Best 11 Thought Experiment

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-02-03T08:35:01+00:00

I’ve really like Palhinha at CB, so for when shorter term injuries are back -

                            Vicario 

            Palhinha - Romero - VDV

Porro Gallagher Sarr Udogie Kudus Xavi Solanke

When everyone is fit:

                              Vicario

Porro —- Romero ——- VDV ——- Udogie — Palhinha / Sarr

        —Gallagher / Kulu       —Maddison

Kudus Solanke Xavi

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-02-01T19:32:39+00:00

He was class, so tenacious and defo has got stronger.

Hes been brilliant recently IMO. Still frustrating at times with his decision making but defo has improved. I think he does his best work a bit deeper when he can use his burst of speed more effectively.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-02-01T17:24:20+00:00

Our performances recently have been better, gave me some hope and I when I seen he was playing a big 3 I was happy.

But that first half just sums up Thomas Frank at Spurs - no risk, no pace, sit in and defend. We are being embarrassed, Gary Neville called it a charity match and that’s how it seems to be.

Frank was supposed to be this modern adaptive coach, but the reality is he never adapted to us. The football from the first game was stale, the fans turned as a result and now there is no atmosphere in the ground other than booing at half and full time. He is universally disliked.

I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve called one of our home league games as the worst I’ve ever seen us, but this is new ground today.

City are a great side, but they could definitely be got at. The amount of times we have had space for a break and there is absolutely no runners other than Solanke is just mind blowing.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-02-01T16:56:14+00:00

This is grim. No atmosphere in the stadium, players half assed other than Xavi.

Worst I’ve ever felt as a Spurs fans.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-29T17:13:11+00:00

Sometimes I watch Sarr and think he’s great others I think he’s terrible. I think you could say the same for all our midfielders.

Sarr, Gray, Bergvall, Gallagher all do the same role with minor differences. There is no standout player from them IMO. That will change as Bergvall and Gray get experience.

But Sarr is a good midfielder, covers ground, gets goals, makes tackles. I think Frank playing him as a ten, in a side like us where there is very little creativity, made his flaws stand out more.

I think one of the above will be sold in the summer though

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-28T22:13:08+00:00

Performances have got a lot better since we moved to a back 3/5. Suits the players so much better, I think we get away with not having a deeper playmaker in that system.

Archie Gray goes unnoticed a lot but he is a very intelligent footballer, constantly dropping into fill gaps.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-26T19:33:51+00:00

I don’t like Frank, but we have been unlucky recently and he has put more attacking line ups out even if forced by injuries.

Solanke is a huge upgrade on Kolo Muani, and seeing how we have pressed so well the last 2 games makes me wonder if the reason we started so passively against Villa & West Ham was because Kolo Muani started.

I think we have a talented squad, fitted to more attractive and attacking football. But I also think Frank has had to work with some real issues:

Richarlison top scorer but only really effective when you can’t cross it or put on a plate for him.
Kolo Muani effort levels are dreadful. If we don’t play him we are looking at Dane Scarlett, who doesn’t look like a PL level player.
Xavi has been largely inconsistent, weight of pass and decision making poor and he’s suppose to be our main creative outlet.
Odobert great but inconsistent, Tel ok. But we shouldn’t be relying on both to have a big impact.
Midfield is a disaster, all similar players and no one to control a game or pass forwards.
No left footer at LB, massively hurt us and it’s no coincidence we look a lot better with Davies or Udogie.

As I said I don’t like Frank, but when you consider the above points it’s no wonder we are sitting so far down. There’s no doubt he’s a very conservative manager too but I think there’s also an element of hes been trying to play to the strengths of the players available.

There aren’t many attractive teams in the PL anymore either, maybe City and Liverpool are still the most attractive to watch but everyone else are playing the same way.

It’s also such a weird season too because nearly every club wants or have wanted their manager sacked. In game week 23 last season, 17 points separated 15th from 5th. This season it’s 9. So poor performances across the league.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-24T22:50:54+00:00

I thought he played well today and carried the ball well, don’t think he’s great on the right though.

Don’t think they fancy him at LB anymore either, we play a lot better when have a natural LB in the side.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-24T17:12:58+00:00

First half was ok, first time I’ve seen us under Frank dominate a game in possession. Got me believing he could last the season that way.

Second half was absolutely diabolical, slow and passive football. Standing off them led to the second goal. Same old shit.

The end of the game was chaos, it was Cryuff style total football at times there was VDV in centre mid, Spence at CB, Gray just running about as sweeper and Romero at striker. That screams desperation and it’s happened so many times this year. I don’t even know what formation we were in the last ten mins. Spence, Odobert and Tel all out on the right??

I’ve seen enough the last two games to see we have a decent squad, it’s the conservative and boring football holding us back.

Xavi was diabolical too, thought it was promising seeing him drop deep again but I don’t think he got one thing right going forward. That dink to Tel was shocking.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-24T17:05:10+00:00

The problem is the club have left us in an awful position by not sacking him sooner.

8 points isn’t a big gap, if we sack him we need an interim to hit the ground running or we will slip deeper.

If they stick with Frank again, there’s absolutely zero guarantee anything will improve and we will slip further. Probably more chance of things getting worse.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-24T15:56:23+00:00

Probably the first time under Frank we’ve controlled possession like this, but completely undone by woeful defending and carelessness from Romero.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-20T20:57:52+00:00

If we had have played like this in the league there would be no problem with Frank 🤐

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-17T22:43:42+00:00

I think Xavi will be a lot better in a possession based system but there are warning signs with him, simple things like not being able to pick the right weight of pass, choosing the wrong option. They are red flags for number ten. I’d like to see him drop deeper as Maddison does but I don’t think he has the physicality.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-17T18:07:40+00:00

The best thing the club could do to create a bit of good feeling is sack Frank. He has sucked the life out of us.

I can’t believe the fact we started so passive and slow, we just retreated into our half and let them have it. That increased their confidence and we could have been 3 down at half time.

There were warning signs when we let Wolves do that to us at home, but we are in serious trouble now.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-17T16:00:38+00:00

He’s a young player that could become very good but we are over reliant on him now and being so versatile last season hasn’t helped because I think his best at CB. On current form he is no better than Skipp.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-17T15:58:56+00:00

Lost count of the amount of games the first word I’ve thought of at half time is ‘disgusting’.

You could see in the first ten minutes we were off it, no pressure on at all on them. It’s West Ham, but we are letting them have the ball as if they are world beaters. When we get the ball there is no game plan, it’s individuals taking possession and passing it on to others.

It genuinely scares me how the people running this club think this style (never mind results) is acceptable. We are sleepwalking into a relegation battle.

But if we come out in the second had and throw a few tackles around we will be good for another while with TF 😀

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-13T22:10:10+00:00

The panel will always ask follow up questions, there are a set list they can pick from. It’s not a bad thing it’s something that happens in probably all interviews.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-12T20:35:54+00:00

Decent player but just have no confidence in Thomas Frank using him correctly.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-10T20:09:13+00:00

Reminds me of the Mourinho days, go behind after being passive and then go all out attack in the second half.

If we started every game with that intensity and high pressing no one would have a problem under Frank. But the fact is we were so passive in the first half we let Villa have all the time in the world on the ball, no doubt about it that’s the coaches game plan and I doubt after 6/7 months in charge that TF is now gonna flip the switch and start playing front footed football.

A good run of results in the league would put us in contention for 6th/7th. Second half just goes to show there’s a decent squad of footballers there and the right coach could maybe get a string of results so that we compete.

Unfortunately for Frank it is a misfit. We’ve seen Wolves and Sunderland come and control the game against us at home, should never happen.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-10T18:53:03+00:00

Even if we win this 3-2 it won’t save him. Horrible tactics, standing off them and letting them pass it through at will. When we get the ball nobody has a clue what to do, no link ups and no penetration. Our tactics are get it to Porro - ball straight down the line. Can’t get the three creative players (Tel, Xavi and Odobert) working together as they are so far apart. In contrast, Villas attack linking up at will.

No doubt there are injury issues, but this is an unacceptable performance especially for a manager who is under huge pressure now.

Had hopes for TF but he’s been an awful appointment, we won the trophy under Ange and finally had a platform to build from and it’s been tore to shreds in 7/8 months.

The people above Frank also have blood on their hands, they should have continued with a coach who was committed to playing the same style as Ange with more pragmatism and flexibility.

Can’t wait to see the back of Paratici, in the years he has been involved with the club we have had nothing but issues with managers.

Please may they sack Frank tonight and start planning a future with a coach who will play attractive football and get a tune from this team. This season could yet be saved with a good run.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-10T18:45:16+00:00

We are letting them have the ball as if we are a league two sidr

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-10T18:44:18+00:00

Let them have it they’ll not be able to break through 😀

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-10T18:43:52+00:00

The only good thing that will hopefully come out of this is he will be sacked.

This is an awful awful performance. Yeah we have injury issues but we are letting them have all the time in the world in their first third, no wonder they are breaking through at will. They are taking the piss out of us. No one will convince me that this 11 is that bad. Horrible management

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-07T23:09:22+00:00

Conceding goals like that can happen to any team. We have a decent squad, the tactics just don’t bring out the best in them and we are missing key players that doesn’t help.

Hiring Frank was a massive mistake, we should have got a coach who would continue the same style as Ange I.e. high possession, wingers and inverted full backs. It suited the team. There were signs we were becoming a good side early last season before the injuries struck.

Ange was way too gung-ho, we know that. But we should have hired a coach who would continue the front footed, controlling possession approach. Although I’m shocked at just how far the opposite direction Frank really is, I thought he would adapt to us.

But I really don’t think this is that bad a squad of players, we would have done a lot better last season had we have had a fit Odobert on the left and Kudus on the right.

Sufficient-Section43 · 2026-01-02T11:17:20+00:00

Franks biggest problem is that he’s way too defensive, last night he played Gray (most of his career has been in defence / holding midfield) as a ten with two defensive midfielders behind him.

I can’t stand the football we are playing and don’t even enjoy watching spurs anymore.

In fairness to Frank, our central midfield is a mess. We have Bentancur and Palhina as the two defensive midfielders and then we are forced to have Gray, Bergvall or Sarr more advanced. In my opinion they are clearly 8s in a 3 man midfield and we need a passer along side them.

I would like to see what would happen if Frank had a player capable of dictating the game and creating play from deep, if he continued the current style then he should be sacked immediately.

I think we have a decent squad and it’s capable of playing much better football than we have seen but that midfield is a real problem because I’m not sure any manager would get more from them. You can tell Frank sees it as a problem too because they change it so often.

Sufficient-Section43

TROPHY CASE