Following Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Super Cup defeat, Adam Bate shares from Udine the changes Thomas Frank has already made at Tottenham and why the Premier League season opener against Burnley should showcase his much-talked-about ability to adapt.
Pictured: Thomas Frank has already made an impact at Tottenham by changing their tactical approach.
Tottenham throwing away two-goal leads in both the match and the Super Cup shootout might have led some to dismiss this as 'good old Spurs'. However, this was not the case. Thomas Frank's performance was noticeable.
The new Tottenham boss failed to deliver the desired result against Paris Saint-Germain. A trophy in his first competitive match in charge would have been a significant achievement for him. However, there is no denying that his ideas were clear.
Frank's own assessment, “The operation was a success, but the patient died,” seemed fair. The tactics had paid off in many ways. Even Luis Enrique said they deserved to win, but PSG eventually showed their skills and took the trophy.
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Thomas Frank reflects on positive aspects of Paris Saint-Germain match
“What a spirit throughout the game! Lots to cheer about!” was Frank's summation. It will be interesting to see how much he changes his tactics with Burnley next up and Manchester City a week later.
This should give a preliminary idea of Frank's flexibility.
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Set pieces could be Spurs' strength
His impact at Udine was both obvious and subtle, most notably his two goals from set pieces. Both centre-backs were impeccable in their goals, given that they were integral to his success at Brentford, becoming almost his calling card.
No Premier League team scored more headed goals than Frank Bees last season. They had the highest average quality of shots from set pieces and the highest percentage of conversions, second only to Liverpool. Brentford also conceded the fewest goals from set pieces.
Frank has long recognised that such cheap goals can be crucial and there will be those among Tottenham fans who will appreciate such attention to detail as it could be a serious weapon for Spurs too.
Nine players in the starting line-up against PSG were over 180cm tall. “We knew we could hurt PSG and we worked very hard on that.” He mentioned “a big emphasis on playing set pieces from all over the pitch” and stressed that he would continue to do so.
The scoring was opened by a free kick taken near the halfway line and Guglielmo Vicario sent the ball into the far post. Frank likes to create overloads and it was clear that Spurs were looking for a free player in the defence. It worked and gave them their second goal.
While Frank spoke of a “slightly more direct game”, this actually implies a more fundamental change for Tottenham, hinted at when it became apparent that Kevin Danso had won the long-range shooting competition in training, beating them both left and right in Udine.
Changes to Vicario's passing key points
But nothing illustrates the changes more clearly than the instructions given to Vicari.
Sourse: skysports.com
