The only thing missing from Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night was a goal for Mathys Tel.
The France Under-21 international finds himself in a strange situation in north London. He was convinced to leave Bayern Munich and join Spurs, initially on loan for the second half of last season, by former head coach Ange Postecoglou. The deal contained an option to buy for €55million but he struggled to impress and only scored three goals in 20 appearances. Spurs renegotiated with Bayern and by the time they signed Tel permanently, on a six-year contract for €35m, Thomas Frank had replaced Postecoglou.
As part of the hiring process, Frank and other candidates were asked to assess the squad’s strengths and weaknesses. Maybe it is just a coincidence that Tel joined Spurs permanently three days after Frank was appointed, or maybe the 51-year-old had to grant his blessing first.
Due to a lack of locally-trained players, Spurs had to name a reduced squad for the league phase of the Champions League. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin were left out while they recover from long-term knee injuries. The surprising exclusion was Tel, who scored twice in 16 appearances for Bayern in the competition.
Wednesday’s cup tie against Doncaster was the 20-year-old’s second start of the season, after playing centrally in the 3-0 win against West Ham United, and another opportunity to impress with loan signing Randal Kolo Muani unavailable due to a dead leg.
When Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke return to full fitness, it is difficult to see Tel receiving a lot of game time. On the left wing, he faces competition from his international team-mate Wilson Odobert, €60m summer signing Xavi Simons, and last season’s top goalscorer Brennan Johnson.
Tel started positively against Doncaster. In the second minute, Simons drove forward with the ball to the edge of the box and he laid it off to Odobert. Tel ghosted in front of his marker but it was an awkward angle and his first-time flick from Odobert’s cross went over the bar.
Less than sixty seconds later, he held off a defender and played a great pass around the corner for Archie Gray. Tel darted forward as Johnson aimed a cross towards the penalty spot. Tel stepped back and somehow failed to cleanly strike the ball instead of drilling it past Doncaster’s goalkeeper Ian Lawlor. A similar situation happened in the second half and he mishit the ball again.
Those moments summed up his night and, if we are being honest, his entire time with Spurs. There have been flashes of promise but no end product.
It is not all Tel’s fault. He was unfairly paraded as a statement signing in February. Spurs were in the middle of an injury crisis and what they desperately needed was an experienced striker. They tried to sign Kolo Muani, who moved to Juventus from Paris Saint-Germain for six months instead, and enquired about Yoane Wissa, but Brentford did not want to sell in the middle of the season.
Tel made his debut for Spurs in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the second leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final. He left Bayern, who went on to win the Bundesliga and scored 99 times in 34 games, for an underperforming side with barely any fit players. He is still figuring out what his best position is. This season should be considered a fresh start for him.
Frank said it was an “extremely difficult decision” to leave Tel out of the Champions League squad and that he handled it “maturely”. Tel might not have scored against Doncaster but he was probably guilty of trying too hard to make things happen against the League One side, and was brimming with energy. He made a couple of clearances from set pieces and was applauded by Rodrigo Bentancur for not backing out of an aerial challenge in the middle of the pitch. Tel finished the game with grass stains smeared across the back of his shirt.
Tel, and frustrated supporters, should be encouraged by Frank’s track record of developing talent. He converted Wissa, Ollie Watkins and Kevin Schade into No 9s during his time with Brentford. Frank also helped Ivan Toney to break the Championship goalscoring record and thrive in the Premier League by telling him to focus on attacking the six-yard box — he has given the same advice to Tel.
“You can see his ability in this game to arrive in the box and the pace he (has) got running behind, and getting into the right areas,” Frank said. “It’s good. His pressing ability is very good. I like the way he works in that situation and then, his link-up play is something that is a good level, but he can be even better.
“He really wanted to score and do well. Unfortunately, as a striker, that (is what) you get measured on. Exactly the same as a goalkeeper: you need to get measured. You can’t throw it into your own goal but I think, as I said before, the overall performance was really a step forward. I really wanted him to score as well because that would make it an even better story.”
The problem for Tel is that his game time, which is already low, could drop. Solanke has returned to full training as he continues his recovery from a persistent ankle injury. Richarlison has scored three times in five league appearances. Tottenham’s opponents in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup are the holders Newcastle United. Tel might not be the best option up front at a raucous St James’ Park.
Whenever he starts again, he cannot afford to waste the opportunity like he did on Wednesday.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)