What Micky van de Ven did in Spurs' hotel corridor, Joao Palhinha deal explained and Muani truth
Thomas Frank's first North London Derby at the helm of Spurs was not quite what anyone imagined.
It was the first such game to be played outside of the English capital and if anyone expected a pre-season encounter between Tottenham and Arsenal to be a friendly affair, then that idea was dispelled within minutes in front of a record crowd of 49,975 inside the air-conditioned Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong with its roof closed.
Tackles flew in from both sides, Cristian Romero nutmegged the diving Kai Havertz who in turn crashed into Djed Spence, Pedro Porro pushed Mikel Arteta away so he could take a throw-in and Richarlison did...well you know what Richarlison does.
And for those who assumed that Arsenal would steamroll Spurs with some of their £200million-plus summer spending on show including Frank favourite Christian Norgaard starting and Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi all coming off the bench, then they would have been mistaken.
Spurs always look better when they can get Romero and Micky van de Ven in the centre of the backline together and those two, allied with a strong defensive unit around them with the 4-2-3-1 formation, kept Arsenal's Saka, Havertz, Martinelli, Odegaard and Rice at bay to such a degree that Guglielmo Vicario did not have a save to make.
Instead it was Spurs who had the better chances, hitting the woodwork three times in the first half alone.
Porro's corner curled past everyone and hit the right-hand post with David Raya watching helplessly. Then Wilson Odobert drove into the box and his ever so slightly deflected low shot struck the same upright before the subsequent corner bounced against the left-hand post, then hit Richarlison and deflected up and over off the crossbar.
Then came the winning goal, which was a pre-season beauty, albeit one that probably would have been ruled out in the Premier League.
There was what looked like a foul in the build-up from Richarlison on Myles Lewis-Skelly, but that did not detract from the perfect technique of Pape Matar Sarr's finish from just over the halfway line as he clipped the ball up and over David Raya and into the Arsenal net after spotting the keeper off his line.
It brought back memories of Harry Kane's halfway line pre-season strike against Juventus years before.
Neither side created much in the second half as the changes came but if anyone should have added another to the scoreline it was Spurs after the hour mark. Following some quick feet from substitute Mathys Tel down the left, the Frenchman swung in a cross that Micky van de Ven managed to head wide from a good position.
Under Frank, the Spurs players have been put through individual training drills where they have to deal with a series of shots from all angles sent towards mini goals in a small space. The aim is for them to react, slide and stop everything that comes their way and prevent any shot from any angle reaching the back of those nets.
It has become something of a competition and it's not just the defenders but also the midfielders and attackers who take part. Everybody in Frank's team must be willing to throw their body on the line at a split-second's notice to keep the opposition out.
That was on full display against Arsenal and football.london asked the new Spurs head coach whether those sessions had already reaped their rewards in a game like this.
"Yeah, that is very pleasing of course. I think we have been very clear that this was not a friendly. It felt like a competitive match," he said. "I think you saw it was competitive and if you played in it it was competitive.
"Some of the bits we have been working hard on is the combination of defensive organisation so high pressure, middle, low so there are clear principles and that desire to keep a clean sheet because that gives you a bigger opportunity to win matches."
Frank banged the table with his hand midway through that answer to fully underline the need for defensive organisation.
"I think for the team we are building together, all the positive results or performances you can get just reinforce the messages we try to get into the players and the team feel that," he added.
"That desire to defend was good. First half in general we played very good overall. Second half I felt we defended a bit too much. But that was good and the set-pieces I think were good as well. We defended very well but were also very dangerous."
This was another disciplined 1-0 victory for Tottenham that brought silverware, albeit the pre-season Herbalgy Trophy rather than something on the level of the Europa League they lifted in May.
The Spurs players looked somewhat awkward about this one, not entirely sure how much to celebrate it, they had beaten Arsenal after all but this wasn't exactly the kind of final to remember.
Captain for the day Romero had to essentially wrestle Son Heung-min as he put the armband on the South Korean ahead of the trophy lift. It was probably a combination of respect for the club skipper but also not really wanting to be the one who decided just how vociferous or low key the lift was amid the ticker tape.
Frank admitted that he is still to decide on the captaincy for the season ahead. Romero at this point is more likely than not to be a Spurs player for the season ahead but Son's future remains unclear.
The Tottenham boss said he would make his decision on who wears the armband by the time the first competitive game rolls around.
"Yeah that is to be confirmed. I haven't taken the decision yet," admitted the Dane. "I'd like to understand the group of players a little bit more. I know I need to make a decision before the first official game against PSG in the Super Cup so I will do that. It's natural that both Romero and Son are captains so we kept it likewise."
There were various positives from Tottenham's performance on this night in Hong Kong. The patterns of play are now starting to show in the way the team gets the ball out of defence and into attacking situations.
The 4-2-3-1 formation protects the backline more although there were occasions when the space between the midfield and the front four was too big and gave Arsenal room to operate in. The movement of the number 10 is going to be key in Frank's system.
Former Arsenal coach Andreas Georgson's work on the set pieces at both ends of the pitch was clear to see.
Spurs never looked like conceding at their end against a team renowned for their ability from such situations. At the other end of the pitch, Tottenham in contrast always looked a threat from their corners and two of those woodwork moments came from them.
Individually and as a unit the back four all looked sharp. Romero led the line and has been a very vocal presence on this tour so far, rather than someone desperate to get away. Van de Ven appears to be in a good place physically in this moment while Porro looked comfortable with his defending in a system which has less need to bomb on constantly for the full-backs.
With another problem for Destiny Udogie, as he deals with a knee injury, Djed Spence again looked the part at left-back as he dealt well on the whole with Bukayo Saka. football.london understands talks are in the early stages between the Spurs full-back and the club over a second new contract within 12 months and it's testament to his hard work during that time to grab his Tottenham career out of the bin.
Rodrigo Bentancur also looks to be playing for his new contract to replace the current one he has with 12 months remaining and there is Sarr, who Frank told football.london had caught his eye since he arrived.
"An unbelievable goal. Fantastic, well taken. All the credit to Pape. He has impressed me I must admit. He has been really good in the last four weeks," said the Dane.
Mohammed Kudus again showed that he's going to be a handful for opposition defences and will bring a bit of magic to Tottenham's attacking play. Arsenal looked concerned every time the Ghana international got on the ball as he ran this way and that, proving increasingly difficult to get the ball off.
"I think he was really good today, Kudus. His hold-up play, the way he takes hold of the ball in tricky situations," said Frank. "His one-vs-one skills, his creating opportunities for the team was top class. On top of that I think he's working extremely hard and there was a recovery run from a set piece when he was straining all the way back and he won the ball back.
"That's how he can help the team so much. He will make a lot of the fans excited with his offensive actions and he will also help the team defensively."
The 24-year-old is certainly going to get the Tottenham supporters off of their seats. The key for him will be consistency in the end product once he has bewitched the opposition as well as others making the most of the space he creates as he draws defenders to him.
The same goes for Wilson Odobert who had a couple of positive moments, including hitting the post, but was replaced by the stronger, more direct Tel who fashioned that big chance for Van de Ven.
Richarlison looks to be pain-free which is all that anyone wants for a player who makes an impact when available.
Lucas Bergvall was pushed into the number 10 role and got caught sometimes between being too deep or stuck high up the pitch and leaving space in behind him, When on the ball though, the Swede - one sloppy pass aside - constantly gave Arsenal something to think about.
Frank was repeatedly speaking to his players both as a group and individually during breaks in play and explained some of what he was saying afterwards.
"A few different bits. It could be in our phase one building up, we wanted Micky a little bit lower so there was an out-ball that way or it could be if we go a little bit longer we want Lucas higher. So more tactical instructions," he explained.
There is still plenty to do at Tottenham though and the need for increased quality is clear for the heavy schedule ahead while also removing those around the edge of the squad, an Achilles Heel for Spurs for years.
There are a number of players out injured, including Dominic Solanke who Frank told football.london will return from his ankle injury if not for Sunday in South Korea against Newcastle then the Super Cup against PSG the following week.
Despite the absences the squad was so big and the need to give most players 75 minutes or the full 90 that younger players like Will Lankshear, Jun'ai Byfield and Luca Gunter were not even in the matchday squad, having done their own intensive session in the heat on Thursday to ensure they were kept ticking over.
Back at home, Mikey Moore is set to move to Scottish giants Rangers on loan to give him the regular football he needs to develop, with further European experience to boot. A new contract will arrive for the youngster when he turns 18 this month.
Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett will also join him in leaving the club and their own current contract situations with two years left each means a decision is coming in the not-too-distant future over their long term future.
A new face is set to arrive at Spurs in the shape of Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha to add a specialist in the number six role Frank wants rather than more all round midfielders taking on the position. Palhinha is not expected to join up with the final days of the tour and instead meet them before.
As with Josh Keeley taking on Spurs immediately after leaving for Luton, so Palhinha's first game for Tottenham could be against Bayern.
Spurs were always keen to strike a loan deal for the 30-year-old rather than a big fee up front for a player who did not start a lot of matches last season for Bayern in the Bundesliga, with injury among the reasons.
It is similar to the deal for Tel with the Bavarian giants in being a try before you buy offer with a 30million euro option for Spurs at the end of the season.
If Tottenham get the Palhinha who shone for Fulham in the Premier League then it's going to look like a bargain. The Portuguese, who will have his wages covered by Spurs, is a tough tackler with the composure on the ball to start attacks and he could prove to be a strong, disciplined and experienced presence to allow the likes of Bentancur, Sarr and Bergvall to roam.
Norgaard, who Frank embraced at the final whistle, would likely have been the Dane's first choice for the role as he adores his compatriot, but Palhinha will bring a lot of the same qualities as the former Brentford man.
Along with Kudus, Palhinha is also another Premier League proven player ready to hit the ground running.
With his age and the potentially shorter-term nature of the deal it also allows Archie Gray another year to develop into that position. The 19-year-old could probably do with a loan move to aid that but his versatility and the aesthetics of loaning out your second-biggest signing of last summer is not a good one. It's essentially admitting a £40million signing wasn't ready.
Palhinha's arrival suggests Tottenham are confident of moving Yves Bissouma out of the club as the Mali international is now in the final 11 months of his contract. Frank has made it clear that Bentancur is someone he really likes and the incoming Palhinha, along with Sarr and Bergvall's ability leave Bissouma as the odd man out.
Spurs also must start filtering out players who cannot be registered in their Champions League squad due to them only having 21 spots available for non club-trained players and they will accept reasonable bids for Bissouma.
The need for another full-back also looks clear, particularly with Udogie's increasingly concerning amount of time in the treatment room over recent seasons.
A number 10 is also required after the failure to land Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest and the absence of Dejan Kulusevski beyond the first month of the coming season. James Maddison only played his first handful of minutes in pre-season after returning from his knee injury so will need to be broken in gently.
The loan deal for Palhinha keeps the money bid on Gibbs-White available for an advanced playmaker.
At this stage Frank has publicly ruled out the need for another attacker and the renewed links to Randal Kolo Muani are believed to be wide of the mark.
What happens next with Son and potentially Richarlison will decide whether the north London club do yet dip into the market for another front man.
There is an awareness around Tottenham that those at the top of the Premier League have spent far more than them so far, even if the failed Gibbs-White deal would have closed that gap somewhat.
That transfer would have put them in a stronger, earlier position with Frank's squad and now they are having to play catch-up and move to other targets with the money there and available.
There is also the need for the Dane to continue to appraise his squad which could make for more later deals than would have been required for a manager not in his first summer at the club.
For now though Frank has started to get Tottenham playing an early version of how he wants them to play. It brought a first trophy lift even if everyone concerned knows that it was nothing to celebrate.
There is something though about lifting a cup that can become instinct. In a corridor at Spurs' luxurious hotel in Hong Kong, between the players' rest and dinner areas and a conference room, was a replica of the Europa League trophy.
Visitors to that secure area gazed at the gleaming piece of silverware in awe while some reporters might just have taken a photo with it while waiting to interview a group of players.
During that moment, Micky van de Ven emerged from one of the doors, marched over to the trophy, grabbed it and held it above his head, mimicking a crowd roar with his mouth. When football.london pointed out that this scene all felt very familiar, the Dutchman grinned proudly, fully aware of that night in Bilbao and the subsequent party in N17.
For winning trophies does become a habit if built upon and that is exactly what Thomas Frank and Tottenham need to do in the weeks, months and hopefully years ahead.
