New dawn for Spurs but the same old story with targets slipping away, injuries biting and an incomplete squad
New boss Frank faces his biggest test yet
IF there is an obvious void in Thomas Frank’s credentials to manage Tottenham, it comes in Europe.
His experience is minimal and Bill Nicholson, the most illustrious of all his predecessors as Spurs boss, once claimed the club was ‘nothing’ without European football.
It explains the tidal wave of euphoria unleashed upon a long-suffering fanbase by the Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou in Bilbao three months ago.
Past glories were rekindled and prestigious opportunities served up, including the glitzy decoration of this UEFA Super Cup date with Paris Saint-Germain in northeastern Italy and the altogether more meaningful prospect of a Champions League draw before the end of this month.
Thus far, Frank’s experience of managing in European competition amounts to a couple of brief Europa League campaigns back in his native Denmark with Brondby, neither of which made it beyond the qualifying rounds.
Now this first high-profile test since crossing London from Brentford is upon him in a hurry with questions swirling about how ready Tottenham are for it and what comes next.
They have added two players to a senior squad that crashed to 17th in the Premier League, losing 22 of 38 games, a record dismal enough to get Postecoglou the sack despite the silverware.
Beyond the managerial change, and a summer of diligent tactical work the players have been keen to talk about, reinforcements were clearly required if Frank (below) was to compete across four major competitions.
Thus far, however, they have brought in Mohammed Kudus for £50million from West Ham and Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.
An audacious swoop for Morgan GibbsWhite missed, while captain and icon Heung-min Son has been sold to LAFC in MLS, and James Maddison will miss most of the season after damaging cruciate knee ligaments on the tour of Asia.
Dejan Kulusevki is still weeks from a return after a serious knee injury. Dominic Solanke, ruled out of all but one pre-season friendly with an ankle injury, is available for the Super Cup but there remains an obvious absence of craft and imagination at Frank’s disposal. Also, it probably explains the air of mild scattergun panic accompanying a flurry of fresh moves linking Spurs with various talented players, including Nico Paz of Como, Savinho of Manchester City and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. Frank’s early summer interest in Eze fizzled out amid the frontheavy make-up of the fee established by a since-expired clause and the wage demands of the player, but could be revived, especially as interest from Arsenal has faded for the time being.
Eze, who was said to be interested in a move to Arsenal, is now said to be interested in a move to Spurs. Frank declined to comment when quizzed on the matter last night.
Some of those all too familiar with the way it works in N17 are rolling their eyes. For them it seems like another new dawn and yet the same old story, with transfer targets slipping away, injuries biting and a new season looming with an incomplete squad.
The fans movement Change for Tottenham are organising a demonstration in the High Road before Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Burnley, protesting about ticket prices and recruitment strategy in what they have dubbed ‘a summer of failure’.
Some things change but some things stay the same.
On top of this came revelations by Frank in Udine that Yves Bissouma had not travelled to Italy, axed from the squad for disciplinary reasons having shown up late on more than one occasion, a bad habit which used to irritate Antonio Conte when he was boss.
Postecoglou also disciplined Bissouma in August last year, dropping the Malian midfielder after he had been filmed inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon.
He turns 29 before the end of the month but Bissouma, rather than maturing into a senior pro, has claimed an unwanted hat trick by offending the new boss before a ball of the new season has been kicked.
He has only a year on his contract and Spurs would sell him if they could but this won’t do anything to generate an attractive offer.
‘He has been late several times, and the latest time was one too many,’ was Frank’s explanation. ‘You need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and there also need to be consequences and this time there was a consequence for that.’
It is a wholly unnecessary headache for a new head coach still learning to understand the idiosyncratic rhythms of his new club and yet confident they will be in a better place by the time the transfer market closes at the end of the month.
‘I think I have a good team and a good squad,’ added Frank. ‘This window, we are definitely in the market and will do everything we can to make the best possible squad for September 1.
‘So there are a few things in the air shall we say along the way. We will be ready tomorrow.’
Paris Saint-Germain beat four English teams and destroyed Inter Milan as they won the Champions League. Spurs lifted Europa League without coming close to a team of their calibre.
And yet there is the usual caveat because the Super Cup is no more than a glorified friendly and Luis Enrique’s team finished last season barely a month ago, losing to Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final.
Nobody is sure what to expect of the European champions, but they are unlikely to be at their best. As for Spurs, six games into preseason preparations, we wait again with breath bated to see if Frank has the elusive formula.