Thomas Frank has made some interesting comments about Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray after Tottenham Hotspur brushed aside Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
It was not a surprise when both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were given a rest against Doncaster, but when the team news came out, many Spurs fans would have assumed that Archie Gray would play at centre-back.
However, instead, it was the experienced Joao Palhinha who partnered Kevin Danso at centre-back, with Gray playing in the middle of the park alongside Rodrigo Bentancur.
The decision worked as Tottenham kept another clean sheet, and Frank has praised the teenager and the 31-year-old for the way they performed.
Thomas Frank praises Tottenham’s Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha
Frank admitted that Palhinha has been a huge asset to his squad from the day he walked through the door in the summer.
The Tottenham head coach praised the Portugal international for slotting seamlessly into the heart of the defence against Doncaster.
When asked what he thought of Palhinha’s performance against the League One outfit, Frank said (via Football.London): “Very happy. He has been very good for us since he joined us. Again, just stepping into that centre-back role and played very well and scored a very good goal. So yeah, pleased.”
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Last season, Ange Postecoglou primarily used Gray at centre-back, which was at times forced due to Tottenham’s injuries.
However, Frank has opted to use him exclusively in the middle of the park, where he made his name at Leeds, and the Tottenham boss believes that the 19-year-old is at his best in midfield.
When asked about his decision to play Gray in midfield and Palhinha in the backline, the 51-year-old responded: “I think Archie can play centre-back and right-back, but I see him more as a midfielder and I’d liked to see him today in that position. I was confident and I was happy that I was backed in that feeling about Joao as a centre-back.”