Spurs recorded a 2-0 win over Reading but one area of the starting XI lacked bite.
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There was plenty to like about the way Thomas Frank had his Tottenham Hotspur side playing against Reading in the 2-0 friendly win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic were somewhat unlikely sources of second-half goals to help Spurs to victory but there were impressive performances from fully fledged first team names too. Dominic Solanke hounded the defence in his 45 minutes, Cristian Romero put in a solid audition for the permanent captain role with Destiny Udogie a threat and Mohammed Kudus purring on his first outing.
However, there was an area of the pitch that looked in need of improvement. That was the defensive midfield roles.
Tottenham Hotspur sloppy in midfield against Reading
Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur started the match in those roles in front of defence. While the Royals posed little threat, the former was guilty of some sloppy overhit passes and the latter looked pedestrian at times.
After the break, Yves Bissouma and Lucas Bergvall were fielded in those roles. That was an improvement but Bissouma also misplaced paces, thumping the ground in frustration, while an impressive Bergvall performance was more about dynamism driving forward than defensive stability.
All four midfielders helped Spurs to a clean sheet against the League One outfit but could have been punished for errors by a Premier League opponent. The north London club may be embroiled in the Morgan Gibbs-White transfer saga, but they’d be better off focusing on recruiting a defensive midfielder.
Spurs target former Fulham ball winner
Luckily, it appears that Frank has spotted an ideal candidate in Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha. The former Fulham man completed a switch from Craven Cottage to Germany 12 months ago but Bild claim that the Bundesliga giants are ready to let the player go.
Journalist Christian Falk said: “So there’s still the possibility of selling him this summer. The price is going down and down – €25m [£21.6m], perhaps €30m [£25.9m], but that’s it. Bayern Munich want to sell him. If he leaves, it’s also a chance for the club to go for Renato Veiga.”
Palhinha has struggled to settle at Bayern, with just nine starts last season. Speaking at the Club World Cup, he said: “Obviously, it hasn’t been an easy year for me, but I’m also very motivated to – as soon as the season starts – prove my worth once again, at a very special club like Bayern, a huge club.
“I have a contract with Bayern for another three years, so I’ll report back on the 29 [July], which is when we start pre-season. Enjoying these vacation days with family and friends is the most important thing right now.”
Prior to the Bayern move, Palhinha had been very well respected for his dominant performances at Fulham, with Bayern forking out nearly £50 million for his services. Standing at 6’ 3”, Palhinha earned a reputation for always being in the right place at the right time to stop attacking and getting his long legs in the way of forwards. Tottenham Hotspur need that.
Speaking about the player, former Fulham captain Tom Cairney said: "If you lose the ball, he smells blood. He’s probably one of the best I've ever seen off the ball, in terms of getting back, recovering and trying to win back the ball.
"He doesn't just put pressure on them, he goes back to win the ball and does the tackle. It's amazing to watch sometimes. I think the fans have taken to him. I think he's been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League."
In other news, Tottenham interested in 'huge talent' with Premier League rivals set to demand £40m.