Tottenham’s Struggles Under Coach Frank: A Reflection on the North London Derby

omidbasir- Head coach Frank expressed his confidence heading into the north London derby, yet Arsenal easily outclassed Tottenham, who managed a meager Expected Goals tally of just 0.07 and a mere three shots on target. Following the defeat on Sunday, the former Brentford manager, who recently took the helm at Spurs on a three-year contract, extended his apologies to the traveling fans.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Frank admitted, “I think it is extremely painful. I won’t shy away from that. It was a poor performance, completely contrary to our intentions for this match. We must apologize to the fans for how we played. Regardless of the teams’ aspirations, Arsenal capitalized on their opportunities while we failed to do so. When we opted for a longer game, we lost too many duels, which was evident in the build-up to both the second and third goals. It was a disappointing performance and a loss we cannot overlook. I have seen resilience and determination in this team, but we simply did not win enough duels. We can label it however we wish, but that remains the truth.”

According to reports from The Telegraph, Tottenham is committed to providing Frank with ample time to rectify the situation. However, concerns have emerged regarding his frequent changes to the lineup, which some believe are complicating the team’s consistency and creativity. Players have expressed a desire for Frank to focus more on their strengths rather than overly adjusting to the opposition’s style, though it remains unclear how widespread this sentiment is. The club’s owners, the Lewis family, are focused on long-term success under Frank, indicating that they are not considering immediate drastic changes. Notably, Frank has made 29 alterations to his starting XI in the Premier League this season, ranking third in the league for the most changes, behind Wolves and Chelsea.

Frank shared that he attempted to replicate the tactics that had previously worked against Paris Saint-Germain in their UEFA Super Cup loss in August, but the outcome was an “extremely bad” performance.

He reflected, “This is a particularly difficult defeat to accept. We are all feeling emotional and frustrated, and it is essential to analyze this with calm minds. I was very confident going into the match, believing we could be competitive, yet we fell short, which is disappointing. We aimed to implement a strategy that had proven successful against PSG, but today it did not come together. I take full responsibility for my decisions, and when the results do not align with our goals, that falls on me. We adjusted at half-time, but I am certain that regardless of the formation, if we do not win enough duels or display sufficient aggression, it will not matter how we set up.”

The challenges continue for Tottenham as they prepare to face defending Champions League holders PSG following their defeat to league leaders Arsenal. One critical area Frank aims to improve is their lack of offensive creativity.

He stated, “This lack of creativity has been a recurring theme that we are diligently working to address. The performance today, as well as against Chelsea, does not reflect our potential. There are numerous aspects of the game that we must enhance. We are four months into this journey, while other teams are much further along, which was evident today. Naturally, there will be criticism; we faced our fiercest rivals and suffered a heavy defeat. However, we must block out the noise and concentrate on our objectives. I know this team is competitive, as demonstrated against Manchester City and PSG. While today’s result was disappointing, it is not representative of our capabilities.”