Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Bedfordspurs]

No mate, I don't listen to other podcasts.
I do think that there are many supporters who would want this sort of approach.

Look, I even like the idea of 3-5-2 if it is used to get an extra creative onto the pitch and we send the wing-backs high. If caught on the hop, Palhinha slips into a four and VdV goes to LB cover with Romero RB cover. However I must accept that this manager, indeed many in the modren game, see 3-5-2 as 5 at the back.

Safety first at all costs
That what it looks like
They said on the VFTK pod that if we’d signed eze the way we were set up yesterday ether would have been a real chance he would have been on the bench
Strange and one we would never know
But I get the logic of the comment
As I said, he can’t have joined the club with a plan for Kulu and Maddison because they were injured before he joined weren’t they
And Solanke has been out for all bar a few games bein* injured since late august
So what’s the plan….

 

[billyiddo]

@thfcsteff - A midfield 2 of Bergvall and Palinha (away to one of the best sides in Europe no less) gets totally overrun.

IMV people are getting yesterday wrong, we didn't play 532 it was 523 - Palinha + Bentancur in the middle with two AMs/WFs in front with Richarlison.

We needed an additional CM to make up for the shortfall of creativity and give us a fighting chance in terms numbers, 2 of Sarr Bergvall Bentancur alongside Palinha, instead of a third CB would have been a better option IMV, 523 vs 4231 with our options and the result/performance doesn’t change.

 

[DubSpur]

@thfcsteff - A midfield 2 of Bergvall and Palinha (away to one of the best sides in Europe no less) gets totally overrun.

IMV people are getting yesterday wrong, we didn't play 532 it was 523 - Palinha + Bentancur in the middle with two AMs/WFs in front with Richarlison. Sacrificing the additional CB for another player in the attacking positions does not address that issue.

Sacrificing a CB for a CM would've addressed the main problem, getting totally overrun in midfield. We couldn't get a foothold with two non-ball playing midfielders and were just constantly coughing up possession.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

@thfcsteff - A midfield 2 of Bergvall and Palinha (away to one of the best sides in Europe no less) gets totally overrun.

IMV people are getting yesterday wrong, we didn't play 532 it was 523 - Palinha + Bentancur in the middle with two AMs/WFs in front with Richarlison. Sacrificing the additional CB for another player in the attacking positions does not address that issue.

100% right about the set up
And as I said to my mates that okaying Spence over Porro meant one less passing player too

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

@thfcsteff - A midfield 2 of Bergvall and Palinha (away to one of the best sides in Europe no less) gets totally overrun.

IMV people are getting yesterday wrong, we didn't play 532 it was 523 - Palinha + Bentancur in the middle with two AMs/WFs in front with Richarlison. Sacrificing the additional CB for another player in the attacking positions does not address that issue.

You’re right on shape, but it still gets at the core issue people have. In possession he’s done 5-2-3, 4-2-4 and 4-1-5. In each of those instances there is nominally a potential mismatch, overload, or at least getting them going backwards with equal numbers defending our attackers.

The issue is, there doesn’t seem to be any plan to get the ball to them, there’s a massive gap and it’s relying on direct balls to bring them into play. We have absolutely nothing going on in phase 2. And so far it’s really easy to nullify. Teams know we aren’t going to progress through midfield. They know the limitations of Palinha and Bentancur. And we have played into that ourselves by not trying to counter and trying to rest with the ball when we win it.

Something needs to change. It is pretty drastically not working, and I worry that our players just won’t stand for playing like this for much longer. Not because Frank’s ideas are unworkable, but because culturally they don’t suit our squad.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

100% right about the set up
And as I said to my mates that okaying Spence over Porro meant one less passing player too

I didn’t hate Spence over Porro, as I assumed it was about height vs their set pieces. And hey…they didn’t score from a set piece!

We would lack passing from Spence but gain carrying…still could have worked in possession if we had any intention whatsoever to do anything with it.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

You’re right on shape, but it still gets at the core issue people have. In possession he’s done 5-2-3, 4-2-4 and 4-1-5. In each of those instances there is nominally a potential mismatch, overload, or at least getting them going backwards with equal numbers defending our attackers.

The issue is, there doesn’t seem to be any plan to get the ball to them, there’s a massive gap and it’s relying on direct balls to bring them into play. We have absolutely nothing going on in phase 2. And so far it’s really easy to nullify. Teams know we aren’t going to progress through midfield. They know the limitations of Palinha and Bentancur. And we have played into that ourselves by not trying to counter and trying to rest with the ball when we win it.

Something needs to change. It is pretty drastically not working, and I worry that our players just won’t stand for playing like this for much longer. Not because Frank’s ideas are unworkable, but because culturally they don’t suit our squad.

The players have shown their views in varying ways already
The Chelsea example for one and yesterday we had Vics comments afterwards which in isolation are generic but they aren’t the first time he has talked about a lack of fight

 

[billyiddo]

Sacrificing a CB for a CM would've addressed the main problem, getting totally overrun in midfield. We couldn't get a foothold with two non-ball playing midfielders and were just constantly coughing up possession.

Yes - I had edited my post before seeing your response saying as much. An additional CB vs additional Attacker makes no odds when we line up with any 2 of our available CMs. It has to be 3

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I didn’t hate Spence over Porro, as I assumed it was about height vs their set pieces. And hey…they didn’t score from a set piece!

We would lack passing from Spence but gain carrying…still could have worked in possession if we had any intention whatsoever to do anything with it.

Yep
But with the lack of passing in midfield you need it somewhere else

 

[Muttley]

Yep
But with the lack of passing in midfield you need it somewhere else

You need it on the training ground. If it is not there, then you won't see it on match day.

I'd love to know how much one-touch / two-touch football they do in training in central areas. Does Frank and his coaches stop the sessions and remind them to play the long balls and the channels if the one touch pass and move football begins from these players?

 

[Bedfordspurs]

You need it on the training ground. If it is not there, then you won't see it on match day.

I'd love to know how much one-touch / two-touch football they do in training in central areas. Does Frank and his coaches stop the sessions and remind them to play the long balls and the channels if the one touch pass and move football begins from these players?

No idea
My nephew was at the training ground with the under 16s and 18s at the weekend as he works for derby but is a spurs fan
He said the technical difference between the teams was nothing but the physical side was huge even at that age group
And frank is already talking about physicality and athleticism as a key thing he wants

 

[glasgowspur]

100% right about the set up
And as I said to my mates that okaying Spence over Porro meant one less passing player too

Another thing I don't understand is with the tactics we were playing poro with his passing, delivery and crossing is far superior to spence.
If we're looking for a fast counter or set piece chance poro is the player.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Another thing I don't understand is with the tactics we were playing poro with his passing, delivery and crossing is far superior to spence.
If we're looking for a fast counter or set piece chance poro is the player.

And Porro like Spence had a rest on international duty for different reasons
But I’m told Porro can’t defend ….
And he did have a mare vs united

 

[Baleforce]

Another thing I don't understand is with the tactics we were playing poro with his passing, delivery and crossing is far superior to spence.
If we're looking for a fast counter or set piece chance poro is the player.

Spence is taller and more physical defensively.

 

[El Dante]

Good lord mate. I agree the losses were awful. But Thomas Frank out no no no. Things are not that bad yet.

0.07xG away at our main rival? That isn’t bad enough. No passion, no energy, no creativity. Playing a back 7 and yet they score repeatedly through the centre which is the one area we should have numerical advantage. We were heavily outplayed by Monaco and could have lost by a similar scoreline.

We are midtable and really I don’t have any faith in winning any of our next three matches. Home v Fulham is a match we should be looking to win, but who here is confident that we will? As let’s face it we’re not winning in either Saudi Sportswashing Machine or Paris.

We are negative, set out to be negative. That starting lineup could have produced a result IF we got our tactics right. We didn’t. We just waited to lose instead which is beyond unacceptable. We needed extra presence in midfield, we had two slow players that were never going to cope against Eze, Rice and Zubimendi.

I do understand that it’s an early call but right now that is my stance. I don’t think Thomas Frank is the right manager even though I like how he comes across in interviews. He seems to know his stuff, he talks a good game so why can’t we play a good game?!

 

[glasgowspur]

Spence is taller and more physical defensively.

With danso, Romero, Richie and Palhinha in there do we really need any more, especially with the attack set up as it was?

 

[Baleforce]

With danso, Romero, Richie and Palhinha in there do we really need any more, especially with the attack set up as it was?

Always.

 

[Benny_Lad]

We splashed the cash on 3 attackers this summer (including the loan)
We have lost one player since last season ended in son
And one player that finished last season is injured in solanke
If you think the issues are isolated to just Chelse and Arsenal games then I think your missing the other comments
Our attacking football is the worst we have had in years and statically the worst since records began in the new age
And our defending hasn’t improved significantly

We spent £100m on those 3 attackers. That is chicken feed. You get what you pay for.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

We spent £100m on those 3 attackers. That is chicken feed. You get what you pay for.

Well we own 2 of them and it was more money I believe but either way the are better than we had and are Frank signings

 

[billyiddo]

Well we own 2 of them and it was more money I believe but either way the are better than we had and are Frank signings

Xavi does not look a better player than either Kulusevski or Maddison and has a long way to go before he proves to be in this league. If Kudus can produce what Son did last season in terms of attacking numbers then that would be a big step up for him.