Sport Witness

Thomas Frank took over at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, succeeding Ange Postecoglou. Spurs had just won the Europa League but their general form, and certainly results, was way below the expected standard.

Tottenham are currently eighth in the Premier League, although they’ve played a game less than most. Should Frank’s side beat Arsenal on Sunday then they’ll climb to an impressive fourth place.

Not all has been well for Frank, though. There’s been early murmurs of discontent from some supporters, who aren’t happy with what they’ve seen on the pitch. A more exciting style is desired, yet it’s still very early into the manager’s spell at the club.

Frank is in the process of speaking to various newspapers to promote his book, and that’s seen him talk to Ekstra Bladet.

The Danish newspaper put it to the Tottenham manager that it wasn’t so long ago he was training children. His career rise has been unusual and impressive, and he was asked about that and any similarities.

Frank replied: “It’s neither something I had dreamed of nor thought about until the end of the journey. The community, the great experiences, the love for the game. These are some of the things that I still take with me and use today as a coach at a high level.”

Tottenham manager not bothered about pressure

Inevitably, he was also asked about the pressure around Tottenham at the moment and some of doubts expressed towards himself.

“I’m completely fine and clear about that,” Frank said. “I spend exactly 2% of my focus on whether I have a short or long leash at Tottenham. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that it’s just about improving the team, performing well and winning,

“First and foremost, I want to build a club that can compete on all parameters, and get it up among the best clubs in England. That’s the plan.

“There are always things we can do better. I have gotten to know the squad, the staff and the club better every day. It just means that there are better and better opportunities to take the next step.”

Rodrigo Bentancur is among a number of players who have spoken recently about the positive impact the new manager has had, and it’s clearly an ongoing process.

Victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon would be a huge leap forward. Even a draw away to the Gunners would be a positive result for Thomas Frank.

Emerson Royal has insisted Tottenham Hotspur were determined to keep him when he left for AC Milan.

He’s been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about his move to AC Milan in August 2024, and detailed how it was a disaster from day one.

The Brazilian defender joined them from Tottenham a year ago, for a fee of around €15m. He signed a four-year deal at the time, including an option for a further year.

That lasted less than a year, though. This summer saw him return to his native Brazil in a €9m move to Flamengo.

Emerson’s return home came after something of a disastrous year with the Italian side. He found himself under scrutiny from day one, with fans and pundits alike questioning the move.

They had seen him playing at Tottenham, which was marked with inconsistent performances from the get-go. He often earned praise for his work ethic but drew heavy criticism from Tottenham fans for his technical limitations and poor decision making, particularly in attack.

That led to a now infamous song, “he can’t defend, he can’t attack”, which he was subjected to on more than one occasion. That song later followed him to Italy and Milan.

More scrutiny than Ronaldo after Tottenham exit

The defender has now admitted it was a problem, believing that he was doomed at Milan from day one.

“I arrived in Italy with a slightly strange feeling right from the start,” he said.

“From the start, every time I said or did something, I was talked about more than Cristiano Ronaldo… but in a negative way. I felt like I had to always do twice as much to be accepted, and then still not be accepted.

“That video was manipulated and made to look recent when I arrived at Milan, but it was an old video. It dated back to a difficult time we went through with Conte.

“Fans comment on everything, that’s normal. But when I chose to leave Tottenham, the club tried to keep me because I had improved so much. And I had an excellent relationship with everyone.

“I’m someone who doesn’t get hit easily, because I know my worth. But it’s not nice to arrive and feel that wave of hatred without even having stepped onto the pitch and played even a minute.

“I have family and friends: they’re the ones who suffer the most. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant situation. You never want to hear certain things while you’re trying to do your job to the best of your ability, whatever it is.”

Maybe this is a slight twisting of the story to fit how Emerson Royal wants to see his recent history. He was given big opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan and failed to shine for either.

Ademola Lookman has faced a chaotic last few months at Atalanta, and Tottenham are one of the club being linked with a rescue swoop.

Over the past year, the attacker has asked to leave La Dea twice, but he’s not got his desire. Former manager Ivan Juric publicly criticised Lookman some weeks ago. He also had an spat with him on the sidelines during a Champions League tie against Marseille.

The Croatian has now left Atalanta, with Raffaele Palladino coming in as the new manager.

Quotidiano Sportivo note Lookman has now added a reference to the Bergamo club on his Instagram account. He had removed any mention of the club during the summer when he was having his transfer tantrums.

There is uncertainty over whether this a sign of peace but Tottenham are monitoring the scenario. Spurs are looking to bring the Wandsworth born player back to London.

Napoli are expected to provide competition to Tottenham in January, with Galatasaray also interested. Lookman’s current contract at Atalanta runs out in 2027, so 2026 would be La Dea’s last chance of earning a good fee from a sale.

If peace hasn’t broken out, then a January move with an option or obligation to buy looks like a decent bet.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told to not bother with a January attempt to sign Morten Hjulmand from Sporting Club de Portugal.

Record offer out the advice in a brief piece today. They report that Sporting are only interested in additions, not departures in the January transfer window.

According to them it would be perfect for Sporting if they were able to provide the squad with solutions in the winter window. They would also like to ‘secure the main assets’. Hjulmand is one of those assets.

He’s an increasingly hot name on the transfer market. Juventus, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been credited with interest for a while.

But Sporting see him as ‘non-negotiable’ in January. They feel secure in that too as the midfielder has an €80m release clause in his contract. It seems the feeling is that nobody will pay that in January.

The Portuguese club want to keep Hjulmand until the end of the season. At that point there will be a ‘greater openness’ for a deal.

So, if Tottenham show a little patience, they may find it easier to get their man in the long run. They may also be able to secure a much better deal.

Last summer, Tottenham Hotspur showed serious interest in Como’s Nico Paz, but weren’t able to secure his services.

Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio stated in August that the Serie A side rejected multiple offers from Tottenham. In September, Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi said he was “proud” to have retained Paz amid approaches from Spurs.

Last month, we covered claims from Spain that Paz wasn’t keen on Tottenham’s €70m bid.

Fast forward to November and AS cover Tottenham’s interest and why it won’t be easy for them to sign the 21-year-old.

The Europa League winners are said to be back in the picture for the attacking midfielder despite last summer’s failure. Recent claims from Argentina have reported Inter Milan would be willing to offer €58m for Paz.

AS mention the latest on Tottenham, saying they’ve made contact, and relay claims of Inter interest, they then share their own take.

Real Madrid sold the Argentina international to Como in August 2024. They have secured a buyback clause of €9m for next summer and €10m for 2027. The Spanish giants also retain a 50% sell-on clause.

Despite interest from other clubs, AS claim Los Blancos haven’t ‘lost sight of him, nor have they lost control’. The report states everything points to Real Madrid activating the buyback clause.

Real Madrid’s buyback clause makes it challenging for Tottenham or any other club to sign Paz.

Sweden manager Graham Potter has hinted Dejan Kulusevski is set for a return to Tottenham Hotspur soon.

Fotboll Skanalen cover comments from him today. Sweden have their eye on getting him back for World Cup play-offs in March.

The Tottenham midfielder has missed the entirety of the World Cup qualifiers this season due to a serious knee injury.

Tottenham have remained coy on when he may return from that long-term absence. And that’s put a question mark over whether Kulusevski will be available to aid Sweden’s chances of making the World Cup next summer.

Potter’s side initially take on Ukraine in Path B. They finished bottom of their group but qualified thanks to their Nations League performances.

Getting the Tottenham star back and in the side would be a major boost to their hopes of qualifying. He’s been a key player for several years and sorely missed in this disastrous qualification campaign.

Potential Tottenham Christmas present

It seems Potter has good news on that front too, although he admits it’s all in Tottenham’s hands at this moment in time.

“Dejan is taking steps forward,” he is quoted as saying.

“He was happy with where he is in his rehabilitation. It’s in Tottenham’s hands, and his. But he was feeling good when I last spoke to him and I look forward to seeing him maybe at Christmas or around New Year.

“There is a lot of football to be played until then. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like in March. That is the reality.

“But he is in a good place, and he was happy with his rehabilitation last time we spoke. Then he was ready to take the next step (in rehabilitation). But there is no stress involved. He will do his rehab in a good way and if he does that, I am pretty sure we will see him on the pitch soon.”

Randa Kolo Muani’s move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer has been “catastrophic” and he’s “completely disappeared” at the club.

That’s according to Daniel Riolo and Walid Acherchour, who’ve both been commenting on the Tottenham striker this week. Their comments have been relayed by Tribune Nantais.

Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on loan in the summer transfer window from Paris Saint-Germain. The move came after a successful loan spell at Juventus last season.

But while he seemed to flourish in Italy, he’s barely done anything for Tottenham. At this moment in time, he’s managed eight appearances in all competitions, totally 321 minutes. He’s yet to score and has just one assist to his name.

The loan move is yet to work out, with injuries also playing their part. That’s bad news for Muani, who would have wanted to be playing regularly ahead of the World Cup next summer.

Didier Deschamps has stuck by him in the past but the Tottenham loanee hasn’t featured in any of the last three squads. He was left out in September and missed the October and November internationals through injury.

Tottenham player has ‘completely disappeared’

Whether he can get back in the next break remains to be seen. Riolo and Acherchour can’t see it happening, though.

“Kolo Muani, no, he’s completely disappeared,” said the former. “I don’t see why I would want to see him come back now.”

“Kolo Muani has often been better in France than at club level; we know he’s a Deschamps loyalist,” added Acherchour.

“He has Deschamps’ trust, but his situation at Tottenham is catastrophic. He’s been plagued by one injury after another. For me, Kolo Muani is no longer a number 9. He’s a right winger. And on the right, between Dembélé, Olise, and Akliouche, I’m thinking, “Watch out, Randal!”

Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski underwent surgery after picking up an injury in May. This forced him to miss Spurs’ Europa League win over Manchester United later that month.

The Sweden international has been away from the pitch since then. He’s yet to feature under Thomas Frank, who arrived at the north London club in the summer.

Sweden appointed Graham Potter as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s successor in October. The new manager will be hoping to count on the Tottenham player for the World Cup play-off in March.

Journalist Stefan Thylin, writing in his column for the Swedish football association’s official website, reviews their November performances. He also talked about the World Cup play-off.

The 25-year-old has missed the last three international breaks, where Sweden failed to register a win. They lost four of their six World Cup qualifiers.

Potter was without a few key players for his first two matches with Sweden. The journalist believes the national team will be able to perform much better when the manager has a fully fit squad at his disposal.

This is when he also talked about the impact of Kulusevski’s absence.

“In the play-off, Graham Potter will hopefully be able to field an A-team, with Kulusevski, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres whole, healthy and in shape, with Anthony Elanga, Lucas Bergvall, Hugo Larsson and Emil Holm available, with a defence that is safe and thus creates the conditions for an effective attack,” he said.

“Wishful thinking? Yes, maybe, but I think Graham Potter can ensure that Sweden starts playing like Sweden again, as a collective, not as disjointed individuals.

“The player I have missed the most this difficult year is Dejan Kulusevski, the creative inspirer, who grew to become a leader on the pitch. Let’s hope he is back in March, and that our defenders stop offering opponents scoring chances.

“We are putting 2025 on the table and assuming that 2026 will be a good new year. It has to be better, right?”

Tottenham striker Richarlison did not play a single minute for Brazil in this international break. That happened for the first time under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He sat out both games against Senegal and Tunisia, despite being one of only two players – alongside Bruno Guimarães – who had featured in all six previous matches of the Italian’s tenure.

This absence adds weight to a discussion already taking place in Brazil. According to UOL, Ancelotti is still searching for what he calls a “different striker”, someone who can act as a true reference in the box.

Richarlison has historically filled that role, but his current form has weakened his claim. He’s scored only four goals for Spurs this season and has not found the net for Brazil since the 2022 World Cup.

His club form has not helped either, with limited minutes and inconsistent performances at Tottenham.

Ancelotti made it clear before the Tunisia match that the squad lacks a pure number nine. He explained that Brazil may need a forward capable of holding play, acting as a pivot and providing a stronger presence in the penalty area.

“We might need a reference as a striker in some games, in some moments. We have time to assess this and try to find one in the next six months,” he said.

The manager started all four of his attackers – Rodrygo, Estêvão, Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha – but none fits the profile he is after. Richarlison was once the default option for that task, yet the current scenario suggests the competition is open.

The next steps remain unclear, but the Tottenham forward now faces fresh pressure at both club and national-team level to regain his place.

Tottenham Hotspur will not enjoy the latest reports from Uruguay. El País gave Rodrigo Bentancur a harsh 2/10 after the 5-1 defeat to the United States in Tampa.

The midfielder wore the captain’s armband, yet the performance never settled. The outlet says he struggled from the start and failed to bring control to Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield.

The report highlights the second goal. Bentancur lost his marker in the move, which opened space for the finish. Uruguay then collapsed on the right side, and the Tottenham player could not steady the team as the pressure grew.

The match exposed several defensive issues, and his position often left gaps that the hosts exploited with ease.

He did produce a rare positive action after the break. At 60 minutes, he won a one-on-one duel and struck Uruguay’s first attempt of the second half.

The reaction, however, lasted only three minutes. Bentancur went into a high challenge on Berhalter and received a straight red card. He already had a yellow, and the referee showed no hesitation.

The dismissal ended any chance of a late response and increased the criticism at home. Bentancur now returns to Tottenham after a night that created more questions than answers. Spurs will hope he resets quickly, as the next fixtures demand stability rather than headlines.