Thomas Frank applauds Tottenham fans (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Tottenham fans have been wondering for the past two weeks why Pape Matar Sarr, one of the bright spots of the season’s opening, was left out of the squad despite his lackluster performances.
Manager Thomas Frank was pressed about the Senegal international’s status after a 0-0 draw with Monaco in the Champions League, a match in which Spurs survived thanks largely to Guglielmo Vicario’s flawless play.
Sarr was a regular in the team at the beginning of this season, but in the last few games Frank has preferred other midfielders.
Pape Matar Sarr is struggling to get playing time
This is quite surprising because Sarr has been impressive and the midfield looked more threatening and powerful with him in the team.
Ahead of this weekend’s game against Everton, Frank was asked about his treatment of midfielders.
He said via Spurs Web:
“There is nothing wrong with him. In the first six games he was a very good player for us. We had previously rested him as a precaution, but the competition, the other players performed well. But he impressed me a lot.”
Players who have impressed their managers and played consistently for the team have surprisingly failed to earn more playing time.
Questions remain over Tottenham manager Frank’s decision
Either Frank isn’t being completely honest about his opinion of Sarr, or there’s some other reason why it’s such a shock to see the midfielder struggle to get more minutes.
Frank’s explanation that Sarr was initially rested as a precautionary measure and then removed due to the good performance of other players does not sit well with his perception that the 23-year-old was in his best form for the club and was “a very good player”.
Monaco’s draw has only intensified the focus on selection. Vicario’s heroics masked the systemic issues, passive off-ball phases and lack of midfield presence that Sarr helped address when playing.
Frank’s line, “There’s nothing wrong with him” to put speculation to rest, shows that Tottenham’s recent selections are a manager’s decision rather than an injury situation.
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