Frank discovers new duo that will ‘change the game’

Tottenham Hotspur have been through all sorts of emotions over the past few years, but the plan is for Thomas Frank to take over for many years and instill a culture of stability and winning.

However, the Danish manager had a turbulent first few months in the dugout, with his attacking play far from fluid.

Creativity has waned in the Premier League, with both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski not kicking a ball this season due to injury, but Frank will be expected to return to more productive playmaking in the future.

We have seen green shoots in recent weeks, with Spurs currently on a two-game winning streak, but with the absence of players like Son Heung-min keenly felt, the team needs a new talisman to burn.

Why Spurs are missing their son

Tottenham have been noticeably unable to replace Son and Harry Kane in recent years after their superstar departures, and although the South Korean’s form declined last year, he still contributed 23 goals in all competitions.

It is a force of nature and cannot be taught, but only needs to be guided in the right direction. The 33-year-old is currently playing on the pond for Los Angeles FC, but Frank should be able to prove himself in Son’s place as a new superstar emerges.

His leadership and disruptive ability was something he had in common with Kane, but even further back with Christian Eriksen.

Certainly, the Lilywhites would benefit from the Dane’s creative flair now, especially with both Maddison and Kulusevski sidelined. Eriksen scored 69 goals and provided 88 assists in 305 appearances for the north London club, with former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy marveling at his “world class” quality during his time at White Hart Lane.

It would be easy to look to the transfer market for a solution, and Frank needs to find a formula that naturally creates creativity and consistency in attack, but in reality they may have two new recruits ahead of them looking to emulate the likes of Son and Eriksen.

Spurs’ new son and Eriksen duo

Eriksen and Son helped establish Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham team, which became one of the most feared and entertaining sides on the continent.

It will always be difficult to replace such players, but in the case of Mohamed Kudus and Xavi Simons, Frank may have the tools to rebuild the aforementioned players.

Simmons, 21, has had a tough start in the N17 league, but with two goals in two games, the Dutch No. 10 is starting to show why ENIC Group beat Chelsea in the transfer battle by paying more than £50 million to sign him from RB Leipzig over the summer.

He has been hailed as a “superstar” of talent by analyst Ben Mattinson, who ranks him in the top 3% of his position-mates in the Premier League this season for progressive passes per 90, according to FBref, who stress that Eriksen’s passing range will only develop further in the months and years ahead.

Kudus may not come from the same background as Son, but he certainly has the wow factor and can accomplish things with his football that players around him and against him can’t match.

The fact that the former West Ham winger sits as the second-highest assist maker in the Premier League this season says a lot about his ability. Analyst Raj Chauhan praised Simmons’ “game-changing” ability, suggesting he has more than the still-impressive Kudus.

Perhaps the most exciting part is that the best is yet to come. After all, Son took some time to hit the ground running after joining Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, while Eriksen took Christmas until Christmas to reveal his Midas touch in the final third in 2013/14 after joining from Ajax.

We have to be patient, but there’s no denying that Tottenham have signed some forwards whose ability stands out not only among their own ranks but against anyone in the Premier League.

Tottenham have yet to hit a gear this season, but there have been plenty of positives as Frank navigates the first few months of this post-Ange Postecoglou era.

And with Simmons coming into his own and Kudus showing his crafty qualities, the Londoners have all the tools they need to get all the different pieces together to reach the next level.