Thomas Frank sends a defiant message amidst Tottenham Hotspur struggles
Despite a slight dip in form in recent weeks, Thomas Frank’s Tottenham have made a promising start to the new campaign. The Lilywhites have won four of their opening eight Premier League matches, placing them seventh in the table and just two points behind the top four. They are also unbeaten in Europe, having collected five points from their opening three Champions League fixtures.
The only concerning aspect of their season so far has been the pragmatic approach adopted by the Danish tactician. The North London club have repeatedly dropped crucial points against weaker opponents by showing them too much respect. Frank’s men have often chosen to sit back rather than take control of matches, and that cautious mindset has already proven costly.
The performances against AS Monaco and Aston Villa clearly highlighted Tottenham’s reluctance to play on the front foot and push for a decisive result. The Lilywhites were slow in their build-up play and appeared more focused on defending than attacking. Such an approach could hurt the club in the long run, and that is something Thomas Frank will want to avoid if he hopes to see his side competing on all fronts this season.
Thomas Frank remaining optimistic despite negative results in recent games
Tottenham have already dropped points against Bournemouth, Wolves, Brighton, and Aston Villa in the Premier League. In an ideal scenario, these are the games that the Lilywhites should win comfortable if they are aiming to close the gap on their rivals this season. Similarly, the performances against Bodo/Glimt and AS Monaco in the Champions League have done little to inspire confidence, with the team seemingly content to settle for draws instead of pushing for victory.
However, Thomas Frank sees things differently and believes his side’s performances have been largely positive. Speaking in his pre-match presser (via Beanyman Sports), Frank said,
“I think if we look at the performances in the games we’ve played so far, 13, I think it’s been one bad game against Bournemouth, there’s been a bad second half against Wolves and a bad second half against Monaco. I think the rest have been good, or good plus, or very good.”
Frank acknowledged that his team were poor against Bournemouth, where they suffered their first defeat of the season. However, the Danish tactician remains convinced that Tottenham have performed well in most matches this season, barring a few inconsistent halves against Wolves and AS Monaco.
On paper, Frank’s claim holds some truth, as the North Londoners have managed to pick up results in most of their games. Yet, it is also evident that Tottenham still have some glaring issues that must be addressed if they are to compete seriously on all fronts this season. The responsibility now lies with the Danish tactician to steady the ship and guide his team through a challenging run of fixtures leading up to the busy festive period.
