If Tottenham’s European form matched their domestic performances, they’d be unstoppable.
Spurs booked their last-16 spot with a routine 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night. As the drama unfolded across 18 matches, Thomas Frank’s side got the job done at a canter. It’s a far cry from the Premier League form.
In this article, we’ll cover:
The Dane is under pressure to haul Spurs away from the relegation zone. He’s overseen two wins in 14 in the league. And having collected three points from 15 over a navigable run, Spurs face Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Arsenal and Fulham over the coming weeks.
Spurs put in strong midweek showing
It’s hardly an ideal run of games for the north London side. The win in Frankfurt, though, gives Frank food for thought. The former Brentford boss has favoured a 4-2-3-1 setup this season. Against Burnley last weekend, he reverted to a three-man backline. A 2-2 draw may not have appeased supporters but it bought Frank time. The 52-year-old stuck with the setup in midweek.
And this time, it worked. Even with a mounting injury crisis and the absence of star defender Micky van de Ven, Spurs were solid at the back, conceding just one shot on target. Going forward, they created 11 chances, their seventh most in a match this season. It was one of their better performances under Frank.
Admittedly, Eintracht are hardly the toughest of opponents. Dino Toppmoller was relieved of his duties earlier this month. The Bundesliga side have won just one of their last 12 after Wednesday’s defeat. They’ve conceded more than once in every match this year.
Romero’s role in three-man defence
Even so, you can only beat what is put in front of you. And it was the persistence with a three-man backline that helped Spurs to victory. Frank dropped a bit of a surprise by starting Palhinha on the right of the three-man defence. With Van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies missing, the 4-2-3-1 made sense on paper. A midfielder by trade, the logical decision would have been to start the Portugal international in the middle of the backline.
In doing so, though, Spurs would have been robbed of their most effective progressive passer. Yes, Cristian Romero has his shortcomings. But when it comes to distribution, there are none better in the Spurs squad.
The decision, therefore, to start Palhinha from the right of the defence granted Romero the additional space to help keep play ticking over and get the ball forward where required. While the Spurs skipper did often move the ball to the left and right – he passed to Kevin Danso 20 times, and Palhinha 28 times – the key aspect was the desire to progress the play into midfield.
Indeed, Romero made seven passes each to Pape Sarr and Archie Gray. He passed to Wilson Odobert three times and Xavi Simons four times. The centre-back completed 12 final third passes. They’re hardly groundbreaking returns, but signs of progression, quite literally.
Wing-backs and their support
What stood out, too, was just how Spurs were able to dominate with the additional man in defence, one of which was a midfielder, no less. Granted, Palhinha isn’t the most glamourous central midfielder in world football. However, he carries out a specific duty to an incredibly high standard. He wins and recycles possession effectively. As support for right wing-back Djed Spence, the England international was then able to get forward, safe in the knowledge that he had Palhinha mopping up.
It was a similar story on the left with Danso supporting Destiny Udogie. Both wing-backs had a safety net as backup that allowed Spurs to utilise the flanks. Just 24% of their attacks came through the middle. And with Odobert and Simons cutting inside, there was space for Spence and Udogie to utilise.
Additionally, Spurs were able to squeeze up the pitch and effectively suffocate Eintracht. The German side created just three chances in midweek. One of those was for defender Arthur Theate to chance his luck from range. The Belgian’s shot was blocked. Eintracht barely had a sniff.
Crucial now, though, is that Spurs continue with a similar setup going forward. One of the many criticisms aimed at Frank is his inability to attempt to build consistency in both setup and squad selection. Injuries haven’t aided the Spurs boss, though nor has some questionable decisions.
The last two games, though, has seen Frank use a three-man defence. It is a system that has been mocked, particularly throughout Ruben Amorim’s ill-fated Manchester United spell. However, it’s that same setup that may just keep Frank in the job.
