Tottenham teenager can unlock Thomas Frank’s midfield – Opinion

With Thomas Frank taking charge of the North Londoners, there will be a lot of revamping going on at Hotspur Way, and the first is the shift from Ange Postecoglou’s fast-paced positional approach towards the pragmatic structured approach that the Dane will likely implement at N17, and this is where a lot of roles of the current roster will likely change, and English sensation Archie Gray is one of the players that we are expecting will have a positional tweak post-summer.

Gray is just a teenager, but he has shown such depth of maturity not only at Leeds United but also since the Lilywhites secured his signature. If we are speaking about his role under Daniel Farke at Elland Road, Gray used to operate in a dual midfield cum right-back role, but we all know that his long-term trajectory has to be down the middle, where the game goes in front of him and he can use his ability and intelligence to read the game.

And with Thomas Frank expected to instil a model that is more structured (and especially flexible when it comes to midfield), this is where Archie Geay suddenly has that opportunity to become more than just a developmental investment at Hotspur Way. Suddenly young Archie becomes a pivot for tactical evolution that the North Londoners will undergo under the Dane head coach.

How will Archie Gray fit into Thomas Frank’s playing style in the midfield?

Gray can play as a right-sided #8 in a 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 where he will operate as a press-resistant presence who is more likely to be the connector. So here he kind of drops deep to receive from centre-backs in the first phases and plays between the lines when the North Londoners are in settled possession. Without the ball, he will be tasked with being part of the press from the front in Frank’s aggressive mid-block system (it’s mostly on triggers though).

The Leeds United academy graduate brings that calmness in high-traffic zones that Tottenham have lacked since Dembele. And he also has that mobility about him to play.

in these box-to-box roles where he is tasked with covering ground without losing tactical discipline.

You can also play him as a deep-lying playmaker in a double pivot given his ability to switch play with both feet, complemented by having that vertical passing ability (especially under pressure). He can also set out traps given his low centre of gravity.

Strengths

Given his tenacity and technical elegance, he can slot into multiple roles in the midfield quite easily. And his high football IQ brings a lot of understanding and intelligence into the middle of the park wherein he can aid creators as well as builders. He is also comfortable receiving in tight spaces.

Weaknesses

He is still physically maturing and needs that consistency of position in first-team football. Moreover, there are a lot of expectations that people have placed on him (both at Leeds and at Tottenham), so he could be overburdened with those.

How does having Gray in the midfield benefit other mids?

His defensive awareness allows Bentancur to push forward more freely, while Gray can also dictate the tempo and rhythm behind Maddison when the former Foxes midfielder is placed rather higher. He can also be a rotation partner or double pivot for Pape Matar Sarr.

The thing is that having Gray in the middle of the park allows Frank to shift between a 4-3-3 and 3-box-3 fluidly, especially with inverted full-backs or a hybrid midfield three like he had at Brentford.

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Author Opinion

Archie Gray brings that sense of organisation and stability in the middle of the park, and given his intelligence, he can fit perfectly into Thomas Frank’s principles in the midfield.