TBR Football

After seeing his Tottenham Hotspur team brush aside FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, Thomas Frank may be having ideas about a tactical tweak in the future.

It was crucial that Tottenham picked up a win this week after a disastrous showing against Chelsea at the weekend. While fans voiced their displeasure towards the Spurs players on Saturday, they left the ground buzzing on Tuesday night.

Goals from Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Micky van de Ven, and Joao Palhinha secured a 4-0 win for Tottenham who maintain their unbeaten start to the Champions League and push themselves into the all-important top eight for now.

However, it’s not just a sense of relief Thomas Frank will have gotten from that victory; he will also have been given food for thought regarding his formation after van de Ven’s wonder goal.

Danny Murphy predicts system change for Tottenham

On the latest episode of talkSPORT Daily as part of the Champions League round-up, former Spurs man Danny Murphy discussed that incredible goal from Micky van de Ven and suggested how it could help Frank mix things up in terms of his tactics.

He said: “It’s an unbelievable goal, honestly. And actually, I was looking at it thinking, maybe we’d see this more often if he plays in a three [at the back]. Maybe that’s something Thomas Frank’s thinking about, because we saw Brentford play in a three many times, didn’t we?

“And that will give him the license to go and do this type of thing. It’s just a beautiful, wonderful goal.”

Spurs fans will recall van de Ven going on a similar marauding run last season to provide a dazzling assist against Manchester United, so he’s clearly got this in his locker. If Spurs were to give him that freedom to roam it could be a gamechanger.

The only problem is, van de Ven will attract a lot of attention from other clubs if he keeps playing like this.

Pros and cons of playing a back three for Spurs

So, would it be a good idea to go for a back three at Tottenham? Obviously the benefits are clear to see, in that it would give players like van de Ven the freedom to advance and would give the backline plenty of stability.

It’s not just van de Ven who would benefit. You think about players like Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, who are very attacking full-backs, and it’s clear they would relish playing in the wing-back role as part of a 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 formation.

Kevin Danso is also worthy of a place in the Tottenham team. He’s just unfortunate that Cristian Romero and van de Ven are such a phenomenal pairing, but make them a trio and everyone wins.

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Poll: Should Tottenham change to a back three?

Still, would this shift leave Frank sacrificing Tottenham’s attacking intent at times? With more defenders on the pitch, the team would naturally gravitate towards a more defensive mindset. We saw this happen at Chelsea last weekend, and Spurs fans were furious with their team for it.

It’s simply a case of judging this on a game-by-game basis. When the situation calls for it, a back three would be a shrewd move. But, use that formation in the wrong situation, and Tottenham fans would surely let Frank know about it.

Tottenham beat Copenhagen 4-0 on Tuesday and Micky van de Ven’s goal was stunning.

Spurs bounced back from their recent loss to Chelsea with a dominant display over the Danish side.

Xavi Simons took the plaudits for his impressive showing on the back of a tough start to life in England.

However, the marquee moment of the fixture belonged to central defender Micky van de Ven.

Micky van de Ven could become third Tottenham player to win Puskas Award

The Dutchman picked up the ball on the edge of his own box, sprinted the entire length of the pitch, passing multiple players in the process before slotting into the back of the Copenhagen net.

It was a simply excellent solo goal, and it would not be surprising to see it nominated and potentially win the 2025 FIFA Puskas Award.

The award is announced towards the end of November each year, and Van de Ven’s goal should come just in time to make the cut.

Throughout history, Tottenham players have won the Puskas Award on two occasions.

Heung-min Son clinched the prize in 2020 following his goal in a 3-0 win over Burnley.

A year later, Erik Lamela also won the award as a Spurs player for his goal against Arsenal.

No team in history has ever had three players win the Puskas Award, with Manchester United (Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Alejandro Garnacho in 2024) also having two.

Van de Ven commented on his goal when speaking on live TV immediately after the 4-0 win.

He said: “I started dribbling and thought I would see if they would catch up and they didn’t,” Van de Ven told TNT Sports.

“I was feeling good, and I felt amazing in the sprint, I felt like I could keep going.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank compared the pacey centre-back to Lionel Messi following his midweek exploits.

He said: “It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, running from his own goal down the other end to score.”

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have been keeping close tabs on Wolfsburg defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, along with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old has quickly established himself as a key player for Greece and Wolfsburg following his move from PAOK back in 2024.

Wolfsburg have had a tough start to the season, sitting 12th in the Bundesliga, but the Greek international has looked promising in most matches.

The youngster is now attracting interest from the Premier League, along with other leagues, and he could be in for a possible move in January.

Exclusive: Tottenham and Liverpool are watching Konstantinos Koulierakis

Tottenham Hotspur have added Konstantinos Koulierakis to their list of defensive targets for January, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

Spurs have made a new central defender one of their priorities for January. Currently, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin are their only back-up options.

The North London club would ideally like a left-sided player to cover Micky van de Ven, and Koulierakis ticks that box.

Wolfsburg have sold some top centre-backs, including Van de Ven and Maxence Lacroix, who is flying at Crystal Palace.

However, Thomas Frank’s side are not the only club looking at him, with Liverpool also in contention and other European clubs.

Speaking about his situation, Bailey told TBR Football: “Koulierakis is attracting a lot of attention across Europe, composed and left-sided – left-footed defenders do tend to carry a bit more of a premium and he is standing out at the moment.”

How Konstantinos Koulierakis compares to Micky van de Ven at Wolfsburg

Koulierakis has really impressed defensively at Wolfsburg and leads Van de Ven in several key areas from his final season at the club.

Van de Ven has improved a lot since then, but Koulierakis dominates the Dutch defender in the aerial department, having won many more duels than the Spurs star.

The Greek defender won’t be quite as quick as Tottenham’s vice captain, but as the stats show, defensively, he is already well-rounded.

Koulierakis has an impressive range of passing, too, having attempted 256 long balls last season, with an accuracy of 43.75 percent.

Tottenham Hotspur produced a dominant display against Copenhagen, and James Maddison thinks one player really stood out.

Thomas Frank’s team ran riot in North London as they thumped Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League.

Micky van de Ven scored one of the best goals of the season, whilst Wilson Odobert, Joao Palhinha and Brennan Johnson also found the back of the net.

After the game, James Maddison felt the need to laud one of Spurs’ key performers from the match, following his impressive display.

James Maddison’s praise for Xavi Simons after Champions League win

Maddison has taken to social media to praise Xavi Simons following Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-0 win in the Champions League.

Simons impressed against Copenhagen, winning the Man of the Match award and producing his best display in a Tottenham shirt to date.

In the first half, the Dutch international created three big chances, the most by a Spurs player in the competition since the 2016/17 season.

Following the match, Maddison took to social media to write in the 22-year-old’s Instagram comments: “Toppppp today son”.

Simons has been struggling at Tottenham up until now, but bounced back from his poor display against Chelsea over the weekend.

The youngster will now be hoping that his display was the catalyst to help springboard his career in North London following a rocky start.

But it’s no wonder Simons looked better, as Spurs played with much greater attacking intent against the Danish opposition.

Thomas Frank on Xavi Simons winning Man of the Match

Frank believes that Simons is getting ‘better and better’ at Tottenham following his Man of the Match display versus Copenhagen.

Speaking to the club’s media, Frank said: “I think Xavi also made a step forward, very happy. I think he found some good pockets when we got the ball into him. I think that was very positive.

“Happy he got the assist. I think he could have easily got one or two more on the day, so he is getting better and better.”

Next up for the Lilywhites is Manchester United, and Simons will be hopeful of continuing his form into the game against Ruben Amorim’s team.

Mohammed Kudus has been one of Tottenham’s best players, but right now, he is injured and has just provided an update ahead of Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur romped to victory in North London as they defeated Copenhagen 4-0, with Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, Joao Palhinha and Brennan Johnson all scoring.

Van de Ven scored a wonder goal in the Champions League, with a run that even Mohammed Kudus would have been so proud of.

But despite cruising to victory in the Champions League, Spurs will still hope their winger is back soon, and he has now issued the latest on his knock.

Mohammed Kudus is hopeful of facing Man United

Kudus has told the media his injury is ‘getting better’ and that he is hopeful of facing Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Spurs host the Red Devils following their impressive European win and will be eager to do so with the Ghanaian winger in their squad.

Following the win over the Danish team, Kudus was asked whether he would be ready for the clash, to which he responded: “It’s getting better, yes.”

Kudus missed Tottenham training during midweek and was then absent from the win against Copenhagen.

Since his move from West Ham, Kudus has been a joy to watch, and he would have had a great time during the win on Tuesday evening.

Brennan Johnson was the player who replaced him in the team for the Champions League clash, with the Welsh international getting a goal, but also a red card.

Xavi Simons’ new form could be great news for Mohammed Kudus

Xavi Simons was superb against Copenhagen, and his display earned him the Champions League Man of the Match award.

The 22-year-old may have just turned a corner at Spurs, following what has been a tricky first couple of months in North London.

But in the Champions League, the youngster created several big chances, which a player like Kudus would have feasted on.

If Simons can continue to tick for Tottenham, having a player like Kudus around him could see both players’ games elevated to the next level.

Micky van de Ven has been the talk of the town at Tottenham this season, and his latest goal has Glenn Hoddle worried about his future.

The Dutch defender scored a contender for goal of the season as he ran from inside his own half to find the back of the net against Copenhagen.

Tottenham Hotspur ran riot in North London as they won 4-0 in the Champions League, with Wilson Odobert, Joao Palhinha and Brennan Johnson also scoring.

But for Micky van de Ven, it was yet another phenomenal performance, and Glenn Hoddle has been speaking about the 24-year-old’s situation.

Glenn Hoddle thinks Micky van de Ven could ‘play for any team in the world’

Tottenham fans won’t like to hear this, but Glenn Hoddle believes Van de Ven could ‘play for any team in the world’ after his goal in the Champions League.

The Spurs legend is hopeful he will sign a long-term contract with the North London club, but the defender will surely know he is wanted.

TBR Football understands that Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are keen on Van de Ven, and his goal just shows what he can offer.

Following his superb goal, Hoddle told TNT Sports: “Incredible player, as Owen (Hagreaves) just said, unfortunately for Tottenham, the fans won’t want to hear me say this, but he could play for any team in the world. He really could.

“I just hope he signs a long contract. He’s a wonderful centre-back and a great defender as well as what he’s done with the ball.”

Thomas Frank thinks Van de Ven can become the best centre-back in the world, and he certainly showed it against the Danish club.

Sources: Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven contract plans

As already reported by TBR Football, Vinai Venkatesham is in talks with Van de Ven over a new deal and has made it one of his priorities.

Right now, it’s not a huge concern for the Lilywhites, as the defender is already contracted until the summer of 2028.

But over the international break, the North London club are ready to step up plans to get a new contract sorted to avoid transfer talks.

Xavi Simons has been the big talking point at Tottenham Hotspur over recent weeks, and against Copenhagen, it was no different with his latest display.

Tottenham Hotspur recorded an emphatic 4-0 win over the Danish side as they responded to the weekend’s defeat against Chelsea.

Micky van de Ven scored one of the most impressive goals the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ever seen, with Wilson Odobert, Joao Palhinha and Brennan Johnson also finding the back of the net.

Xavi Simons didn’t manage to get his goal in the Champions League, but overall, his display did leave fans all making the same point.

Tottenham fans are backing Xavi Simons to kick on after Copenhagen display

Tottenham fans are now backing Simons to finally kick on at the club following his impressive performance against Copenhagen.

Simons has been struggling at Tottenham, but he looked so full of confidence during the match and made things tick.

The midfielder even managed to create three big chances in the first half, which is the most by any Spurs player in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season.

Tottenham have kept the faith in Simons, and he produced a wicked response against the Danish opposition.

Thomas Frank’s team played with much greater attacking intent, so it was no wonder that their creative midfielder enjoyed one of his best games in Lilywhite.

During the match, Tottenham fans took to social media to share their praise for the 22-year-old and are excited for what’s to come.

One fan said: “I am still thinking about that Odobert-Simons link up in the first half… It was absolutely beautiful, and will continue for us Tottenham fans for years to come.”

“An attacking approach would make Simons so much better. I‘ve never seen him be too consistent with his creative actions, but the increased volume alone would make him more useful for us,” added another.

There was yet more praise for the former PSG star: “This is the Xavi Simons that we’ve all been waiting for! Best performance in a Spurs shirt by an absolute mile.”

Finally, another added: “Xavi Simons has been the best attacking player on the pitch by some distance. Set up Johnson’s opener and should have had another two assists, had it not been for Kolo Muani’s sitters.”

Glenn Hoddle praises Xavi Simons’ display in Champions League

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle was full of praise for Simons after the game and believes it was his best performance since joining.

After the match, Hoddle told TNT Sports: “It’s about players like Xavi Simons, he will be gutted to come off because of the sending off. But at the end of the day, he had his best game in a Spurs shirt.

“He was creative, he got an assist, he might have had a couple more assists. He’s the creative spark, we’ve seen what he can do in a Spurs shirt.”

Simons will now be raring to go against Manchester United on the weekend and follow up his strong display against Copenhagen with another top performance.

Tottenham thought they had signed a generational talent this summer when they bagged Xavi Simons, but things haven’t quite worked out for him just yet.

Xavi Simons was touted as one of the signings of the summer. He could have been a real gamechanger for Tottenham. He still could be, but he needs to improve quickly.

Some have said Simons is taking too much time on the ball. Others suggest Simons just needs to settle in and that things will get better as time goes on.

Whichever way you look at it, though, it’s not been a successful move so far. But, former Spurs man David Bentley thinks we could be seeing a similar situation to what happened with Luka Modric when he first came to the Premier League.

What David Bentley said about Xavi Simons

In a recent appearance on talkSPORT, Bentley criticised Simons’ latest performance against Chelsea, but pondered the idea that Thomas Frank may be using the Dutchman in the wrong position.

He said: “I thought it was very poor. It was it was poor. You can’t deny that. He doesn’t look physically at it or capable at the minute. It’s maybe similar to when Modric came through the door actually and I’m unsure about his position because he’s playing him on the left.

“I’m not I’m not too sure whether he needs to sit in the hole, play the 10 role and whether he needs to be sort of getting on the ball and linking play a little bit more rather than attacking his full-backs.”

Indeed, Frank surprised everyone with his team selection on Saturday evening. Simons was left out of the starting line-up before replacing Lucas Bergvall who suffered a concussion. The Dutch star then operated on the left, but has previously played in the hole behind the forward, and a little deeper.

None of those positions have really worked so far, but there is still hope…

Will Xavi Simons find his feet at Tottenham?

Spurs fans were positive about Simons after the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle last week, with the young midfielder winning plenty of duels and registering a couple of key passes in the game.

The fact is, this is a 22-year-old who has just moved to a new football club in a new country, playing in the most difficult division in the world. It was always going to take him some time to adjust, and it doesn’t help that Simons is not the most physical player, either.

It’s also worth noting that he’s joined a club where the new manager is still trying to figure out the best system and combination of players. That inconsistency is never going to be conducive to a new player’s settling in period.

There is a line, of course, and we can’t make too many excuses for Simons. But, at the same time, it’s really not helpful for anyone to get frustrated or angry about his performances so early in his Spurs career.

Tottenham Hotspur fans that were filled with hope in the summer will be horrified to learn their team are fated for a disappointing league finish this season under Thomas Frank.

Last season, Tottenham finally ended their 17-year wait for silverware by winning the Europa League. Shortly after, Ange Postecoglou was sacked, largely due to the fact the club finished in 17th place in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank arrived and many expected stability and pragmatism, but no one quite expected the football to be as bland as it has been at times this term.

Many were surprised by Frank’s unusual team selection and shape against Chelsea, and were equally shocked by the dismal display the Lilywhites put out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Despite a relatively strong start to the season, things are not looking good for Spurs right now, and the predicted league table from Opta shows just how worrying this trend could be.

Tottenham’s predicted league finish

Before the season began, Opta’s supercomputer predicted Tottenham would finish 14th this season — a jump from last season’s 17th, but still far from good enough.

Fast forward ten matches and the supercomputer still doesn’t think Spurs have what it takes to breach the top half of the table come the end of the season. Right now, it has Frank’s side lined up for 11th place with an expected return of 55 points (55.47 to be precise).

That’s up from the 47 points it initially predicted back in August, but again, just highlights how little Tottenham have moved forwards in the two months since that first prediction.

Indeed, their chances of winning the league title still stand at 0.3% and they only have a 7-10% chance of qualifying for European football at the moment.

As per Opta, the likes of Newcastle United, Brighton, Bournemouth, and Manchester United will all finish above Spurs, while Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are set to finish in the top six.

With a lack of goals at Spurs, a growing injury list, and players seemingly turning on Thomas Frank this weekend, the future does not look too shiny at the moment for the North Londoners.

Have Spurs made any progress under Thomas Frank?

So, have Spurs actually made any progress since Thomas Frank took over from Ange Postecoglou? The team certainly look more organised and they’re not shipping goals anywhere near as regularly, but at the same time, there has been a sacrifice in the style of play.

Tottenham Hotspur is a club built on the tradition of playing exciting, attacking football and getting fans on their feet. Right now, that’s not happening.

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Poll: Did Spurs make a mistake by sacking Ange Postecoglou?

In fact, the fans are unhappy with the Tottenham players and they let them know that on Saturday. The Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven situation doesn’t help matters, either.

If Tottenham do finish 11th or 14th (or indeed anywhere in the bottom half of the table) this season, will that really be regarded as progress on what Postecoglou delivered last term? If there’s no trophy to counteract the league position, the answer to that question would be an unequivocal no.

Tottenham Hotspur fans may have been unhappy with their players after the loss to Chelsea on Saturday evening, but Troy Deeney saw enough in one player to warrant a place in his team of the week.

It was yet another humbling defeat at the hands of London rivals Chelsea for Tottenham, who have now won just two of their last ten home league meetings against the Blues.

Thomas Frank opted for a surprising team selection and formation, but it didn’t pay off, with Spurs generating just 0.10 xG in the entire game and failing to threaten Chelsea at all.

In truth, it was a game that the Lilywhites could and probably should have lost by a bigger margin, but one man kept them in the contest, and earned praise from Deeney in the process.

Troy Deeney was impressed with Guglielmo Vicario

Putting together his Premier League team of the week for BBC Sport, Deeney chose to include Guglielmo Vicario in goal. While the inclusion of any Spurs player is surprising, it has to be said that Vicario is the most deserving of anyone in that disappointing defeat.

On Vicario, Deeney wrote: “I know he was on the losing team at home to Chelsea but his Spurs teammates abandoned him. He faced 18 shots, nine shots on target, an xG of 3.36 for Chelsea and he kept them in it. He didn’t quit on his team.”

Indeed, while Tottenham struggled in attack and their defence looked shaky, it was Vicario who appeared almost unbeatable on the night.

Were it not for him, the scoreline would have been far more embarrassing for the home side, and while other goalkeepers in the division may have kept clean sheets this weekend, the sheer nature of the onslaught Vicario faced has to be commended.

Other players involved in Deeney’s team of the week are: Nico O’Reilly, Gabriel, Jean-Clair Todibo, Ryan Sessegnon, Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice, Ryan Gravenberch, Diego Gomez, Erling Haaland, and Rayan Cherki.

Guglielmo Vicario has responded to doubters perfectly

Results may not have gone Tottenham’s way over the past couple of weeks, by and large, but Vicario has certainly impressed in his role.

Just last month, questions were raised over the Italian’s proficiency and there were calls for him to be dropped in favour of Antonin Kinsky. Since then, Vicario has responded perfectly.

His heroics against Chelsea come on the back of an impressive showing against Monaco in the Champions League and the win against Everton, where he made a couple of brilliant reaction stops to maintain Tottenham’s dominance at Hill Dickinson Stadium.