Tottenham are looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Fulham in the Premier League
Tottenham’s performance against PSG in the Champions League highlighted the inconsistencies that still exist at N17 under Thomas Frank. The Lilywhites were excellent for large spells of the match against the French giants, frequently taking the game to them and playing aggressive, attacking football. They even managed to take the lead on two separate occasions against Luis Enrique’s side, but their own defensive sloppiness ultimately cost them the chance to take anything from the match.
There were plenty of positives to take from the display in Paris, even if the North Londoners ended up conceding five goals. It appeared that Thomas Frank did learn from his mistakes after Spurs were comprehensively outplayed by Arsenal just a few days earlier. The Gunners comfortably swept aside the Lilywhites in all areas without ever needing to shift into a higher gear.
So to go from that performance to dominating large parts of a match against the reigning Champions League winners in such a short span of time is a testament to Frank’s tactical flexibility and willingness to adapt. The responsibility now lies with the Danish tactician to show the same proactive approach when Spurs host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham must secure all three points against Fulham
Tottenham will now aim to turn their Premier League form around and find a way to secure all three points against Fulham. Their home record in the league has been disappointing, with just one win in their last six matches at N17. It is essential that Frank sets up his team to play on the front foot, take the game to the Cottagers, and put them under pressure from the very start.
When asked how he is preparing for the challenge against Fulham, and whether it is a must-win match for the North Londoners, Frank offered a straightforward response. Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Tottenham Hotspur), he said,
“Unfortunately, I think the stats are not 100% sure that we will win the game. That’s the beauty of it. I’m very aware that a top performance and a win will be very, very helpful, but I go into every game believing we’ll win. I go into every game believing we have prepared well and we’ll do a top performance.”
The Spurs boss added,
“What I can affect is that I need to make sure that we’re well prepared. I need to make sure that we pick the best possible team with the best possible opportunity to win the game. I need to make sure we are in the perfect state of mind and we come flying out.”
Frank acknowledges that few are backing his team to earn all three points against Fulham, but he wants his players to prepare well and truly believe they can come out on top. The Spurs boss has promised to select the strongest possible team, adding that his players will be ready to fly out of the blocks and play on the front foot to turn their league form around.
The time has now come for Frank to back up his words and prove he is the right man to lead the club forward. Failure to secure a positive result against Fulham will put his position under serious scrutiny and open the door to further criticism. The North Londoners must win on Saturday if they are to close the gap on their rivals and maintain their push for European football this season.