Tottenham boss Thomas Frank makes interesting admission on how he wants to use Mathys Tel this season
Mathys Tel has seemingly fallen out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.
The Sarcelles-born talent joined Spurs from Bayern Munich only in January, initially on loan – for which the north London club paid a fee of £8.7m. They paid a further £30m to make the deal permanent when the transfer window opened in June. Being left out of the Champions League squad raised further eyebrows surrounding the decision to make his loan deal permanent.
This shows the rough start Mathys Tel has had after returning to Tottenham. The forward has found himself largely on the periphery, starting just once so far this season. He was an unused substitute in Tottenham’s spirited 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, with Thomas Frank preferring the likes of Xavi Simons and Brennan Johnson ahead of the Frenchman in attack.
Thomas Frank makes interesting admission on Mathys Tel’s position
Frank has preferred using Tel down the middle as a No.9- just like his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, did during the second half of last season. A left-winger by trade, the France youth international has actually struggled to lead the Spurs attack in the opportunities he’s got. A combination of lack of physicality and experience has seen him find it difficult to offer his team a focal point, much to the manager’s frustration.
Frank was addressing the media on Tuesday ahead of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup third-round clash against Doncaster Rovers. During the pre-match presser, the Dane was asked whether he is eager to try him on the left flank having mainly played him down the middle this term. The Tottenham boss stated (h/t Football London):
“Yeah, I would say he plays all his games for the French Under-21s down the middle, he played for us down the middle. I’m definitely aware that he can play to the side as well, also to the left and maybe that is his best position.
“Maybe, I would like to say, so that’s definitely something I have in mind to use as well. It’s always that you need to juggle everything. There’s a few players also quite good down the left! And that’s not that they maybe are better than Mathys, it can just be how do you construct a team.”
Tel expected to start vs Doncaster?
Spurs have looked quite good in the Premier League, having won three, drawn one and lost one of their opening five fixtures, a run that sees them sit third in the Premier League table. The Lilywhites begin their League Cup campaign by hosting Doncaster in midweek, a game where Frank will look to rotate his squad and gives minutes to players on the fringes.
Tel is likely to get a start against the League One opposition, and he will be fresh after being an unused substitute at Brighton. Against Grant McCann’s side, the forward has an opportunity to prove his detractors wrong. It also gives the Frenchman the platform to score and boost his confidence, whilst giving Frank some food for thought when selecting his side against Wolves at the weekend.