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Now that the date of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup fourth round fixture has been confirmed, Thomas Frank will dread the nightmare schedule his side have been handed in late October and early November.

Following their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last week, Tottenham were drawn away at Newcastle in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

On Monday morning, Spurs found out that their trip to St James Park will be on October 29, with kick-off at 8 pm.

Beating the Magpies in St James Park for a place in the quarterfinal is no easy ask, and what makes it even more challenging for the Lilywhites is that the fixture is sandwiched in a busy period.

Why Thomas Frank will be dreading Tottenham’s schedule in October

Tottenham now know that their Carabao Cup clash will be sandwiched between two tough Premier League fixtures.

The game comes just three days after Spurs make their first-ever trip to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on Everton on October 26.

To make matters worse, the Lilywhites then have a London derby against Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 1, three days after their trip to the North East.

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Things do not get any easier for Frank’s men after that as they play a Champions League fixture against Copenhagen on November 4 before hosting Man United in the Premier League on November 8.

That means that the North London club will have five matches across just 14 days, with their squad set to be seriously tested.

Thomas Frank may have no choice but to de-prioritise the Newcastle clash

Frank has been more than happy to rotate his midfield and forward options, but the big question is which of these matches he will rotate his centre-back pairing in.

There is no chance that Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will both play all five games across those 14 days.

The Carabao Cup clash against Newcastle might be the tie to rest the pair, which will make progression to the quarterfinal even harder.

However, Newcastle are in a similar boat to Spurs, and one would expect Eddie Howe to also ring the changes for the clash.

French media are reporting that Randal Kolo Muani has had an interesting discussion with Thomas Frank, and have revealed what the striker is thinking about his Tottenham role following those talks.

The 26-year-old has made just one substitute appearance since his move to Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day and is still waiting for his Premier League debut.

Kolo Muani remains sidelined due to a dead leg, with the injury taking longer to heal than many at Tottenham first thought.

Some reports have indicated that Thomas Frank wants to use Kolo Muani on the left wing this season, and it has now emerged that the forward has spoken to the Tottenham head coach about his role.

Thomas Frank has reassured Randal Kolo Muani about his Tottenham role

According to a report in L’Equipe, the France international has now had a fresh conversation with the Danish coach and has been left reassured by his plans for him.

The outlet explains that Kolo Muani is now training alone due to his injury, which has a silver lining for the striker as he is now getting some fitness work done after joining Tottenham with no pre-season under his belt.

The on-loan PSG man has had a detailed conversation with Frank, which he did not get the chance to do before signing for Spurs on deadline day.

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The former Brentford boss has assured the forward that his plan is for him to compete with Richarlison for the number nine role, although he may also be used as a winger on the right at times.

Muani was left convinced by the chat and is now determined to prove his worth at Tottenham.

Details of Kolo Muani’s frustrating injury

L’Equipe explains that the Frenchman’s injury is proving to be more problematic than initially imagined. Kolo Muani is still feeling some pain in his thigh and is thus unlikely to make the trip to Elland Road this Saturday.

The striker picked up the injury due to an accidental clash in training with Pape Sarr two weeks ago, and it was initially thought that he would not even miss a single game.

In fact, the forward was included in the matchday squad the very next day, but he felt discomfort while ‘accelerating and lengthening his stride’.

The Spurs medical staff then ‘performed a puncture of the hematoma’ before sending the striker for imaging tests, which confirmed that there was no serious problem.

The striker has currently been put in a modified training program and hopes to return as soon as possible.

Micky van de Ven has reacted to the start that Xavi Simons has made to life at Tottenham Hotspur and has said that everyone has noticed something about his compatriot.

There was a lot of excitement about the attacking midfielder’s arrival at Spurs, but Tottenham fans are still waiting for the 22-year-old to announce his arrival with a statement performance.

Some believe that Xavi Simons’ struggles are due to Frank’s decision to use him out wide rather than centrally, but the Tottenham boss does not entirely agree.

Frank has insisted that Xavi can also shine on the half-spaces on the left and has admitted that his priority is to find the right balance for the midfield as a whole.

Micky van de Ven is convinced Xavi Simons will shine at Tottenham

Van de Ven knows the new Tottenham signing well from their time together in the Netherlands squad, and the defender believes that his international teammate has already shown glimpses of his creativity for the Lilywhites.

The centre-back said about his compatriot following the 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt (via Football.London): “He’s a really good player. He can create a lot of special things. I think you saw he came on and did really well. You can see the creativity he has.”

The former Wolfsburg defender admitted that he is doing his part to help Xavi settle into his new surroundings as quickly as possible.

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Van de Ven added about the attacking midfielder: “I speak a lot with him, but what also helps him a lot is that he speaks a lot of languages, so he can get on with a lot of players as well. I try to help him on and off the pitch with every small detail he asks for. I’m there for him to help him as much as possible.”

Van de Ven was proud to captain Spurs against Bodo/Glimt

The centre-back was handed the captain’s armband against Bodo/Glimt in the absence of his defensive partner, Cristian Romero, and he certainly delivered a captain’s performance.

Thomas Frank has said that Van de Ven will be part of his leadership group at Tottenham, and the centre-back admitted that it was a dream to lead out the Lilywhites in a Champions League fixture.

When asked about Frank’s comments on the leadership group, the 24-year-old responded: “I don’t know about that, he hasn’t mentioned that yet, but it was a proud moment for me to lead the group out in a Champions League game. It’s a moment you dream of when you’re a kid. I’m happy I could help the team, and we got the point.

“To be honest, I went into the game the same as I always do. It’s not like there is some extra pressure on you. I just did what I needed to do and tried to help the team as much as possible.”

Micky van de Ven believes that Tottenham Hotspur have already shown one strong attribute this season, even though some of their performances have not been as good as they had hoped for.

There are signs that Thomas Frank’s honeymoon period at Spurs is now ending, with questions now being raised about the Dane’s methods.

Some pundits have criticised Tottenham for being unable to create enough chances this season, despite the team’s defensive improvements.

However, one Spurs star is not too concerned with the outside noise and believes that he and his teammates have one thing to be proud of so far this campaign.

Micky van de Ven hails Tottenham’s mentality

Van de Ven, who was given the captain’s armband for Tuesday’s fixture, admitted that Tottenham struggled against Bodo/Glimt.

However, the centre-back insisted that he and his teammates showed in Norway, just as they did at Brighton, that they have a strong mentality, by bouncing back to get a point from a very difficult situation.

When asked about fighting back from 2-0 down to salvage a point, the defender said (via Football.London): “I think it shows our mentality. From our side, it was a really difficult game. We were 2-0 down and I think it shows our mentality to come back to 2-2 and get a point,” explained Van de Ven.

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“Today was not our best performance, of course. We struggled a bit today. Bodo was better. We didn’t get the pressure on the game as well. But at the end of the game it shows our mentality. We need to play better than today, overall.

“We did it twice now and it shows the mentality of the team. It’s not every time we are going behind and we just want to make a comeback. That’s not what happens. Of course, we need to make sure most of the time we are in front in the last couple of minutes, but I think it shows our mentality.”

Van de Ven expects things to click into gear under Thomas Frank

Frank has acknowledged that he is still working on finding his best Tottenham eleven for certain matches, but insisted that it was normal as he is still learning about the squad.

Van de Ven is not concerned about the teething problems, insisting that every player knows their role under the Dane’s system.

When asked if players are still adapting to Frank’s way of playing, the centre-back responded: “I think it’s all clear. Of course, when there is a new manager, you need to adapt a bit and probably need some time as well. But we know what to do. So it’s not a thing that’s [about a] change of manager, of course. But we know what to do, and that’s most important.”

“Every player that comes into the team has some quality. You have some players who don’t really have the rhythm, but it doesn’t really change anything for me or for the team. Every player that comes in needs to play his best, and I think everyone tries to do that every time he comes into the team.”

Tottenham Hotspur have managed to convince a national team not to call up one of their defenders for the October international fixtures.

Tottenham have been without Radu Dragusin for well over five months now, following the centre-back’s injury back in February during their Europa League tie with Elfsborg.

It was an ACL injury, and his time on the sidelines has been a lengthy one, but Dragusin is now back in training ahead of schedule and edging closer to a long-awaited return.

There is optimism around the club that the 23-year-old could make his way back into first-team action before the year comes to an end, as he continues to work tirelessly towards full fitness.

Tottenham convince Romania to leave Radu Dragusin out of squad

According to a report from The Sun, it is understood Dragusin was named on a preliminary list for Romania’s October international ties.

The Eastern European nation’s World Cup qualifying hopes are on the line, with a friendly tie against Moldova set to follow a crunch clash against Austria.

However, despite the importance of the tie, it is understood that Romania have reached an agreement with Spurs to leave Radu Dragusin out of the proper squad, allowing him to continue his recovery from the serious knee injury that has sidelined him since February.

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Should Romania lose to the Austrians while Bosnia-Herzegovina defeats Cyprus, their hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup finals will be over.

Spurs injury concerns remain under Thomas Frank

There is no fixed date for Dragusin’s full return, but his recovery is progressing well, and there is quiet confidence that he could return quicker than initially expected.

He is not the only Tottenham player currently sidelined, with Thomas Frank also missing Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski from his squad.

A Tottenham Hotspur player was recorded as the fastest player in the first week of the Champions League, and surprisingly, it was not Micky van de Ven.

No player clocked a higher top speed in the Premier League than Micky van de Ven, with the Dutchman being clocked at 37.12km/h in his first season in North London.

The only Spurs player who has even come close was Wilson Odobert, who was clocked at a top speed of 36.36km/h last season.

However, it is a different Tottenham Hotspur player who has registered the highest speed in the first week of the Champions League this term.

Tottenham defender is the quickest in the Champions League this season

According to TBR Football, Djed Spence recorded the highest top speed in the first week of this season’s Champions League. The Tottenham full-back was clocked at 33.4km/h during Spurs’ 1-0 win at home against Villarreal.

That was enough to just about beat Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who was just 0.2km/h slower than Spence.

This may not come as a surprise to anyone at Spurs, as Mikey Moore said a few months ago that Spence is just as quick as Van de Ven.

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Is the Djed Spence at left-back experiment working?

Like Ange Postecoglou, it appears that Thomas Frank has settled on left-back as the former Middlesbrough man’s best position.

The 25-year-old has been unbelievably solid defensively, and such is his confidence that Spence is even openly challenging wingers to beat him in one-v-one situations.

However, the England international is not able to offer much going forward when he is playing on the wrong side, as he is always having to cut inside every time.

That appears to be limiting Spurs down the left, particularly when Frank starts a right-footer like Wilson Odobert or Xavi Simons at left-wing, who also prefer to cut inside.

Thomas Frank has revealed what Tottenham were trying to do in the first half against Bodo/Glimt, and he believes that it worked relatively well, even though the home side were on top.

Bodo/Glimt were the far superior side in the first period at the Aspmyra Stadion, with the game bearing very little resemblance to the last time the two sides met at the venue almost five months ago.

Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to go into the interval with the scores level, with the home side failing to convert a spot-kick and missing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities.

The Lilywhites did well to salvage a point after conceding twice in the first 20 minutes of the second period, but the Spurs boss has made a curious claim about his side’s first-half display.

Thomas Frank reveals what Tottenham’s game plan was in the first-half against Bodo/Glimt

The Tottenham head coach has now admitted that he wanted Spurs to absorb pressure and hit Bodo/Glimt on the counter in the first period while also occasionally using the high press to win the ball up the pitch.

However, he confessed that his side did not make the most of the opportunities they had to break on their home side.

When asked if Tottenham’s plan was to sit back and play on the break in the first period, Frank said (via Football.London): “I think that was what we wanted. Hopefully, you also saw that we went high pressure sometimes. It was not that we never went high-pressure.

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“So the plan was both to go into the high-pressure situations, which we did on several occasions, and also succeed with those situations, and then there were times when we were a little bit more banked in.

“You know, exactly what we were four months ago, because they’re very, very good at what they’re doing. And then I think the counters should have been a little bit better. But I think the main bit was that when we were on the ball, we threw the ball away too quickly.”

Frank reveals if he was surprised by Bodo/Glimt

We know that the Danish coach is meticulous in opposition research, and he admitted that Bodo/Glimt’s play in the first half did not come as a surprise to him and his coaching staff.

However, Frank admitted that the Norwegian side did make a midfield tweak, and he was critical of the way his side defended Bodo’s first goal.

When asked about the home side’s dominance in the first period and if he was surprised by how they approached the game, the former Brentford boss responded: “I think they did exactly what I expected them to do in terms of how they wanted to play out, what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to put our pressure.

“I think the only little tweak was they were a little bit more flexible in the midfield rotation and a little bit more with the wingers coming inside. So that was a little bit more flexible compared to, let’s say, last game. So that was a tweak that maybe created a few problems in the first half, I think a little less in the second half.

“Even that they scored the goals, there were various reasons. Because actually the way we wanted to press, we just decided not to do at the 1-0 goal, even if it’s a fantastic finish from Hogh”

Tottenham Hotspur made the long trip to Norway, hoping to secure another three points in the Champions League, but their performance was simply not good enough.

Concerns were raised when Tottenham Hotspur had to face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final last season. However, Ange Postecoglou’s team played their best football across the two legs and stormed to a 5-1 win on aggregate.

With this in mind, Spurs were expected to triumph once again against the Champions of Norway. Despite this, it was another frustrating match for Thomas Frank and his players, who required yet another late goal to secure a draw.

There is little to be positive about after Tuesday’s game, but we will try and find something while looking at the three winners and losers of Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham.

Mohammed Kudus has nothing to worry about at Spurs

The only thing Mohammed Kudus can be criticised for so far this season is the fact that he is yet to score a goal. Other than that, the winger has been highly impressive since making the switch from West Ham.

He was brought on after an hour when Spurs trailed 1-0 and still managed to complete more dribbles than any other player on the pitch.

Kudus’ performance last night was nothing special, but he will be fancying his chances of comfortably remaining as Tottenham’s first-choice right winger. Wilson Odobert had one or two promising moments, but there are clear limitations to his game, while Brennan Johnson did not offer much in the attack.

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Micky van de Ven wore the captain’s armband

Micky van de Ven is only 24 years old, but he was given the opportunity to captain his team for the first time.

Better still, the defender scored the goal, which got Tottenham back in the game and helped them rescue a point. Fotmob rated van de Ven as the best player in the Spurs team.

However, it was his foul which caused a Tottenham goal to be disallowed and moments later, he received a yellow card after he took his frustration out on an opposition player. Hopefully, the night will have been a good learning experience for van de Ven.

Joao Palhinha will benefit from Tottenham’s midfield display

None of the Spurs midfielders had a great game against Bodo/Glimt, and that could help cement Joao Palhinha’s position in the first-team.

Some have criticised Frank for playing Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, and if only one could be chosen, it would surely be the Portuguese loanee. Bentancur made plenty of defensive contributions on Tuesday, but he gave away a penalty and offered little in attack.

Palhinha scored his second goal of the season to secure a point against Wolves and has impressed with his defensive displays. Tottenham travel to Leeds on Saturday, and it seems inevitable that Palhinha will be named in their starting lineup.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham…

Pedro Porro had a defensive disasterclass

Pedro Porro usually helps increase Tottenham’s creativity, and he certainly did more than Johnson last night. He even got the assist for van de Ven’s goal, which saw Spurs begin their comeback.

However, the 26-year-old’s defensive display brought to mind his struggles during the first half of last season. He lost five of his nine ground duels and was dribbled past four times against Bodo/Glimt.

Porro has been one of Tottenham’s best players during the current calendar year, but he was miles off it in Norway.

Richarlison was invisible for Spurs

Some might say it was Richarlison who applied the pressure to cause Jostein Gundersen’s own goal, but this was his only contribution on the night.

Richarlison played the full 90 minutes and yet managed just 10 touches. He missed one big chance and was barely involved in the game.

Now is the time for the Brazilian to show he is good enough to be Tottenham’s primary centre forward option, but he did not make the most of this opportunity. Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani will both be relishing the chance to put Richarlison back on the bench when they return from their injuries.

Guglielmo Vicario should be dropped by Tottenham

Hugo Lloris was not always consistent during his Tottenham days, but on his day he was world class. Guglielmo Vicario has had some standout moments since joining Spurs, but they are far less common than the Frenchman’s were.

Vicario conceded two goals and made two saves and his goals prevented figure was -0.79, highlighting a poor performance.

The Italian does not need to be benched permanently, but any player performing at his current level should be made to feel some pressure. Antonin Kinsky should be given an opportunity to start in a game which holds importance because Vicario is failing to show he is a reliable shot-stopper.

Micky van de Ven was handed the captain’s armband for the first time under Thomas Frank in Tottenham’s Champions League clash against Bodo/Glimt, and the Dutch defender has now opened up on what it meant to lead the side.

Tottenham Hotspur were staring down the face of a second defeat under new boss Thomas Frank when they travelled to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League.

Spurs found themselves two goals down in the second half after an abysmal first-half showing, where they defended deep and invited wave after wave of pressure from the Norwegian outfit.

Glimt had the best chance of the tie in the first half after they were awarded a penalty following a lazy challenge from Rodrigo Bentancur, but their blushes were spared when Hogh fired over from the spot.

Micky van de Ven opens up on being Tottenham captain in the Champions League

Frank named a new captain for the Champions League tie, with Micky van de Ven taking the armband for the first time this season, leading Tottenham out under the European lights.

It was the Dutchman who pulled one back for Frank’s men when they needed it most, and he has now spoken about what the moment meant to him and his family, reflecting on the pride of captaining the side for the first time.

Speaking to the club’s official channel, Van de Ven said it was a moment of huge personal pride: “Yeah really proud moment happy to help the team as well today and I was hoping for a better performance for our team but I am happy with the point and I am really proud of myself and my family members.”

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When asked if wearing the armband brought added responsibilities, he insisted it did not change his approach: “No no no I just did what I always needed to do that is it yeah.”

The Spurs defence had plenty to do for most of the game. While they battled bravely in the opening forty-five minutes, Glimt’s constant pressure eventually broke through, leaving Tottenham to chase the game before Van de Ven’s crucial response.

Spurs still on course for qualification

Last campaign in the Champions League, four home wins and four away draws were enough for a top-eight finish, with 20 points from eight games proving sufficient.

So far this season, Tottenham have managed one win and a draw away from home; however, if they are to secure automatic qualification to the round of 16, they will need to be ruthless and efficient at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while also picking up one or two more wins on their travels.

In the meantime, though, attention will now turn to the Premier League, where Tottenham are set to face newly promoted Leeds United.

Tottenham secured a 2-2 draw away from home in the Arctic Circle against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night in matchday two of the Champions League.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt:

Spurs show fight but lack consistency

Tottenham Hotspur could not make it two victories from two in the Champions League, as they managed to snatch a 2-2 draw after staring down the barrel of defeat.

It was a poor, dismal and abysmal performance from Thomas Frank’s men in the first half, and they were lucky not to have found themselves behind at the break had Hogh scored his penalty.

One would have expected a response from Frank’s side, but it was more of the same from the Lilywhites, who quickly found themselves two goals down.

However, as we have seen in three of the last four games, Spurs under the Dane do have a way of clawing back a point from these situations, and today was very much similar.

The Lilywhites refused to be beaten even when they went two goals down, showing great fighting spirit to claw their way back.

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But every Tottenham fan would tell you they would rather a solid and consistent performance across both halves, which has been lacking in recent weeks, as we saw against Wolves, Brighton and now Glimt. Still, the positive for Frank is that his players are willing to fight until the death.

Richarlison struggles with just 10 touches for Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham were poor and lacked any real invention in their attacking play tonight, and this lack of attacking intent was summed up in Richarlison’s performance.

Spurs were so ineffective that they struggled to find their number nine, with the Brazil international limited to just 10 touches of the ball all game against Bodo/Glimt.

One of those touches did lead to the equaliser, and ironically, it was a touch that the forward knew little about as Archie Gray’s cross was parried against him before the ball found its way into the back of the net.

Where are Tottenham in the Champions League table?

We are now two games down with six more to go in the league phase of the Champions League. No doubt, for Frank and his men, the ideal scenario would be to qualify automatically by finishing in the top eight, in order to avoid any extra play-off games.

At the moment, with a win and a draw, Spurs find themselves on four points and are currently sat fourth in the Champions League table, although several teams are yet to play their second game.

However, there is no need for panic yet, as last season four home wins and four away draws were enough for a top-eight place. At the moment, Spurs are on course for that, having beaten Villarreal at home and drawn at the Arctic Circle.

Spurs defence shaky as they allow 17 shots on goal

Spurs have been defensively resolute under Thomas Frank in all competitions this season, but today’s outing was anything but that, as they gave up 17 shots on their own goal.

It was a lacklustre performance that saw the Lilywhites drop off, particularly in the first half, inviting Bodo/Glimt to attack, with little pressure put on the ball.

At this level, if they continue to allow that many chances against stronger sides, fighting spirit might count for very little, as a good team could very well be out of sight before Tottenham have the chance to respond.

It is always better to defend by being on the front foot and keeping your opponent as far away from your goal as possible, but that was far from the case tonight, and it was little surprise that Tottenham found themselves two goals down.

Tottenham lack creativity as Xavi Simons left out of number ten role

Yes, it is early days, and there are injuries for Frank to deal with, but the lack of creativity is becoming increasingly glaring with each passing game.

The forwards are simply not scoring enough goals for a side that is supposed to be playing on the front foot.

It seems Tottenham’s best chance of grabbing a goal these days comes from a set piece or a wonder strike, and that is not sustainable.

Spurs need to create clearer chances if they are to score consistently. Bodo/Glimt’s 2.57 xG compared to Tottenham’s 1.46 tells you all you need to know about the type of chances Spurs are creating.

Tottenham do have a number ten in their squad and Frank needs to give Xavi Simons a chance in that role so the Dutchman can quickly acclimatise. All these brief cameos and spells on the left wing are doing little to help.

If Frank keeps reverting to Simons in the ten role when chasing a game, then why is he not starting the 22-year-old there in the first place?