Frank outclasses Enrique and PSG but Levy is already letting him down at Tottenham
Thomas Frank announced his arrival at Tottenham with a tactical masterclass that left European champions PSG floundering for 80 minutes in Udine, only for Daniel Levy’s transfer market inertia to undermine what should have been a watershed moment.
The Danish manager’s debut showcased everything Spurs supporters should celebrate – and everything they should fear about the season ahead.
Luis Enrique’s lineup selection reeked of continental arrogance, fielding four attacking maestros while dismantling PSG’s Champions League-winning midfield trio.
Yet Frank’s meticulously drilled side exposed the French giants’ vulnerabilities with surgical precision. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s set-piece headers weren’t just goals they were systemic indictments of PSG’s defensive frailties, exploited through rehearsed movements that left Marquinhos’ backline in disarray.
The performance revealed Frank’s transformative impact already taking root. Where Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs oscillated between kamikaze attacking and desperate defending, Frank instilled measured control.
Tottenham ceded possession but never looked overwhelmed, pressing in coordinated bursts and maintaining defensive shape with a discipline absent last season.
Mohammed Kudus’ promising link-up play with Richarlison offered glimpses of an evolving attacking dynamic, while Pape Matar Sarr’s midfield dominance confirmed his burgeoning reputation.
Yet the heartbreaking collapse laid bare Tottenham’s chronic lack of depth. As PSG’s €200m worth of substitutes changed the game, Frank could only turn to a bench featuring three untested teenagers and the fading Richarlison.
The cruel irony? Spurs’ matchwinners Romero and van de Ven remained stranded on the pitch as fresh legs overwhelmed them, while backup keeper Brandon Austin’s shootout miss compounded the sense of a squad stretched beyond its limits.
Frank deserves better. His tactical blueprint works – this performance proved it against Europe’s elite. But Levy’s failure to strengthen key areas now threatens to waste another promising managerial appointment.
The January signing of Radu Dragusin can’t paper over cracks in a squad that needed five quality additions this summer, not one.
As PSG celebrated, the contrast was stark: one club backing their manager’s vision with targeted recruitment, another expecting miracles from threadbare resources.
Frank outcoached the best in Europe with limited tools – imagine what he could achieve with proper support. Unless Levy acts, this valiant defeat may become the defining metaphor of Tottenham’s season – glorious in parts, but ultimately undermined by institutional failings. The ball is now in the chairman’s court.