Spurs' transformation under Thomas Frank has taken an extreme turn. The change from "Angeball" to a more defensive-minded style, marked by a switch to a back five, has been met with mixed reactions. While some fans appreciate the tactical approach, others worry that it's going too far in the other direction.
The team's performance against Arsenal was particularly underwhelming, with Spurs struggling to contain their opponents despite Frank's attempts to tighten up the defense. The result was Tottenham's fourth defeat of the season and left them ninth in the Premier League table, a position they might not be proud of considering the talent at their disposal.
Gary Neville's comments on Sky Sports have been echoed by fans, who worry that Spurs' style change may have become too conservative. The team is now pressing much less than they were last season, registering fewer high turnovers and pressed sequences as they sit deeper. This approach has resulted in an alarming lack of creativity and goal threat.
One area where Spurs are struggling is in midfield. The team's expected goal total for the season has dropped to 11.16, with only four teams having attempted fewer shots than them. This is a stark contrast to their record-breaking overperformance last season. While central midfielder Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur have shown moments of physicality and defensive solidity, they are struggling to provide service for attacking players like Xavi Simons.
Spurs' recruitment has been criticized, with Eze's departure from the club a painful reminder of what they're missing. The 22-year-old's numbers are down across the board at Spurs, and his struggles on the ball have become a major issue. Meanwhile, injuries to key players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have further weakened the squad.
Despite Frank's efforts to keep his team fresh with frequent line-up changes, the results suggest that this policy may not be working as intended. With only a few months into the job, Frank has work to do to show his style can bring success to the club. Sunday's bruising defeat to Arsenal has left many Spurs fans questioning whether Frank's approach is on the right track.
One thing is certain – Spurs need to find a balance between defense and attack. The team cannot continue to rely on their overperformance from last season, nor can they afford to go too far in the opposite direction. With some of their key players returning from injury, there's still hope that Frank can get his squad firing on all cylinders. But for now, it remains to be seen whether Spurs' transformation under Frank will ultimately bring success or further disappointment.
The team's performance against Arsenal was particularly underwhelming, with Spurs struggling to contain their opponents despite Frank's attempts to tighten up the defense. The result was Tottenham's fourth defeat of the season and left them ninth in the Premier League table, a position they might not be proud of considering the talent at their disposal.
Gary Neville's comments on Sky Sports have been echoed by fans, who worry that Spurs' style change may have become too conservative. The team is now pressing much less than they were last season, registering fewer high turnovers and pressed sequences as they sit deeper. This approach has resulted in an alarming lack of creativity and goal threat.
One area where Spurs are struggling is in midfield. The team's expected goal total for the season has dropped to 11.16, with only four teams having attempted fewer shots than them. This is a stark contrast to their record-breaking overperformance last season. While central midfielder Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur have shown moments of physicality and defensive solidity, they are struggling to provide service for attacking players like Xavi Simons.
Spurs' recruitment has been criticized, with Eze's departure from the club a painful reminder of what they're missing. The 22-year-old's numbers are down across the board at Spurs, and his struggles on the ball have become a major issue. Meanwhile, injuries to key players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have further weakened the squad.
Despite Frank's efforts to keep his team fresh with frequent line-up changes, the results suggest that this policy may not be working as intended. With only a few months into the job, Frank has work to do to show his style can bring success to the club. Sunday's bruising defeat to Arsenal has left many Spurs fans questioning whether Frank's approach is on the right track.
One thing is certain – Spurs need to find a balance between defense and attack. The team cannot continue to rely on their overperformance from last season, nor can they afford to go too far in the opposite direction. With some of their key players returning from injury, there's still hope that Frank can get his squad firing on all cylinders. But for now, it remains to be seen whether Spurs' transformation under Frank will ultimately bring success or further disappointment.
I'm not sure what's going on with Spurs right now, but they just seem so... cautious? They're not taking enough risks and it's showing in their performance. I mean, you can't go 11 games without scoring more than a handful of goals! 
And don't even get me started on midfield - Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur are solid defenders, but they're just not creating anything for the attacking guys.
But it needs to start happening soon! 
. their tactics are too defensive and it's stifling their creativity on the pitch. they need to find that sweet spot between protecting their defense and creating scoring opportunities. i'm not surprised at all by their performance against arsenal, it was like they were sleepwalking on the pitch 
.
. joao palhinha and rodrigo bentancur are decent players but they're not providing enough service for their attacking teammates. and don't even get me started on eze's departure - that was a huge blow to the team 
.
. sunday's defeat to arsenal was a wake-up call for spurs fans, but hopefully frank will learn from his mistakes and get the team back on track 
.
but this spurs stuff is just crazy. i mean theyre a top team in the prem and they cant even beat arsenal? its like theyre playing with 10 men out there 
maybe frank should think about going back to 4-3-3 or something like that? idk, just a thought 
maybe frank needs to rethink his strategy or somethin? 
. They're not creating enough chances and it's killing their attack. I know they had some issues with injuries last season, but this is a different story altogether. They need to find some balance between defense and offense, maybe try out a few different tactics, you know? It can't be that hard to make adjustments mid-season 
, he's right, Spurs need to go back to their attacking roots if they want to succeed. And what's up with all these injuries? It's like they're cursed or something 
. I hope Thomas Frank can turn it around, but so far, not looking good 
Spurs are getting destroyed by teams that aren't even trying 
️ What happened to the Xavi Simons we all loved? 
And don't even get me started on Eze, I miss him so much 
. And don't even get me started on midfield, it's a disaster! They need to find a balance between defense and attack, 'cause right now it's just not flyin' 
. They had some amazin' talent last season, and it's just not showin' up on the pitch right now 
. But for now, Spurs fans are stuck watchin' a team that's just not quite clickin' 
.
I'm totally with Gary Neville on this one... Spurs are going too defensive, it's like they're playing with 10 men out there 
! They used to be so creative and exciting, now it feels like they're just trying to survive rather than attack. And don't even get me started on the midfield - it's like they've lost their spark 
. I know Frank wants to improve defense, but can't he find a way to make them more dynamic without sacrificing that creativity? 
. I'm curious to see how Spurs respond when some of their key players come back from injury, will they be able to find that balance between defense and attack? 
. Team's xG (expected goals) is down by 27% compared to last season, which is insane! 
Most shocking stat: Spurs have scored 0.85 xG per 90 minutes, lowest in the league 
.
.
. It's time for Thomas Frank to find that sweet spot between defense and attack 
.
. It's not all doom and gloom, there's still hope that Frank can turn things around, but it's going to take some serious adjustments if they want to get back on track 
. The team's performance against Arsenal was a major concern 
️, with Spurs struggling to contain their opponents despite Frank's efforts to tighten up the defense 
.
. The squad needs some fresh blood, ASAP 
. Eze's departure was a major blow 
. And their passing accuracy is at just 75.2%, which is a far cry from the 80s they had last year 