Tottenham’s short-lived unbeaten run under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt halt last Sunday at home to Aston Villa, with pundit Gary Lineker expressing concern about one of their star players in a key role.
Tottenham’s lack of creativity is a concern for Thomas Frank
Spurs got off to a great start against Villa, with recently signed midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur opening the scoring in the fifth minute, fending off a knockback from midfield partner Joao Parinha to give Spurs the lead.
But it was a good thing for Frank.
Tottenham were unconvincing throughout the match and ultimately paid the price against a well-organized Villa team. Summer signing Xavi Simmons was criticized for lacking a spark of creativity at Spurs.
From the offset, the Lilywhites found it difficult to create clear chances. Tottenham’s forwards lacked the sharpness to create anything of note on the counter-attack, especially when either Palinha or Bentancur won the ball from Villa.
Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa – Player of the match | match rating |
|---|---|
Joan Parinha | 7.8 |
boubacar camera | 7.5 |
Emiliano Buendia | 7.5 |
Rodrigo Bentancur | 7.4 |
morgan rogers | 7.1 |
via scorer | |
In the end, Frank’s midfield was unable to provide the necessary service to Spurs’ frontline, and Spurs lacked quality opportunities.
The North Londoners fought for a 2-1 win away at Leeds before the international break, but there were big signs up front that Tottenham needed improvement in attack.
They were extremely lucky to pick up a final draw against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt before heading to Elland Road, but Spurs’ luck ran out against Villa, who took all three points in N17 thanks to Emiliano Buendia’s incredible goal.
Especially after Tottenham’s loss to Villa, the lack of momentum in the final third is starting to become a big concern, if it wasn’t already the case.
There have been concerns about Richarlison’s ability to lead the backline, while Dominic Solanke’s unfortunate ankle injury that required minor surgery has limited the England international to just 49 minutes this season.
With Simmons still gaining speed, Frank will be severely lacking the offensive power of Dejan Kulusevski and James Madison. Kulusevski has not featured since sustaining a knee injury against Crystal Palace last season and the player will be hoping to return as soon as possible.
Tottenham face a tough battle against AS Monaco in the upcoming Champions League, but Frank will have to make an important decision on who will start up front if Solanke is not fit enough to make his long-awaited return.
Gary Lineker says Matthijs Tell doesn’t get the basics right in his role as Tottenham striker
If Solanke proves unable to start against Monaco, Spurs could once again use Matthijs Tell as their number nine.
Tell was selected by Frank for the games against Leeds and Villa and opened the scoring at Elland Road, but was largely isolated and helpless against Unai Emery’s side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Frenchman, who was once hinted by coach Julian Nagelsmann that he would eventually hit 40 goals a season, may still have some time to fulfill that prediction, but Lineker has revealed one major flaw in his game.
Lineker said on this week’s Rest is Football podcast (via GiveMeSport) that Tell doesn’t get the basics right in his role as Tottenham’s striker, lacking the natural running in behind to beat the offside trap.
“Seeing him play there, he probably preferred playing on the left side,” Lineker said.
“But certainly he didn’t have the natural running of a striker who understands how to beat the offside trap. When a team plays on a high line without putting pressure on the ball, it’s not that difficult.”
Ange Postecoglou played a key role in convincing the 20-year-old to join Spurs from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal last January, with former chairman Daniel Levy renegotiating and giving him a permanent guarantee for £30 million.
The Lilywhites worked hard to sign Tell, but he has only contributed six points (four goals, two assists) in 28 games so far.
However, it is important to remember that the former Rennes sensation is still very young, and Tottenham will be hoping that Tell can finally reach his full potential after showing real brilliance at Bayern.
