It hasn’t taken long for the cracks to start showing at Tottenham under new boss Thomas Frank, as the Lilywhites were held to a goalless draw against Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday night. What began as an exciting new era in north London has, in recent weeks, started to resemble the familiar humdrum of seasons past.
Daniel Levy’s departure over the summer seemed to signal a fresh start, and optimism was high after a flurry of eye-catching signings - Xavi Simons turned down interest from Chelsea to join the club, while Mohammed Kudus also arrived to bolster the squad. See the breakdown of their arrivals below:
Early-season form, including impressive 2-0 and 3-0 away wins at Manchester City and West Ham, hinted at something special taking shape. But reality has since bitten, reminding everyone that Tottenham’s rebuild efforts wasn't ever going to be completed overnight.
Home defeats to Bournemouth and Aston Villa, where Spurs managed just one goal across three hours of football, first sounded the alarm bells. And after another toothless display in Monaco, where chances were few and far between, Frank is now facing growing pressure to rethink his attack - with many urging him to cut ties with Richarlison after his drab midweek performance.
Thomas Frank Must Drop Richarlison After Dismal Monaco Display
A lack of consistency has been the main factor keeping Richarlison from evolving from a short-lived pipedream into the reliable talisman he once was at Everton. That issue has resurfaced this campaign: despite contributing to three goals in his first two Premier League appearances, he has managed only one goal in his following 11 outings across all competitions.
His performance against Monaco on Wednesday night may have been the final nail in the coffin for his time in London. Across 70 minutes, his single shot was blocked, he completed just six passes, and registered a concerning five unsuccessful touches that allowed the Ligue 1 side to regain possession. Spurs supporters are now urging the club’s hierarchy to act like a big club - being more ruthless about who stays and goes in future transfer windows. One X user remarked:
"Richarlison has to go now in January. It really annoys me when he just barely does anything. [Randal] Kolo Muani came on and was instantly doing better and doing more things."
"Sell Richarlison ASAP," another user wrote about the £90,000-per-week Brazilian star, as a third continued: "Richarlison should be told tonight he can f*** off for free. Just get out of our club." The fury over the starting striker was also made evident by a fourth supporter, who claimed:
"Richarlison shouldn’t get another minute this season, it’s like playing with 10 men. Drop him and sell him in January."
Worryingly for Frank, there aren’t many alternative options to Richarlison to lead the forward line at present. Dominic Solanke is the obvious choice to inject some excitement for Tottenham supporters, but he has recently undergone surgery on an ankle injury, leaving Randal Kolo Muani as the only other viable option.
On loan from Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman brings some European pedigree to the squad. While he hasn’t always proven to be a consistent goalscorer, many feel that giving him a chance is the least the Tottenham boss can do before January provides the hierarchy with an opportunity to reassess the striker situation.