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*** OMT Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Bournemouth ***

Gutter Boy said:
60 game season and lots of lessons to learn from the last two seasons about rotation. The same logic as using Gray and Bergvall against Burnley.
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We have had one game a week so far, there'll we be far more congested weeks later in gteh season where we can think about rotation.
And rotating out Spence for Davies to play against Semenyo is as stupid as when we left Davies on his own with Saka in that game at the lane under Ange
 
Too early to rotate, got to bed in game plans A , B and C firmly. So I see not much changes in the lineup except for a few tweaks.

Bournemouth has lost a couple of good players so I expect them to be defensive, and we're at home so we will be on the front foot.

Perhaps Solanke to start instead of Richy and bergvall instead of Sarr for a more attacking setup.
 
metalgear said:
Too early to rotate, got to bed in game plans A , B and C firmly. So I see not much changes in the lineup except for a few tweaks.

Bournemouth has lost a couple of good players so I expect them to be defensive, and we're at home so we will be on the front foot.

Perhaps Solanke to start instead of Richy and bergvall instead of Sarr for a more attacking setup.
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3 games in, 3 totally different set ups and multiple different players, so for Frank it's obviously not too early to rotate.
 
Dragusin back training soon is brilliant.

Also keep Spence and Porro at full backs and start giving Udogie time towards the end. Get him back up to speed and start rotating between the 3
 

This is a press conference transcript with Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank (formerly Brentford’s manager, now Spurs), ahead of a Premier League match against Bournemouth.


Here are the main takeaways from the broadcast section (before the embargoed part):


📰 Team News​


  • Jed Spence has been called up to the England squad for the first time at age 24/25. Frank praises his resilience and form.
  • Destiny Udogie is available and in the squad.
  • Yves Bissouma is out of the game with injury, but still a Spurs player amid rumors of talks with Galatasaray.
  • Richarlison has been called up to Brazil’s squad, which Frank says is well-deserved.
  • Radu Drăgușin (ACL recovery) is running again, could rejoin training in 7–10 days.

⚽ Transfer Market​


  • Spurs are “working very hard” to get a signing done — widely implied to be Xavi Simons from PSG (currently on loan at RB Leipzig last season).
  • Frank refuses to confirm until official, sticking to his policy of only discussing players “in house.”
  • Admits Spurs are still in the market up to deadline day, but only for players who “improve the squad.”

🔑 On Jed Spence​


  • Credits Spence as an example of resilience through difficult spells in football and life.
  • Says his mentality, training standards, and persistence make him a role model.

🏟️ On Tactics & Philosophy​


  • Says Spurs can switch systems mid-game, but core principles remain the same: high pressing, compact defending, zonal in the box, and flexible attacking.
  • Prefers an offensive mindset — “always go for the next goal” rather than sitting on leads.
  • Draws from his Brentford philosophy where stats showed attacking substitutions often led to 3 points instead of defending a lead.

🏆 Champions League​


  • Happy with the group draw, calls it “okay” overall.
  • Notes Copenhagen will be special for him (given his Danish roots) and difficult.
  • Says every CL game, big or small, will be “the biggest game of the season” for opponents.

📝 Other Points​


  • Spurs midfield is strong with 5–6 core options (Archie, Lucas, Bissouma, João Palhinha?, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr), plus creativity from Maddison & Kulusevski when fit.
  • Champions League squad list might require tough choices due to numbers.
  • Emphasizes respect for Bournemouth — highlights their performance vs Liverpool and their coach Andoni Iraola’s work.

🔒 Embargoed Section – Key Points​


📝 Transfer Updates​


  • Frank repeated Spurs are “very close” to completing at least one incoming signing (strongly hinted at Xavi Simons, though he avoided naming him).
  • Reinforced his stance: only wants signings that improve the squad — no panic buys.
  • Outgoings: while rumors swirl around Bissouma and others, he underlined that nothing was imminent at the time, and any departures would depend on Spurs bringing in proper replacements.

⚽ Squad Building & Roles​


  • Discussed the attacking midfield role:
    • Doesn’t expect a “perfect 10” (runner, creator, scorer, presser all-in-one — too rare).
    • Adapts the role depending on the rest of the team: sometimes a runner, sometimes a creator.
  • On player versatility:
    • Says younger players benefit from learning multiple positions.
    • But as they peak, they usually “settle” into one primary role (e.g. winger/striker, CB/fullback).
    • Modern football requires adaptability, but top performance often comes from specializing at peak age.

🔥 Expectations & Mentality​


  • Warned against getting carried away with early wins.
  • Said his Spurs are still developing, but confidence is high — balancing ambition with realism.
  • Stressed respect for every opponent in both PL and CL — if Spurs lose intensity, they’ll get punished.

🏆 Champions League Squad​


  • Acknowledged “a minor challenge” with registration numbers.
  • Suggested tough decisions may be needed on who misses out.

🎯 Coaching Philosophy​


  • Clear that he’d rather risk chasing a third goal than sit back on a 2–0.
  • Substitutions are often made with an offensive mindset — striker for striker rather than striker for midfielder.
  • Said this approach is both his personal philosophy and aligned with Spurs’ tradition of attacking football.


👉 Overall, in the embargoed bit, Frank gave slightly more detail on transfer business, tactical flexibility, and squad management, but still avoided confirming names. Tone was consistent: confident, ambitious, but cautious not to overpromise.
 
Would assume Simons will be in the squad to tomorrow, probably not as a starter but with Destiny back as well who drops out of the matchday squad. This was the bench last week , one place available with Vuskovic out on loan but who else drops out.


L. Bergvall
K. Danso
B. Davies
A. Gray
A. Kinský
W. Odobert
D. Solanke
M. Tel
L. Vušković
 
SirPercyHotspur said:
Would assume Simons will be in the squad to tomorrow, probably not as a starter but with Destiny back as well who drops out of the matchday squad. This was the bench last week , one place available with Vuskovic out on loan but who else drops out.


L. Bergvall
K. Danso
B. Davies
A. Gray
A. Kinský
W. Odobert
D. Solanke
M. Tel
L. Vušković
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Won't have clearance to play
 
Watched them against Liverpool and they looked terrible in the first half and world beaters in the second, I'm not sure how much that was down to Liverpool defending like clowns though.

They will look to break on the counter in the space we leave and have some excellent attacking players.

They look a bit light at the back, but will be hard to breakdown
 
Bournemouth can be very aggressive with their front-press, so...

Vicario

Porro
Romero
VdV
Spence

Pahlinha
Bentancur

Kudus Sarr Odobert
Richy


Pro-active subbing in of Bergy, Destiny, Brennan and Dom

The ONLY possible rotation would be Gray for Pahlinha, but with an international break, I think we can afford to start Pahlinha for the second game in a row. This is a very important game!

I'd give Wilson the start just to make sure we have high-level power on each side of the pitch, plus it feels to me like Brennan off the bench could be a no-brainer in terms of scoring...
 
thfcsteff said:
Bournemouth can be very aggressive with their front-press, so...

Vicario

Porro
Romero
VdV
Spence

Pahlinha
Bentancur

Kudus Sarr Odobert
Richy


Pro-active subbing in of Bergy, Destiny, Brennan and Dom

The ONLY possible rotation would be Gray for Pahlinha, but with an international break, I think we can afford to start Pahlinha for the second game in a row. This is a very important game!

I'd give Wilson the start just to make sure we have high-level power on each side of the pitch, plus it feels to me like Brennan off the bench could be a no-brainer in terms of scoring...
Click to expand...

Interesting. Is Odebert more physical than Johnson?
Certainly better 1:1 vs a defender in terms of being able to come up with a trick to get past someone from a standing start.

But i'd never thought of him as being more physical?
 
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