Frank s Magical 80 Minutes

Tottenham Hotspur led by Thomas Frank used 80 minutes of dominant performance in the European Super Cup, which made European champion Paris Saint-Germain lose all face and completely exposed the opponent's fatal weakness. However, if this potential is to be translated into a final victory, Chairman Daniel Levi must immediately add "weapons" to the team before the transfer window is closed.

Thomas Frank just experienced 80 minutes of glory, eclipsing Paris Saint-Germain and its coach, Louis Enrique, who is recognized as one of the best in the world, but eventually left the court with the bitterness of losing the penalty shootout. This is not because he lacks tactics or courage, but because Tottenham has not yet equipped enough "ammunition" to knock down the world's top opponents.

If Tottenham does not act quickly in the last few days of the transfer window, then the glimmer of hope that just flashed will likely be extinguished in an instant.

Frank's real skills

From the moment the starting list was released, Louis Enrique obviously did not regard Frank's Tottenham as a real threat. He even put Desir Duera into the midfield just to make room for the offensive trident of Bacola, Kvaratsheria and Dembele, while the two main midfielders in Paris last season, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves (one substitute and one suspended), Vitinia was left alone in the midfield.

Faced with such an unbalanced midfielder, Frank keenly seized the opportunity, and Tottenham made a thorough use of it. The team's opening style caught Paris off guard.

This is not the kind of bombardment in the Ang Postkoglu era, nor is it the conservative style of playing that only shrank and defended and waited for counterattack. Frank brings a balance: proactive defense, knowing when to put pressure and when to recover, while always keeping a sharp forward at the moment ready to punish the opponent. Paris, who is used to controlling the game at his own pace, seems to have no idea how to deal with this unfavorable situation.

Paris's fatal weakness—settings defense—is exposed again. Frank did not need to invent new tactics, he just had to repeat the routine that had been proven to be effective: Christian Romero pulled to the far post, and his teammates were responsible for the cover, creating space for Mickey Vandevan to head the ball for the near post; then, Romero himself used another accurate header to expand the score to 2-0.

Paris had no choice but to do anything about this, and their new goalkeeper, Chevalier (the "new type of goalkeeper" that Enrique called for introduction) also made a low-level mistake in his second conced, blocking the ball into his own goal. Compared to Donnarumma, the gap in his aura and dominance over the penalty area is obvious.

is not just a set piece, Spurs has also created effective pressure in sports battles. Pap Matal Saar was the highlight of the team, but in fact the whole team strictly enforced tactical discipline: put decisive pressure when the number and position are favorable. On the offensive end, Kudus performed well in his debut, working with Richarlison to provide a potential solution for the offense in the new season.

However, top football is not just a tactical competition. When Paris replaced a substitute with a very high quality, the situation began to change.

Spurs lost a good game and scored two goals in a row while leading 2-0. They eventually lost 3-4 in the penalty shootout, and one of the substitutes lost a decisive penalty. This is not Frank's fault, but the limitation of the depth and quality of the team's lineup - something he cannot overcome alone unless the management supports it.

Importantly, this performance proves that Frank's Tottenham already has a solid tactical foundation that is enough to put the European champions in a tough battle. They play as if they are enjoying the defense rather than seeing it as a burden. They know how to oppress their opponents when the time is right, rather than rushing forward blindly. This balance is exactly what Tottenham has been missing for many years. The problem is that there are far more opponents on the football field than Paris. To win against Burnley or West Ham, Frank needs more solutions, which requires more high-quality players in the midfield and front line. If a long-term success of a season depends only on the flash moments of a few star players, it will be unsustainable.

It would be a serious mistake if Chairman Levi was satisfied with just treating the game as a "good enough" performance. Tottenham have proven that they have the ability to compete with the strongest teams, but to maintain that level and turn it into victory, they need a deeper roster and a substitute player who can change the game’s trend – like Paris just did.