Spurs boss Frank can take some encouragement from PSG defeat
Frank’s formation moved away from the five-man defense that sparked so much anger against Arsenal and went with a traditional back four, guarded by Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray. He paired Richarlison and Kolo Muani up front to good effect.
It has also been suggested that Frank may have an eye on Saturday night’s crucial home game against Fulham, with Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons all sitting out.
But Spurs were no worse off in this regard until they fell short of PSG’s quality; Frank’s selection took possession of the ball tirelessly, using the man-to-man strategy that Luis Enrique’s team had initially struggled to cope with, taking the field in a manner that seemed foreign to them at Arsenal.
Spurs were pressing high and looking to win the ball back with a real competitive advantage. Despite the bitter outcome, this at least looked like a Thomas Frank team.
Frank was furious at his side’s lack of aggression from Arsenal and visibly winced as he said they had won just 17 of 53 duels and second-ball situations.
Commitment cannot be questioned here, but Spurs were always ruined by momentary errors that risked the eventual penalty against PSG.
Frank said: “I’m very pleased with my performance. It was mostly due to the team’s identity, courage and aggressiveness.”
“There were a lot of positives, two strikers scoring three goals between them, the whole team performing really well. The performance was about getting something out of the game but then you have to have the margins on your side, but we can’t accept some of the goals we conceded.”
Spurs looked to have taken a deserved 1-0 lead at half-time, but after a set-piece the game was shut down and the brilliant Vitinha was allowed to equalise.
It happened again when Pape Matar Sarr carelessly released the ball just before the end of the game to make it 2-2, and the mistake ended with Fabian Ruiz putting PSG ahead for the first time.
Vitinha, a star player in PSG’s Champions League win, was the decisive player with two stunning strikes, one with his right foot and the other with his left, that erased Spurs’ lead.
Frank said: “Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world. He will be the next Ballon d’Or winner.”
PSG eventually proved themselves too good, but Spurs have also gone some way to answering legitimate criticism about their lack of threat; Richarlison and Kolo Muani provided three goals between them.
It was a good night for Kolo Muani, who saw his attempt at a coup at Spurs sidelined by a dead leg and a broken jaw, restricting him to just four starts and 345 minutes of action before this game.
Former Spurs and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What I will say is, Tottenham had a different attitude. Their application, their work rate, their pressure, they started higher up the pitch. “There was more to be positive about.
“Unlike the weekend, Frank is able to point out things that are going wrong, rather than scratching his head and thinking he doesn’t know his team.”
The scene now shifts to the vital home game against Fulham; Here Frank must once again convince his critics that he has foundations on which to build.
