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Everything Alan Shearer said about Tottenham after draw vs Manchester United

Alan Shearer has provided some insight on why Tottenham are struggling at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Manchester United on Saturday, marking a fifth consecutive Premier League game without victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank‘s side were behind before the break, but fought back and looked to have won the game through Richarlison before Matthijs de Ligt headed home a last-gasp equaliser.

Wilson Odobert was hailed for his impact against Manchester United, with the winger providing an assist after coming off the bench.

But Frank was slammed following the draw to Manchester United, with his side now having won just one of their last four matches across all competitions.

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Alan Shearer explains home form failures

Tottenham have lost 41 Premier League games since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, just seven fewer than Arsenal have at the Emirates Stadium, where they moved in 2006.

But Saturday’s match looked as if it could catalyse a turnaround in mood at home for Frank’s side, with the stadium exploding into life after Richarlison scored.

The striker took off his shirt and slid towards the home fans, who roared in response at the Brazilian.

Just five minutes later, however, that same feeling of disappointment would seep back into the stands as De Ligt rose highest to nod home from a late corner.

Tottenham are now without a Premier League win at home since the opening day of the season, when they beat Burnley.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Shearer said: “Well, I think what they have to get used to now under Thomas Frank is that teams are going to come to their stadium, and they’re going to sit and defend, and then they’ve got to try to find and work their way out.

“Whereas when Tottenham are going away from home, teams will attack them and that suits them better.“

The stats behind Tottenham’s terrible home form

Tottenham away and Tottenham at home this season are two completely different teams.

Consider only points picked up at home in the Premier League, and Frank’s side sit 18th in the table -consider only away, and they top it.

Shearer‘s comments certainly provide something to think about. Tottenham have 19 goals in the league this season, but they have registered just 11 expected goals – a tally bettered by 14 Premier League sides.

And many of those chances do come on the counter-attack, explaining the ability to find the net more frequently on the road.

It is a crucial issue that Frank must fix because soon, some sides may well think to sit back and let Tottenham come onto them, even if they are at home.

Theo Walcott was full of praise for the impact Wilson Odobert enjoyed off the bench against Manchester United on Saturday.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Man United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Matthijs de Ligt’s stoppage-time header levelling the scores just minutes after Richarlison had put Thomas Frank‘s side ahead.

Brayn Mbeumo had opened the scoring for the visitors, with the Lilywhites forced to wait until the 84th minute to get back on terms through Mathys Tel.

Joao Palhinha put in an impressive performance against Manchester United, with the Portugal international proving dominant in the midfield battle.

But after a fifth consecutive Premier League match at home without victory, Frank was slammed for his impact at Tottenham.

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Wilson Odobert was ‘absolutely outstanding’

James Maddison was among the plaudits for Odobert after his performance off the bench against Manchester United.

The winger completed 100 per cent of his passes, created two big chances and bagged an assist for Richarlison’s goal in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

It was a faultless performance from the 20-year-old, who also won all four of his duels and completed two successful dribbles.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day on Saturday, Walcott said: “Odobert was absolutely outstanding when he came on.

“A player who has to be able to take risks and play with that freedom and the energy, and that’s what you have to be able to do as a substitute, you need to be able to commit bodies.

“What I like about him, he likes to put the ball in when you have space, he likes to change his game – and this is what I talk about when I talk about not being predictable – when you give players, who are ball-carriers, in this amount of space, Manchester United start dropping.”

Thomas Frank’s decision pays off

It was a woeful first half from Tottenham yet again on Saturday. Frank’s team could not even muster a shot on target and fell behind.

The Dane turned to his bench, bringing on Odobert at the break, Destiny Udogie on in the 67th minute, and Tel on in the 79th.

All three players would finish the game with direct goal contributions as Tottenham fought back, despite ultimately being forced to settle for just a point.

“Trust the manager’s process,” Walcott said. “I think that’s one thing, as fans, you watch games, you’re frustrated in the moment, but look, they’re there for a reason.

“Thomas Frank’s a good manager, he knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s made the right decision there.”

It’s about time we see a 90-minute performance from Spurs at home; it surely can’t be far away.

Xavi Simons’ substitution against Manchester United on Saturday brought controversy.

Tottenham were left heartbroken after drawing 2-2 to Manchester United in the Premier League, right after the Lilywhites thought they had stolen all three points with Richarlison’s late goal in north London.

Wilson Odobert changed the game for Tottenham off the bench, as there were finally plenty of positives for Thomas Frank to take from an attacking point of view on 8 November.

Simons has struggled so far at Spurs and has taken to social media to share a message with fans after being caught in a confusing moment.

Tottenham fans booed Thomas Frank for taking Xavi Simons off

Simons cost Tottenham a lot of money, and with that comes high expectations.

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So far, it seems like the Dutchman is taking a step forward in one game and another step back in the next, as he’s failed to string together any consistency.

After a promising performance in Tottenham’s 4-0 demolition of FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Thursday, Simons went back to square one against Man United.

Frank decided to substitute Simons in the 79th minute for Mathys Tel, who scored five minutes later.

When Simons’ name was said over the tannoy, there were boos, as some thought the frustration was aimed at him.

However, it was actually Tottenham fans booing Frank’s decision to take him off, interestingly, as Simons shared a message on X.

Simons said: “Our time is coming.”

There’s no doubt that Simons has shown glimpses of his high potential, as his own time may be coming, but the midfielder needs to show his talent more regularly.

The international break comes at a perfect time for Spurs and Simons

There were moments against United where Simons picked up the ball in dangerous areas, but most of his positive contributions against the Red Devils came in the defensive aspect.

Tottenham’s next game in the Premier League is a North London derby against current league leaders Arsenal, the perfect time to finally explode into life.

The international break is probably coming at the best time for Spurs, as their form since the October break has not been great.

Tottenham’s form (all competitions) since returning from the October international break:

Simons could also do with a break away from Tottenham, as he is set to feature for the Netherlands in their upcoming final World Cup qualifier fixtures.

The Dutchman will hope to make an impact against Poland and Lithuania, as Tottenham will pray he comes back on top form.

Wilson Odobert’s introduction to the game made all the difference in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Man United.

Tottenham’s dreadful first-half performance led to Thomas Frank bringing on the 20-year-old for Randal Kolo Muani.

After Bryan Mbuemo’s 32nd-minute header left Spurs devoid of any ideas, Mathys Tel brilliantly finished a shot on the turn to level the scores.

Odobert then struck a curling effort goalwards, which was brilliantly headed home by Richarlison in the 91st minute.

Despite Matthijs de Ligt’s last-gasp equaliser, none of the praise should be taken off Odobert’s influence on the match.

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Wilson Odobert faultless vs Man United

Richarlison struggled on the left wing, and it was a matter of time before Odobert would be called upon to be more direct against Man United’s right-hand side.

The French winger was lively throughout, taking on Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo with ease.

Odobert completed 100 per cent of his passes, while winning all four of his ground duels.

Odobert joined Tottenham for £25m from Burnley in 2024, and he struggled with injuries throughout his first season under Ange Postecoglou.

Odobert’s first goal of the season came against Copenhagen in midweek, and with the busy Christmas period on the horizon, his fitness could be crucial to how Tottenham perform.

The 20-year-old has only made three starts in the top flight this season, with only 379 minutes of action under his belt.

It’s clear that he is staking his claim to start consistently for Tottenham, and based on Saturday’s match, it’s hard for Frank to ignore Odobert from now on.

Tottenham were expected to beat Man United ahead of the match, and whilst the draw will be incredibly disappointing, Odobert can take pride in what he produced at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

James Maddison reacts to Wilson Odobert’s performance

Odobert’s ball retention was brilliant last season, completing 84.9 per cent of his total passes.

Frank has rotated several options out on the left-hand side, yet Odobert has proven that he could be the solution after all.

The injured James Maddison watched on in the stands, and praised his teammate’s impact on the game on social media after the match as he posted: “Impact bro.”

Frank has a lot of work to do in Tottenham’s attack as they face difficulties in imposing themselves on opponents who sit back.

With Odobert’s help, the Danish manager could take his side to new levels when it comes to their performances this season.

Daniel Levy left Tottenham earlier this year, but his negligence is still impacting them in the present.

Levy stepped down as Tottenham’s executive chairman in September after 25 years in the role in North London, to the delight of many supporters.

Tottenham supporters regularly held protests about the way that he was running the club, and that led to a divide among the fanbase.

Supporters are united now, hoping Thomas Frank can lead Spurs to glory, but he is still being hampered by Levy’s past decisions, and that was evident in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on 8 November.

Tottenham could have signed Bryan Mbeumo

Tottenham wanted to reunite Bryan Mbeumo with Frank, but his heart was set on a move to the Red Devils.

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The Cameroon international came back to haunt Spurs as he opened the scoring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a neat header.

Perhaps if Levy had not dallied over sacking Ange Postecoglou and hired Frank sooner, the 26-year-old could have been convinced to move to N17 instead.

However, the ENIC figurehead took 16 days to sack the Australian after the Lilywhites’ Europa League win, which ultimately meant that the Old Trafford side had plenty of time to lay the groundwork of a move for the Brentford star.

It looked like his goal would not matter as Mathys Tel and Richarlison put Spurs ahead, but Matthijs de Ligt levelled on 96 minutes.

Levy held Tottenham back on the pitch, but his off-field actions deserve credit

There is no doubt that Levy held Spurs back, in terms of transfers and developments on the pitch, but his off-field impact deserves praise.

He prioritised financial stability and was prudent in the transfer window, and was often criticised for lacking the ambition to take the club to the highest levels.

He delivered a state-of-the-art stadium and facilities, and constantly sought new avenues to increase revenues through that, with concerts and NFL matches.

However, some supporters will not be able to forget the negligence in the market, which was a huge reason for the lack of trophies, especially after Mbeumo’s exploits.

He could have been one of their own, but he is starring for a top-six rival, with Levy once again in the spotlight, despite having no involvement anymore.

Ally McCoist was left amazed by a moment involving Micky van de Ven as Tottenham drew 2-2 with Manchester United on Saturday.

The Lilywhites’ recent struggles on home turf in the Premier League continued, as Matthijs de Ligt headed home a stoppage-time equaliser after Spurs thought they had completed a remarkable turnaround.

Cristian Romero was excellent for Tottenham despite the defeat, but strong performances were ultimately too few and far between across the board for the North Londoners.

It was yet another frustrating afternoon in N17 for Thomas Frank’s men, and Van de Ven was ridiculed by his own supporters for a moment during the game.

Tottenham fans boo Van de Ven after Champions League wondergoal

Van de Ven scored a wondergoal for Tottenham in their 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League in midweek.

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The centre-back carried the ball from one box to the other before producing an expert finish to beat the visitors’ goalkeeper in what will go down as one of the great goals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Dutchman was back at the heart of the defence from the start against United on Saturday lunchtime, and the Spurs fans produced a humorous response to one particular moment during his first-half display.

Van de Ven sidestepped a United player who was pressing him just inside his own half, and the Tottenham faithful jokingly booed their star as he laid the ball off in the aftermath, rather than trying to repeat his European heroics.

The incident was picked up on by Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist during TNT Sports’ live coverage of the game, with the latter left amazed by the reaction from the stands.

“They’re booing him!” McCoist pointed out, while laughing in the commentary box.

Fletcher responded by adding: “We all thought the same thing.”

The pair then agreed that the sense of humour from the supporters was “fantastic.”

Van de Ven’s goalscoring exploits are a concern for Spurs

Van de Ven is Tottenham’s top goalscorer so far this season, both in terms of Premier League action and in all competitions.

While it is an invaluable bonus for a manager to have a goalscoring centre-back of his quality, it must also be a major concern for Frank to see that he leads the team in that aspect at the moment.

The fact that nobody has surpassed Van de Ven’s six goals so far this season is a fairly damning reflection on the attacking options that the North Londoners possess at the moment.

Frank will love it if he continues in this vein of form throughout the season, but he will also be well aware that he needs contributions from elsewhere as well.

Matthijs de Light felt Tottenham got “lucky” during Saturday’s enthralling 2-2 draw with Manchester United

Bryan Mbuemo’s first-half header was cancelled out by Mathys Tel‘s 84th-minute strike, before Richarlison’s improvised header sent Thomas Frank’s side on their way to the win.

However, with seconds left on the clock, De Ligt rose highest to claim a valuable point for the Red Devils.

The result sees Tottenham go into third place in the Premier League table, whilst Man United move above Chelsea into seventh.

On reflection, Tottenham’s draw to Man United was a fair result, yet De Ligt has complained about Tel’s equalising goal.

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Matthijs de Ligt makes foolish comments about Mathys Tel’s goal

Spurs were dreadful in the first half, and Frank will be under pressure at Tottenham for how his side started the match.

Tel’s brilliant turn and finish took a nick off the Dutch defender before flying into the back of the net to give Tottenham a lifeline.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, De Ligt was adamant that Tel’s equaliser was down to good fortune.

He said: “Luckily, we got a point. I think we deserved more the way we played. I felt the second half, we were a little tired. We didn’t get the chance to get out of our half.

“Their first goal was a bit lucky, I’m a bit upset about that, but I’m proud of how the team fought back and got a point at a difficult stadium.”

As seen by the stats above, Spurs came to life in the second half, and there is no doubt that they were deserving of at least a draw on Saturday.

Poor defending from crosses were their downfall against Man United, and as a result, Tottenham’s worrying record at home has continued.

Tel’s second goal of the season has come at an excellent time after spending the last four matches on the bench.

The French forward’s sharp touch allowed him to gain a bit of space, and it’s down to skill, not luck, that De Ligt could only deflect the strike past goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

One win from six Premier League home games is far from good enough, and it’s clear that they still have a long way to go under Frank.

Tottenham’s performance still good enough vs Man United

Whilst De Ligt is clearly wrong in saying Man United should have won, for the first 45 minutes, Spurs were once again performing well below par.

There was little invention or ingenuity in Tottenham’s creative play, and the visitors found it quite easy to deal with their threat for much of the game.

Performances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been dreadful throughout the campaign, with defeats to Chelsea, Aston Villa and Bournemouth denting what would have been an otherwise fantastic start to the season.

Trips to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain await after the international break, and Frank’s side will be severely punished if they continue to play with such lethargy.

Joao Palhinha has made Jamie Carragher’s recent comments look silly after his performance for Tottenham in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

The Lilywhites made it five games without a win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the league, as they haven’t tasted league victory at their N17 home since the opening day of the season.

Tottenham thought they had turned the game around on Saturday as late goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison had seemingly given them all three points.

However, Matthijs de Ligt stepped up with a header in the dying embers of stoppage time to ensure that the points were shared.

Palhinha came under scrutiny during the week, but he quickly disproved Carragher’s suggestion with his display at the weekend.

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Joao Palhinha rubbishes Jamie Carragher lack of quality claim

Palhinha has been largely excellent for Tottenham since his arrival on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer, and there has been hardly any criticism come his way so far this term.

However, that was until Monday night, when Carragher took a swipe at the Portuguese during his analysis of Spurs’ defeat to Chelsea on Monday Night Football.

The Sky Sports pundit was hugely critical of the North Londoners’ display against their bitter rivals, and even Palhinha didn’t escape the accusations made by the former Liverpool defender.

The 47-year-old suggested that the Spurs midfielder doesn’t possess the required level of quality on the ball to play defence-splitting passes and drive his team forward by playing direct balls through the lines.

It is fair to say that Palhinha made Carragher look silly with those statements through his performance on Saturday, as he completed nine passes into the final third during the game, a tally which was only bettered by Pedro Porro among the Spurs ranks.

The former Fulham man also showcased his typical energy in the draw with United, as he won four tackles and was also successful in 70 per cent of his ground duels in a typically battling display in the middle of the park.

Thomas Frank was right to back Joao Palhinha at Tottenham

Thomas Frank opted to start Palhinha for Tottenham in Saturday’s game, and he was rewarded for that decision by another excellent display from his loan star.

The Dane was asked about Carragher’s comments in his pre-match press conference, and as expected, he stood by his midfield star and chose to highlight the other elements of Palhinha’s game that have made a huge difference to his team.

It was an unsurprisingly sensible response from Frank, who is clearly aware that his team’s creative issues of late should not fall onto the shoulders of a combative, box-to-box midfielder.

Palhinha does invaluable work in the midfield for his team, and his importance to the team is highlighted by the fact that Spurs already want to turn his move into a permanent one.

Richard Keys made a more than valid point about Thomas Frank as he spoke out during Tottenham’s dramatic draw with Manchester United on Saturday.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Man United started off rather quietly until Bryan Mbuemo opened the scoring in the first half with a smart header from Amad Diallo’s brilliant cross.

Substitute Mathys Tel brilliantly levelled up the scoring in the 84th minute with a brilliant touch and finish, before Richarlison diverted a header past Man United goalkeeper Senne Lammens to send the fans into delirium.

However, Matthijs de Ligt rose highest to equalise for the visitors in the 96th minute, breaking the hearts of the supporters who thought they’d gotten over the line.

With Tottenham’s woeful record at home under scrutiny ahead of the match, the draw still leaves them with questions to be answered, and Keys was on hand to deliver a damning verdict on Frank’s reign at Tottenham.

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Richard Keys slams Thomas Frank’s impact at Tottenham

The result sees the Lilywhites go into third place in the Premier League table, whilst Man United move above Chelsea into seventh.

Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea sparked demands for an improvement at home, yet they started the game incredibly poorly once again.

Speaking on beIN SPORT at half-time, Keys tore into Spurs’ performance up to that point and heaped criticism on Frank.

He said: “Dreadful from Tottenham. Dreadful. I don’t understand Thomas Frank. Is he overawed by his surroundings?

“Has he become Spursy? I never saw Brentford play like this. Ever.”

Mbuemo’s 32nd-minute header capitalised on terrible Spurs defending, and it summed up a first-half performance that Frank will be furious with.

Frank will find himself under pressure once again, despite having registered some brilliant wins on the road.

Tottenham have only won one Premier League game at home this season, and supporters are far from impressed with what they’re currently seeing under Frank.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been anything but a fortress, and Frank failed to galvanise the crowd with a consistent performance that they could have been proud of.

Frank oversees terrible stat that Ange Postecoglou didn’t manage

Frank was clearly furious with his attacking players and brought Wilson Odobert on at half-time to replace Randal Kolo Muani.

The draw to Man United marked the second game in a row that Tottenham have failed to register a shot on target in the first half of a match.

This happened only once last season, and it’s a staggering stat given the fact that Spurs finished 17th under Ange Postecoglou in 2024-25.

Another cause for concern is that Tottenham never looked like scoring in that first half, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen that this season.

Frank’s side had just three touches in the opposition box during the first 45 minutes, their joint-fewest in a Premier League home game over the last ten seasons.

Dropped points to a fellow top-five rival for the second week running is a huge blow for Tottenham, and Frank must amend the poor home form after the international break.

Keith Hackett has suggested Tottenham could be investigated by the Premier League if Manchester United file a complaint about the state of the playing surface.

Tottenham’s clash against Manchester United ended in a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Bryan Mbeumo was on the scoresheet for United, with a performance that surely made Spurs supporters regret not signing him over the summer.

Meanwhile, Mathys Tel found the back of the net for Spurs, seven minutes before full-time and Richarlison netted what looked to be the winner before Matthijs de Ligt popped up.

De Ligt levelled the score for United in what was a dramatic conclusion, and it may now only get worse for Spurs moving forward.

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Concerns over Tottenham playing surface vs Man United

A point was made via talkSPORT during the game on 8 November that Tottenham’s playing surface did not look up to standard.

Indeed, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is known for its multi-purpose use, with multiple NFL games being staged there of late.

Former FIFA official and head of PGMOL Hackett exclusively told Tottenham News that Spurs could face an investigation if Man United lodge a complaint.

“I recall officiating on almost what resembled a ploughed field in those early years of my career,” the former PGMOL chief said.

“To see the development of playing surfaces to the level that they achieve is remarkable.

“There’s been serious investment in the infrastructure and then the ongoing work of the ground officers.

“But if any complaints are made by Man United about the playing surface, Spurs will no doubt be investigated. This is one of the problems for modern stadiums that hold multi-events.”

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium atmosphere an issue

Tottenham are facing more challenges than a potential investigation when it comes to their home stadium.

Indeed, Guglielmo Vicario criticised the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s atmosphere after their dreadful performance in Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Furthermore, the age of fans travelling to the stadium has been highlighted as part of the issues, and it has been suggested that Tottenham should follow PSG’s model of having a section for younger fans with tickets at a cheaper price.

Either way, with 10 defeats in the calendar year and counting, something needs to change in North London.