Tottenham Hotspur are starting in the face of a genuine sense of crisis after that 4-1 defeat against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
It was a game where Thomas Frank went away to their city rivals with a back five tactic. And while it means that Tottenham wanted to avoid giving any space for Arsenal to attack, it looked more like a surrender on the pitch.
To put things into context, while the Lilywhites failed to register a shot on target in the first half, the hosts had already got a lead of two goals going into halftime. And by the time Tottenham could breathe coming into the second half, Eze had already increased that lead to three.
Jamie O’Hara lays into Frank for derby approach
And reflecting on the game today, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara tore into the Lilywhites head coach for the approach that he took in yesterday’s derby. He went on to insist how the visitors went to the Emirates to take a draw instead of trying to win the game. And O’Hara also went on to insist that the Dane head coach’s tactics against Arteta’s Gunners could have him sacked.
Speaking with Alan Brazil on TalkSPORT, O’Hara said:
“It’s like Thomas Frank’s lost belief that we can win a game of football by going after a team, because at the start of the season, Man City, alright we lost to PSG but it was a great performance, we were going after teams, we had energy, there was a bit of bite about us, a bit of steel in midfield.
“Now, we’ve completely gone away from that and we’re just sitting on the edge of our box and hoping we don’t get beat.
“You play a dangerous game. Thomas Frank, he could get sacked.”
Author Opinion
Let’s be honest, Tottenham under Thomas Frank have been nowhere near disastrous. It is just this lack of offensive problems that is a bit of a concern of late. Yes, that derby win was quite heavy, especially the manner of it, but we have seen enough and more from Frank to know that he can turn it around.
There have been talks on whether the Lilywhites’ wheels under Frank have been wobbling, given how his safety-first approach was exposed at Arsenal. But he can still fit it. Frank is not at the point of no return just yet. And that is where Spurs’ upcoming game against PSG comes into the picture.
When Tottenham faced the French giants back in the summer, it was the fact that they went on to push the European champions all the way that gave a lot of Lilywhites faithful this reason to believe in his project. But that optimism right now feels a long way off, and now he will have to build it from the get-go once again against the same opponents.
Do you think Tottenham Hotspur’s performance against Arsenal in the North London derby deserves sack questions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.