One of Thomas Frank’s key players won’t have been happy not to have seen his name on the starting line-up during Tottenham’s defeat to Wolves.
Tottenham Hotspur nearly suffered a humiliating defeat to Wolves over the weekend, with a late equaliser saving their blushes.
Joao Palhinha’s wicked strike from just outside the penalty area salvaged a point for Thomas Frank’s side on what was a hugely disappointing evening for Spurs.
It’s evident that the new Spurs boss got the set-up wrong against the Premier League 20th-placed side, and he must reassess his team ahead of the trip to Bodo/Glimt.
Archie Gray really impressed vs Doncaster, but Thomas Frank dropped him
Archie Gray will have been quite disappointed not to have got any minutes against Wolves, despite really impressing against Doncaster Rovers.
The 19-year-old was given 90 minutes against the League One side and showed why he is very highly rated by many at the North London club.
Gray impressed in the number eight role in the EFL Cup match and showed Spurs he could offer something which the team is currently missing.
Right now, Tottenham’s midfield is Frank’s biggest weakness, with the team struggling to progress the ball up the pitch and to create chances.
During the 1-1 draw, Spurs created an xG of just 0.86, with some of that being made up through chance created from set-pieces.
One thing is becoming quickly apparent under Frank: playing Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha together against the teams lower down the table is not viable.
Bentancur went missing against Wolves, according to Martin O’Neill, with the team crying out for a player in the middle of the park willing to drive the ball up the pitch.
Against Doncaster, Gray, who cost Tottenham £40m, was often looking to bring the ball forward, with Xavi Simons playing just ahead of him in the number ten role.
Frank needs to quickly realise that when he’s playing teams further down the table, the need for two number six players is just not required.
Earlier this month, TBR Football revealed Gray is keen to stay at Tottenham and fight for his place, but Frank needs to start giving him more game time.
Antonin Kinsky should also be given more chances at Tottenham
Antonin Kinsky is another player who should also be given more chances at Tottenham, with Guglielmo Vicario looking shaky against Vitor Pereira’s side.
Some of the Italian’s kicking against Wolves was quite questionable, as he completed just four of his eight long passes.
Vicario then parried a header from a Wolves corner right into the path of Santiago Bueno, who was free to stab home his first goal for the club.
Frank claims that Kinsky has a ‘great future’ at Tottenham, but he’s only made one appearance so far, and that was a clean sheet against Doncaster.
The 22-year-old’s ability with his feet sets him apart from Vicario, and perhaps he deserves his chance to play more minutes.