Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has faced the wrath of the fans after losing 4-1 to Arsenal in the North London Derby, committing the almost unforgivable sin of playing like a defensive bottom feeder club in the biggest game of the season - and still getting the doors absolutely blown off him by MIkel Arteta.
Although Spurs lost another high profile matchup on Wednesday night against PSG in the Champions League, they were significantly better in a 5-3 loss and actually did create some things. If it weren't for uncharacteristic defensive errors, they may have very well won the game, too.
A key positive of the match was Frank finally starting young midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. For weeks - months, even - Spurs supporters were decrying Frank for not consistently starting these two future superstars, as they had both been quality whenever called up on in the 2025/26 season.
They can be vital to Tottenham's success
Bergvall was already vital to Spurs success in 2024/25, and Gray was a similarly touted teenage sensation when joining Tottenham. The latter had actually been even more impressive to start the 2025/26 season, and as the best player to get out of sticky positions deep in midfield to progress the ball with his passing and dribbling, he was the player Spurs fans wanted to see much more than the mediocre Rodrigo Bentancur.
Gray and Bergvall helped Spurs out against the elite PSG midfield, and Thomas Frank finally had to say some nice things about the young midfielders. He told reporters after the game, via The Spurs Express, âVery impressive. Two young players, said from the beginning, that I believe a lot in.â
While it may be true that Frank believes in Gray and Bergvall - and he really did praise them in the opening weeks of the season - it is also true that actions are more important than what is said at the press conferences.
And by actions, Frank was clearly not valuing Gray and Bergvall appropriately. With all due respect to Joao Palhinha, who has been a great loan addition to the Spurs squad with his pure defensive chops, Bergvall and Gray is a much more promising and much more important long term double pivot for Tottenham Hotspur than the Palhinha and Bentancur duo.
Frank deviating from Gray and Bergvall was an inexplicable error, and Spurs supporters can only hope that the PSG game, combined with his press conference quote, will lead to a more clear admission from Frank that he needs to use these guys more often going forward.