Spurs Deliver Their Most Convincing Spell as Thomas Frank’s Ideas Take Effect

Thomas Frank may finally have found the formula Tottenham needed.

After a five-game winless slide that felt like the season was unravelling in slow motion, the 2-2 draw at Newcastle may have stopped the bleeding.

There was clear improvement, and since, they have picked up two wins – a controlled 2-0 over Brentford and a quietly authoritative 3-0 against Slavia Prague.

Tottenham Analysis: Thomas Frank’s Tactics

Spurs weren’t perfect at Newcastle, but it was the first time this season Thomas Frank’s ideas could be seen with any real clarity.

His side built in a 4-2-4 shape that echoed Roberto De Zerbi’s build-up patterns: narrow enough to win second balls, brave enough to play over the press, and structured well enough to drag Newcastle’s man-to-man system into uncomfortable spaces.

With the ball, Pedro Porro often inverted to create a back three, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr formed a double pivot, and Destiny Udogie stepped into the half-space while Brennan Johnson held width. The shape naturally shifted between a 3-2-5 and a 2-3-5 depending on Newcastle’s press.

Without the ball, Spurs defended in a compact 4-4-2 and pressed aggressively when triggers appeared. Cristian Romero repeatedly stepped out to shut down Joelinton between the lines, while the far-side forward dropped onto the No.6 to lock Newcastle into traps on the touchline.

It wasn’t flawless. Newcastle regularly found a 3v2 advantage at the base, and Bentancur never quite pressed the pivot with enough enthusiasm to prevent it. But compared to Tottenham’s recent performances, it was a notable upgrade.

Have Tottenham Hit a Turning Point?

The victories over Brentford and Slavia Prague backed up the ideas shown at Newcastle. Across the two games, Spurs scored five, conceded none, and most tellingly, controlled the middle third with a calm authority that has been missing for months.

Frank appears to have struck balance at last: coherent build-up against man-marking, attacking triangles that don’t evaporate after a single pass, and a team that can defend both high and deep without spiralling into chaos.

The biggest difference has come in midfield, where Frank has abandoned the Bentancur–Palhinha double pivot back on the shelf and built around Archie Gray and Xavi Simons instead.

Gray offers vertical passing and ball carrying, the sort of qualities Spurs have been crying out for, and his chemistry with Simons has opened up the central lanes that the team were previously struggling to unlock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-4DoNgoYPE

Unlocking Xavi Simons

No one represents Spurs’ recent upturn more than Xavi Simons. Frank spent the early weeks of the season shuffling him around the pitch, never quite sure where he fit.

Now operating as a central No.10, he finally looks like the player Spurs thought they were signing.

With two goals and an assist in his last two games, he is finding rhythm and confidence that Spurs have sorely lacked.

Interestingly, they’ve won all eight matches in which he’s started this season. That can’t be a coincidence.

The Dutchman is drifting into dangerous pockets, combining well with Gray, and showing the bravery and flair he sometimes lacked earlier in the campaign.

His physical adaptation is improving too. He’s staying on his feet more and riding challenges instead of expecting fouls.

He’s riding challenges, staying upright, and generally playing like someone who knows he might be the most talented attacker at the club.

Simons is Tottenham’s one potentially world-class attacker, and Frank, finally, seems happy to build the system around him.

Is Thomas Frank’s System Sustainable?

For the first time in months, Spurs are playing like a team with a coherent blueprint. Up to now there’s been back fours here, back fives there, long-ball phases one week, positional play the next.

The last three matches, though, Frank has stuck to a consistent core system, making light adaptations game-to-game. That’s what the elite managers do.

It also makes the recruitment picture easier. When the recruitment guys know the on-pitch system, the transfer market stops being a guessing game.

And after a bleak November, December has brought light for Spurs: two straight wins, two straight clean sheets, a flowing functional midfield, and a clear attacking role for Simons.

The tests will get harder. Liverpool await after a tricky trip to Nottingham Forest – neither will waste time deciding whether this resurgence is real.

But for the first time in months, Spurs look like a team with an identity and a positive direction.