Frank’s Reflection on Tottenham’s Disappointing Derby Performance

omidbasir- Head coach Frank acknowledged his confidence heading into the North London derby; however, Arsenal comfortably defeated Tottenham, who recorded an Expected Goals tally of only 0.07 with just three shots on target. Following the match, the former Brentford manager, who joined Spurs on a three-year contract over the summer, expressed his apologies to the traveling fans.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he stated, “It is extremely painful. I won’t shy away from that. It was a poor performance, completely contrary to our intentions when we came here. We can only apologize to the fans for how we played. Regardless of both teams’ efforts, Arsenal capitalized on our weaknesses. When we resorted to long balls, we failed to win enough duels, as demonstrated by the second and third goals, where an opponent maneuvered past two or three of our players. It was a disappointing performance, and we lost. I have observed character and determination in this team, but we simply did not win enough duels. We can label it however we wish, but the result remains the same.”

According to reports from The Telegraph, Tottenham is inclined to provide Frank with ample time to rectify the situation; however, there are concerns that his frequent changes to the lineup may be complicating matters. The reports suggest that Frank’s numerous rotations have contributed to inconsistencies and a lack of creativity. Some players are reportedly advocating for Frank to emphasize the team’s strengths over the opposition’s, though it remains unclear how prevalent this sentiment is. The club’s owners, the Lewis family, are focused on long-term success under Frank’s leadership, indicating that immediate decisions are not being considered. Notably, Frank has made 29 changes to his starting XI in the Premier League this season, ranking third in the league behind Wolves (39) and Chelsea (31).

Frank mentioned that he aimed to implement the same tactics that Tottenham employed in their UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in August, but the outcome was an “extremely bad” performance.

He reflected, “This is a very tough defeat to digest. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to approach this with a sense of calm. I was confident going into the game that we could be competitive, and we simply weren’t, which is disappointing. We attempted a strategy that had previously been successful against PSG, but it failed today. I take full responsibility for my decisions, and when things do not go as planned, that is on me. We adjusted at half-time, but I am certain that regardless of the formation, if we do not win enough duels or exhibit enough aggression, the formation becomes irrelevant.”

The challenges do not ease for Tottenham, as they will face defending Champions League holders PSG following their loss to league leaders Arsenal. One area Frank is keen to address is the team’s lack of attacking prowess.

He stated, “This lack of creativity has been a persistent issue that we are diligently working to correct. Our performance today, as well as against Chelsea, did not reflect our aspirations. There are numerous areas where we need to improve. We are four months into this journey, while other teams are further along, as was evident today. Naturally, there will be criticism after losing to our biggest rivals. However, we must remain focused and block out the noise. I believe this team is competitive, as shown in our matches against Manchester City and PSG. Yes, today was disappointing and not good enough.”