NOT MANY EXPECTED THOMAS FRANK TO MAKE SUCH A POSITIVE START TO LIFE AT TOTTENHAM. THE LILYWHITES WERE COMING OFF ONE OF THEIR WORST-EVER PREMIER LEAGUE CAMPAIGNS, FINISHING JUST A PLACE ABOVE THE RELEGATION ZONE LAST SEASON. DURING THAT DISMAL RUN, THEY SUFFERED 22 LEAGUE DEFEATS, WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO THE DISMISSAL OF ANGE POSTECOGLOU IN THE SUMMER.
UNDER THE DANISH TACTICIAN, HOWEVER, TOTTENHAM APPEAR TO HAVE REDISCOVERED A SENSE OF STRUCTURE AND IDENTITY. THE NORTH LONDON CLUB HAVE BECOME FAR MORE COMPACT AND DEFENSIVELY RESOLUTE, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO BREAK DOWN. YET, WHILE THE IMPROVEMENT AT THE BACK HAS BEEN NOTABLE, FRANK’S PRAGMATIC APPROACH HAS DIVIDED OPINION AMONG SUPPORTERS.
FOR FANS ACCUSTOMED TO THE FREE-FLOWING, ATTACKING FOOTBALL OF THE POSTECOGLOU ERA, THE SHIFT TO A MORE PATIENT, CALCULATED STYLE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO DIGEST. THE DANE’S ‘DEFEND-FIRST’ PHILOSOPHY HAS YIELDED RESULTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THIS SEASON, BUT IT HAS ALSO COST THE LILYWHITES CRUCIAL POINTS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
THOMAS FRANK WANTS TOTTENHAM TO DOMINATE GAMES MORE
TOTTENHAM’S HOME RESULTS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE THIS SEASON HAVE BEEN A PARTICULAR CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THE LILYWHITES HAVE STRUGGLED TO ASSERT DOMINANCE AT N17, OFTEN ALLOWING VISITING TEAMS TO HAVE TOO MUCH CONTROL OF THE GAME. DISAPPOINTING RESULTS AGAINST WOLVES, ASTON VILLA, AND BOURNEMOUTH HAVE LEFT SUPPORTERS FRUSTRATED, AS SPURS HAVE FAILED TO CAPITALISE ON HOME ADVANTAGE AGAINST TEAMS THEY WERE EXPECTED TO BEAT COMFORTABLY.
DESPITE A GREAT START AT HOTSPUR WAY, THOMAS FRANK WANTS HIS TEAM TO CHANGE THEIR APPROACH TOWARDS GAMES AND DOMINATE POSSESSION CONSISTENTLY. SPEAKING TO SKY SPORTS, FRANK SAID, “I SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, WE LIKE TO COMPETE IN ALL TOURNAMENTS. I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP BUILDING, AND NEED TO KEEP ADDING LAYERS. IT’S BEEN A GREAT START. I CAN SEE A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO IMPROVE.”
AS WE ALL KNOW, FRANK WANTS HIS TEAM TO COMPETE ON ALL FRONTS THIS SEASON. HOWEVER, THE DANISH TACTICIAN ADMITS THAT THERE ARE STILL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE RECTIFIED BEFORE THEY CAN START THINKING ABOUT BUILDING ON LAST SEASON’S EUROPA LEAGUE SUCCESS. THE SPURS BOSS WANTS HIS TEAM TO DOMINATE MORE AND PLAY ON THE FRONT FOOT SO THAT THEY CAN CARVE OUT POSITIVE RESULTS CONSISTENTLY.
AFTER THE HOME LOSS TO ASTON VILLA IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE LAST WEEKEND, SPURS NOW HAVE THE CHANCE TO MAKE AMENDS IMMEDIATELY AS THEY TAKE ON AS MONACO IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. THE LILYWHITES HAVE SIX GAMES IN THE NEXT SIXTEEN DAYS, AND FRANK WILL NEED HIS TEAM TO BE FRESH AND READY TO BOUNCE BACK SO THAT THEY CAN GO ON A GOOD RUN OF FORM BEFORE THE NOVEMBER INTERNATIONAL BREAK.
