And so Tottenham Hotspur put the brakes on their campaign for the third time this season, having played out a frenzied draw with Manchester United in the Premier League.
And so Tottenham sit fifth in the standings, 18 points from 11 matches and eight points behind table-topping rivals Arsenal. Thomas Frank will be frustrated with the manner of this side’s dropped points last weekend, Matthijs de Ligt nodding home right before the final whistle after Richarlison had struck moments before and wheeled away in topless celebration.
How to dissect the details of Spurs’ season? Improvements have been made since Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou after that Europa League triumph last season, a strange repulsion between the continental elation and the sour taste of a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.
But Tottenham lack confidence and coherence and quality in the final third. To dare is to do. Are Tottenham doing enough? That is one of the biggest contentions of the campaign so far, and Frank simply has to find a formula to his side’s offensive struggles as the season heads into the wintry midpoint.
How Frank can fix Spurs' attacking problems
Tottenham have found a way to secure a greater number of points under Frank than they typically managed under his predecessor. However, more goals and created chances are needed if the Londoners are to hit the heights anticipated.
But this is a long-term project, and overnight success was never going to be on the cards. What Frank can do, though, is consider ditching Richarlison, even though the Brazilian scored with a deft header against United at the weekend.
We would be remiss not to acknowledge the cameo of Mathys Tel at the weekend, too. The young striker spun and scored after replacing Xavi Simons off the bench. It started the comeback that ultimately didn’t cement itself, but demonstrated the potential of a versatile forward whose talents could yet be fashioned into something special and suitable for life at the peak of the Premier League.
Dominic Solanke continues to languish in the infirmary, a frustration that has undoubtedly had an adverse effect on Frank’s start at the helm. Had the former Bournemouth striker been fit and in the form of his previous chapter across these past few months, Tottenham would have had a focal outlet from which to channel creativity.
It’s been an issue for the strikers, though, and there’s one man in particular whose campaign has been sent into a spin, even though some have acknowledged he has a bit of Jermaine Defoe about him.
Spurs' "Defoe-esque" star is becoming a big problem
Defoe was a proper Premier League striker. Something of a journeyman, he was always prolific and scored 143 goals across 363 matches in a Lilywhite shirt.
Tottenham
363
143 (31)
West Ham
104
40 (4)
Sunderland
100
37 (3)
Rangers
74
32 (10)
Bournemouth
64
23 (2)
Portsmouth
36
18 (5)
Toronto
21
12 (3)
Quick feet, attacking smarts and a natural-born instinct in front of goal made him a force to be reckoned with.
And now, some feel Spurs have found a similar profile in Randal Kolo Muani. Indeed, presenter Ben Bowman hailed Kolo Muani for his “Defoe-esque” attacking play after the weekend match.
In August, Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but he has struggled for fitness across his opening months in England, left waiting until midway through October for his Premier League debut, and has yet to score or assist in four matches since.
Disaster has struck once again, with the 26-year-old having fractured his jaw during the draw against the Red Devils. Now he is set to see a specialist to ascertain the severity of the setback.
Given the nature of Spurs’ attacking problems, with the injuries, yet again, piling up, it’s fair to say that Kolo Muani is presenting quite the conundrum to Frank’s desk, with this being a “strong, fast and powerful” centre-forward, as said by one analyst, endowed with all he needs to succeed in the Premier League, yet one whose time in England may be short-lived and unsuccessful on the grass.
His time in the French capital was somewhat turbulent, having failed to nail down his presence after transferring from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 for a whopping £76m fee. However, a short loan spell with Juventus last season led to ten goals and three assists from only 22 appearances.
Linking this back to the aforementioned Tel, Kolo Muani’s second injury of his Spurs stint could provide the Frenchman with the chance to nail down a regular starting berth.
Couple that with Solanke’s much-anticipated return and the wonders that could work on creating a more solid and dynamic attacking spread, Kolo Muani may be a striker on borrowed time as he struggles to acclimatise before the end of the season, when he will surely close the door on his loan stay down N17 without a sharp upswing in fortunes that look unlikely to materialise at this stage.
Tottenham have some issues, to be sure, but they have also shown themselves to have what it takes to make incremental improvements this season and beyond.
With Kolo Muani now sidelined once again, however, Frank’s scope at number nine has been narrowed. How big a blow will this prove to be? Whatever the verdict, the Les Bleus star is becoming a problem for the London-based outfit.
Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert
Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.
2 ByDan Emery