 'It's who we are mate'. That really wound me up.
I will be forever grateful to Ange for winning that trophy, but I will also be forever grateful that he's gone. Again, I don't want to dwell too much on the past (not in this article anyway), but I will focus on the present, as something Ange said the other day really got my goat. He said that long throws aren't football, and he'll stick to trying to score beautiful goals. I guess corners and free kicks aren't football either then, as he also paid precious little attention to those while he was our manager. Purist or not, set pieces are a huge part of football, and are often the difference (at both ends) between winning and losing a football match. We all want to see the goals that involve every outfield player, or the 25-yard screamer into the top corner, but they are rare moments of poetry, and not the norm. You may get short-term success from a 'Plan A' manager if the stars align. If your first XI stays fit and you have the right players to fit your system, or if you're in a non-competitive league where the collective outweighs the quality of the individual (which the PL definitely isn't), but I think it's a fad that will disappear from the PL sooner rather than later, especially if Ruben Amorim's results don't improve over the next few months, or even weeks. I question the decision to send Mikey Moore to play under another one-trick pony at Rangers, as that isn't exactly going well at the moment, but we'll see how it pans out, as Russell Martin may also be gone soon unless results drastically improve.
Spurs have lost 70+ GI from their team of last season, a season where we finished 17th. Son has gone, Maddison's out for the season, and Kulusevski until the new year. Add Solanke to that for the time being, and Brennan Johnson, limited as he is, is no longer a regular starter at the moment. And the season before that we lost Kane, possibly our greatest-ever player, and a guaranteed 40+ GI per season. We are seriously lacking in goals and creativity compared to our rivals. Our attacking prowess will hopefully improve as Solanke and Kolo Muani get added to the mix, and players like Kudus and Simons get more of an understanding of their teammates. But I think it's a genuine concern that players who guaranteed output have been replaced by players that may be good, or may have a high ceiling, but have never come close to the numbers that their predecessors provided. Kane and Son were generational, and all eras come to an end, but we have no idea who our first choice should be on the left, despite multiple options in Tel, Odobert, Johnson, Simons, etc. Son, free of being chained to the left touchline under Ange (Grrr), would probably have thrived this season, even if he's lost a bit of pace. Kudus has made an impressive start on the right, and is clearly a quality player with great dribbling skills, which is something we've sorely lacked since Son was in his pomp, but what will his output be in a front three? I'm looking forward to finding out. It's possible that when Kulusevski returns, Kudus may end up our best option on the left, especially when Spence is playing at LB. When everyone is fit (if that ever happens) we aren't spoilt for choice, but we will have lots of choices. We lack a real superstar at the top end of the pitch, although we have a few at the back, and we have plenty of young talent that will only get better under this manager, but I don't see that potential (yet) in our forward line, and this may need to be addressed in January. We didn't get Savinho, another quality dribbler and ball carrier, but again, not a replacement for Son in potential goals and assists, and it looks like he's now signing a new deal anyway. Another reason why becoming hard to beat had to be the first priority. Hang onto our best defenders, sign Palhinha permanently, with Gray being groomed as his successor, and we have a platform to build on. Add a bit of stardust and we won't be far away.
I love to play tennis. Since I got too old and battle scarred to play football, tennis has become my biggest passion. Like in football, and sometimes like life, you can make a mistake, lose a point (or a goal) and spend part of the game, or sometimes all of it, affected by the mistake you made. You can try too hard to make up for it, and make irrational decisions that you wouldn't usually make, and the knock-on effects only makes things worse. In tennis, unless that point is match point, you can usually turn things around with the right mentality. In football, and in life, a lot more depends on the what and the when. A needless red card and you're out of the game. A missed penalty in a shootout and you've lost the World Cup. One mistake or bad decision could negatively impact your life forever. But mistakes early on, whether in a football match or in life, can be rectified, learned from so that they are never repeated, and turned into a positive, as everybody makes mistakes, and it's usually the mistakes that help you evolve into a better player or a better person. For me, the book 'The Inner Game of Tennis' made a massive difference... to my tennis, although it is also just as valid for other sports and, indeed, life. It enables you to subdue that nagging voice in your head that pipes up when you make a mistake, criticising you and telling you that you're not good enough. Yes, you made a mistake, but you knew what the right thing to do was, and you'll do that next time. Billie Jean King swore by that book, and she was one of the most successful female tennis players of all time. It has also been endorsed by many successful people in the worlds of business and entertainment.
You may wonder where I'm going with this. Well, if I knew him, I would give a copy to Cristian Romero. And, if I cared about Newcastle, I'd also give a copy to Nick Pope. Incidents involving both players made me think about it last weekend.
I mentioned earlier that the goal we conceded against Wolves could have been avoided. Yes, Vicario could maybe have done a bit better, and yes, the deflection off Palhinha was unfortunate, but none of it should have ever happened. It happened because Cristian Romero, frustrated by the 0-0 scoreline, went rogue and ventured forward, trying to force the issue. It's right that he should be able to do that. He's one of the best CBs in the world in possession, and his ability on the ball is a huge asset for us. That pass to Bergvall at West Ham and his subsequent looping header was an amazing goal, and there are few centre backs with that passing range. But... once possession was lost he should have got back into position. Instead, like a headless chicken, he continued forward, fruitlessly chasing down a backpass, and they broke on us, attacking the space he left behind. Bentancur covered and chased back, heading the ball out for a corner, from which they scored. I know it's nitpicking, but there are so many moments in football where one innocuous mistake leads to another, as the mentally changes, which is why I referenced the book. Mosquera's shank for a corner on Sunday led to the Woltemade headed goal. He could have easily knocked it out for a throw, but tried a backpass on his weaker foot. He'll learn.
Nick Pope was on the way to a worldie on Sunday. As a Spurs fan, I was rooting for him, and he made some incredible saves, mostly from Eze. Newcastle managed to hold onto their lead until the 84th minute, and Pope had absolutely no chance with Merino's header. But, at 1-1, with Arsenal pushing hard for a winner, instead of slowing things down and getting everyone back into position once he'd taken possession of the ball, he attempted a quick pass to Elanga, who was breaking down the right. Again, it's absolutely fine for him to do that, although in this case I would question the sensibility of the decision when you take into account the way the game was going, and the fact that he's not exactly known for his ability to make 60-yard passes. But... possession was lost and Arsenal quickly won another corner. Again, a knock-on effect. The ball comes in and Pope tries to rectify his mistake, wading into a group of players and getting nowhere near the ball, while stopping his defenders from getting a proper jump, and Gabriel scores the winner unchallenged. It's all connected...
