I chose not to write an assessment of the Arsenal match. It was so bad that, from a performance perspective, you have to consider it rock bottom, especially at a time when our bitterest rivals are stronger than I ever can remember them. Not necessarily in quality, although they are incredibly efficient at what they do, but their squad depth is by far the strongest in the Premier League, and possibly in Europe.
I've read other people's comments bemoaning that it was only three short years ago when Antonio Conte's Spurs bullied Arsenal to take 4th place and secure Champions League football at their expense. It actually feels like a generation ago! Since then, even with Spurs' Europa League triumph and Arsenal just coming up short for the big prizes season after season, the shift in momentum has been huge, and it doesn't require a genius to work out why. Kane and Son papered over the cracks of long-term underinvestment and decline, while Arsenal continued to invest and strengthen. When Spurs pocketed £100m for Harry Kane (and squandered it), Arsenal were spending £100m on Declan Rice. This has continued over the past couple of years, with Son leaving and not being adequately replaced, while Eze (I won't mention him again) brutally showed us what we missed out on due to the previous chairman's ineptitude in the transfer market.
January's transfer window will be the most eagerly anticipated in the club's recent history. Ticket sales are falling, partially due to the economy, and also due to Son's departure and the fan base that went with him. But the wretched home form (which began before Frank's arrival) and the turgid performances with no evident attacking strategy have taken all enthusiasm away, especially when the ticket prices are so high. Hopefully, in order to get the fans on side with the new leadership, genuine quality will be added in January. But if results (and performances) continue along the same lines, Thomas Frank may have already lost the fans' support by then, and we all know what comes next when that happens.
Wednesday's eight-goal thriller in Paris, where Spurs finally showed some attacking prowess, posed some interesting questions. Were it not for some basic errors along with some brilliant individual quality, the result could have been very different. Playing four central midfielders in a diamond, with three of them young, athletic, and willing to break lines was like a breath of fresh air after months of smog. Richarlison looked a different player with someone alongside him, and at the same time Kolo Muani got his first two goals for the club and laid on another for his strike partner.
Had Spurs got a result against Arsenal, or even an honourable defeat, it is unlikely that Thomas Frank would have made such a drastic change. Until then, apart from the occasional back five, changes were usually to personnel rather than systems. But, set pieces aside, creativity has been almost non existent. We have played just four through balls all season! Bottom of the through-ball table. Set-piece kings Arsenal have played 40, and sit at the top.
After a bright start Kudus has faded recently, partly due to injury. Odobert flatters to deceive. Tel hardly features at all. Johnson is Johnson. And Xavi Simons, the star player we got instead of the person I promised not to mention again, has us clutching at straws to point out tiny moments of skill because we're still unwilling (on the outside) to face the fact that he has been really disappointing up to now. Kudus aside, all the other players in this paragraph are too easily bullied off the ball, and with a static Richarlison on his own up front waiting for service, that is not exactly the recipe for a goal fest.
If you're going to play one up front they need to be able to hold the ball up and bring others into play. Your wide attackers need to be scoring and assisting on a regular basis. Your number ten should be pulling the strings. None of that is happening. Muani will hopefully kickstart his Spurs career after his double, and Solanke and Kulusevski will hopefully return soon, but for now the system doesn't have good enough players to play it. We looked a different side going forward with two up top, and no wingers failing, or not even trying, to beat their full back. And PSG are not like most teams. If we can cause them problems, then shouldn't this be the way forward for now? I really hope it is.
This system has a real flexibility to it. You could swap Bentancur for Palhinha. You could play neither of them, put Gray at the base and put Kudus or Simons at the tip. You could go with Spence and Udogie down the flanks and have a team full of energy and running power. Having at least two in the box at any given time makes such a difference, and there are two outlets to aim for when you need to clear your lines. Some defensive stability will be lost, but our defenders are supposedly our best players. It's the attackers that need more help.
So... the question is... what will Thomas Frank do against Fulham? This is his first team selection that I'm genuinely intrigued by. PSG was basically a free hit, but back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with only one PL win so far against Burnley on opening day, and after a dismal showing against Arsenal last weekend, the pressure is on. Romero is suspended, so playing out from the back will be tricky. If Fulham have done their homework they'll press van de Ven and leave Danso spare, as Maresca did brilliantly when Chelsea dominated us, so the better option is probably to go with two up top and be more direct with runners from midfield. Will he risk it? Or will we see a similar line up to previous league matches, with Gray, Bergvall and Sarr warming the bench? We don't have to wait very long to find out.
