Tottenham may have earned a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United, but it is becoming harder to argue that Thomas Frank is the reason behind any positive result. Spurs once again started the match with no urgency and no spark, and for the fourth game in a row, they failed to register a single shot on target in the first half.
At this point, it feels less like a rough patch and more like a serious tactical failure that keeps repeating itself.
The truth is that Spurs set themselves up for frustration long before kickoff. The team selection alone pointed toward trouble, and if not for two late goals from Cristian Romero, the performance would have been another painful reminder of how far things have slipped.
Frank made yet another baffling call by leaving Xavi Simons out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. Supporters have noticed the pattern: four games without Simons starting, and four games without a single first-half shot on target. It is impossible to ignore that connection.
Simons was supposed to be the marquee signing of the summer the creative force to elevate Tottenham’s attack yet he continues to sit on the bench while Lucas Bergvall is pushed into a role that clearly does not suit him. Fans are relieved Bergvall is at least getting minutes, but the decision to sideline Simons again feels stubborn and costly.
A player with his technique and intelligence should not be reduced to late cameos in a team that is starving for creativity.
Mathys Tel is stuck in a similar situation. After scoring crucial goals against Leeds and Manchester United, he proved he had earned a real place in the rotation and even looked like a genuine option through the middle.
But instead of being rewarded, he was benched in favour of Brennan Johnson, who has been one of Tottenham’s least effective performers this season. Tel only entered the Newcastle match in the final stages, and while his introduction added energy, the question remains: how is he not starting ahead of players who have offered far less?
Frank’s reluctance to trust his young stars is becoming one of Tottenham’s biggest problems. As Simons and Tel watch Bergvall and Archie Gray finally earn opportunities, they must be wondering when they will be given the same patience.
The team is crying out for pace, directness, creativity, and unpredictability all qualities these two young talents bring.
Tottenham may have scored twice, but both goals came from a centre-back, including a dramatic late bicycle kick. That kind of escape is thrilling once, maybe twice, but it is not a sustainable way to play football.
It certainly is not a reflection of an attack being coached well or used correctly. Spurs have too much talent to be this passive, this predictable, and this slow to react in the biggest moments.
The results may not be disastrous on paper, but the warning signs are impossible to miss. Simons and Tel deserve better, and so do the supporters. Tottenham need a plan that actually uses their best players not one that continues to bury them on the bench while the attack limps through every first half.
