Sports
5/10 Spurs flop is becoming Frank’s biggest liability
Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat against Liverpool on home soil last night will no doubt have cranked up the pressure onto the shoulders of manager Thomas Frank.
The Dane’s side were unable to get anything out of the clash with Arne Slot’s men, subsequently leaving the Lilywhites in 13th in the Premier League to date.
Frank’s side have now lost back-to-back games once again, subsequently shipping five goals in the process – and highlighting the struggles that face them in the defensive third.
After yet another defeat, the fans are now starting to get desperately impatient with the manager, especially after the struggles endured under Ange Postecoglou last campaign.
The club have now already racked up seven defeats out of their first 17 league outings, with no doubt two players taking the majority of the blame for Saturday’s defeat.
Spurs’ poor performers against Liverpool
Despite failing to impress against Nottingham Forest last weekend, Frank decided to stick with Xavi Simons from a starting position in the number ten role.
The Dutchman struggled to get into the game early on, only registering one dribble completed, but he certainly announced himself in the contest for all of the wrong reasons.
He was originally booked for a lunge on compatriot Virgil van Dijk, but after a VAR check, the midfielder was sent off for the first time since his £52m move in the summer.
Simons wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with centre-back Cristian Romero once again being unable to deliver at the heart of the backline alongside Micky van de Ven.
The Argentine was unable to stop Hugo Ekitike from leaping above him to put Slot’s side into a two-goal lead, whilst also failing to win a single tackle in the contest.
Like Simons, he was also handed his marching orders after being adjudged to have kicked out on Ibrahima Konate in the closing stages after already being booked.
The Spurs star who’s becoming more unreliable than Simons & Romero
After winning just one of their last eight Premier League matches to date, there are evidently some key issues that Frank needs to address within the Spurs squad.
The Lilywhites’ only win in such a run came against the manager’s former side Brentford, whilst subsequently suffering a defeat in five of those outings.
It’s evident that something has to give in the next few games, especially given the slump in the table, which has seen the Dane fall below his former employers, whom he left to join the Lilywhites.
One of his biggest issues has been his inability to identify his best starting eleven in the Premier League, which has no doubt cost him in key matches of late.
He’s often started with a two-man midfielder with Simons in the number ten, with Rodrigo Bentancur one of the men usually called upon to start in such a role.
The Uruguayan has now started 13 out of a possible 17 league games this campaign, including a run of four in a row – including the two most recent defeats.
However, despite the faith shown in him by the manager, he’s rapidly becoming an unreliable option, with his constant selection now even becoming a baffling one.
His stats against Liverpool showcase his lack of impact, with the 28-year-old also becoming a bigger issue than the aforementioned duo despite their dismissals.
He featured for the entirety of the clash against the Reds, subsequently losing six of the duels in which he entered – a tally higher than any other player on the pitch.
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Rodrigo Bentancur – stats against Liverpool |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Touches |
53 |
|
Passes completed |
80% |
|
Possession lost |
10x |
|
Duels lost |
6 |
|
Fouls committed |
2 |
|
Dribbled past |
1x |
|
Aerials lost |
75% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
Bentancur also managed to achieve an 80% pass completion rate, but was often wasteful, as seen by his tally of 10 times possession lost – one of the highest of any Spurs player.
The midfielder was often unable to live with the intensity of the opposition – especially in the second half – resulting in two fouls committed and leading to yet another booking.
His disappointing showing was further showcased in his tally of being dribbled past once, whilst also being dominated in the air and losing 75% of those battles.
As a result of his showing, Bentancur was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by The Express’ Archie Griggs – further reaffirming his dismal performance in North London.
After such a showing, it should now be clear to Frank the Uruguayan is unfortunately not at the level required to achieve success during his tenure at the club.
However, the Dane will need to make huge calls in the future if he is to be a success with the Lilywhites, especially given the recent slump in Premier League form.
Frank must now drop 6-pass Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario
Thomas Frank must now drop this Tottenham Hotspur flop who was as bad as Xavi Simons against Liverpool.
