HOW BAD WAS IT: THOMAS FRANK APOLOGIZES FOR PAINFUL DEFEAT TO RIVALS ARSENAL NOW
Thomas Frank and Guglielmo Vicario apologised to Tottenham fans after a "unacceptable" 4-1 derby loss to Arsenal. Both manager and goalkeeper admitted the team lacked fight and intensity in a dismal performance.
After Tottenham's 4-1 loss to Arsenal in the north London derby, manager Thomas Frank and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario said sorry to Spurs fans. They felt the team just didn't show enough fight.
Frank said the game was extremely painful, as Eberechi Eze scored an incredible hat trick. Richarlison's long shot was Tottenham's only real threat.
Vicario didn't blame tactics, even though Frank switched to a defensive formation. He admitted the players simply didn't battle hard enough.
Since Frank took over from Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham has lost to Arsenal and Chelsea. In those games, they struggled to score or create good chances.
It was a bad showing, Frank said. The game went completely against what we wanted. We can only say sorry to the fans. We didn't win enough battles, so the result was exemplified by Arsenal's second and third goals, where one of their players beat two or three of our players.
I've seen this team show a lot of character before, but we didn't win enough battles. Whatever we want to call it, the fact is, we didn't win enough. I tried a 5-4-1 formation, and I take responsibility for that choice. We switched it up at halftime.
“But no matter the formation, we didn't have enough fight or intensity in the important moments, and with Arsenal, it is hard to win. I need to look at the goals more closely. I'm going to have a tough time watching the whole game again tonight. We weren't aggressive when we could have been, and they just played around us.”
Tottenham needs to bounce back when they play Paris Saint-Germain, and Vicario said the team was too passive against Arsenal.
It was a really bad night. We have to apologise to our fans, who support us every day,” Vicario said. “They wanted us to fight, and we didn't. That's never acceptable in football at this level.
Very bad loss, but we have to stick together as we have a big game. We didn’t show what we can do tonight.
Emotions are high, but we need to keep calm and, again, apologise to the fans who travelled here. We waited too long to get into the game. We were too passive.
“The game plan we had didn't work. We didn't fight today, and we have to say sorry for that. But we need to stay united and move forward.
Vicario didn't blame Arsenal's first goal for the loss. He thought the offside Arsenal players blocked his view. The goal was checked by VAR but confirmed, and Vicario said, “I don't think it would have changed the game.
“There were three people in front of me, so of course, they blocked me. But that's not why we lost.
Ex-Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand was really critical of Tottenham's performance, saying they looked weak.
We just didn't compete. Derbies are hostile and fierce. It just wasn't there today,” Ferdinand said on Sky Sports. “They didn't compete at all.
If you're a Spurs fan, you're frustrated. We're talking about playing the league's best team. You want to put up a fight. We just gave up and got rolled over.
BETRAYAL: DAVID MOYES SAYS MAN UNITED DEVIATING FROM TRUE CLUB VALUES
David Moyes says Man Utd needed a long-term rebuild in 2013 and claims the club's managerial upheaval since Sir Alex Ferguson departed represents a departure from its historic values and culture of stability.
David Moyes thinks Manchester United needed a major overhaul when he took over from Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. He also feels the changes at Old Trafford since then go against what the club used to believe in.
Before his return to Old Trafford with Everton this Monday, Moyes said his 11 months as United's manager didn't work for different reasons, but he's moved on. Even though he inherited a title-winning team from Ferguson, Moyes isn't shocked that United is still waiting for their 21st league title.
"I always thought it would take time to fix," he said. I realised early on it wasn't going to be quick. Also, it wasn't just about United's strength. Other teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal were also strong and improving. I think those clubs played a big role because their quality was getting better.
Ruben Amorim is United's sixth permanent manager since Ferguson retired. He was under pressure before the team's recent better form. Moyes believes the frequent managerial changes show a culture shift at Old Trafford. Manchester United used to be different, he said. They had a great culture. They stuck with their managers, brought through their own young players, and had good values.
Sir Alex had great values at Manchester United, and those values took time to develop. It was always a club with brilliant values, understanding the importance of bringing young players through and developing them the right way.
Meanwhile, Amorim said the storm isn't over for United, even with their five-game unbeaten run in the league.
United has won against Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton and drawn with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham since their 3-1 loss at Brentford on September 27. It's encouraging, but Amorim isn't getting carried away. Eleven months ago, after United beat Everton 4-0 at Old Trafford, he warned that a storm would come. He was right, as United only won seven more league games last season and finished 15th.
If you look at the bottom of the league, the teams have a lot of points, so things can change quickly. “That’s why I don’t like to say the storm is over,” said Amorim. But we're more prepared for any storm now. We need to keep that urgency in every game.
It's my job, especially at our club, to always have that feeling, which gives me a sense of urgency in every training session. In the Premier League, everything can change so fast because any team can win.
When asked if United could extend their unbeaten run to 10 games, including matches against Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolves, and Bournemouth, Amorim said, We need to focus on being six games unbeaten, but being unbeaten isn't enough.
I was frustrated after the last two draws. For us, it's not enough to be unbeaten. We didn't win the last two games, so I don't think we were unbeaten five games ago. In my mind, we're going into the third game without a win, and we didn't win the last two, so that's how I feel.
With Benjamin Sesko out for a few weeks due to a knee injury from the 2-2 draw with Spurs, Amorim was asked if he regretted loaning Rasmus Højlund to Napoli. It's hard to keep everyone happy at these clubs. Imagine Rasmus was here, and you'd say he'd have more playing time if Ben were injured, said Amorim. It's impossible to manage a dressing room like that, so we need to improve the academy kids so they can have a chance when there's an injury.
ARSENAL'S SINGLE BIGGEST THREAT: JAMIE CARRAGHER REVEALS TITLE BLOCKER
Jamie Carragher says Arsenal have "no excuses" after their 4-1 derby win over Tottenham. With a six-point lead, he states the only thing that can stop Arsenal from winning the Premier League title is their own mindset. Thierry Henry agrees the time is now
After Arsenal's dominant 4-1 victory over Tottenham, Jamie Carragher remarked that Arsenal only has itself to blame if they fail in the Premier League title race, as this result provided a six-point lead.
Eberechi Eze's hat-trick, the first in the north London derby since 1978, powered Mikel Arteta's team to a big win at the Emirates; his display showed that the Gunners are title contenders.
Carragher said that Arsenal are the favourites for the title, especially after Manchester City's defeat to Newcastle and Liverpool's slump. He thinks that Arsenal is the team to beat this year.
Carragher noted that Arsenal has finished second in the Premier League for the past three years (twice to Manchester City and once to Liverpool). He said that the Gunners won't have any excuses if they miss out on the title again.
Carragher mentioned on Sky Sports, The only team that can stop Arsenal from lifting the title is Arsenal. The only thing that can hold them back is their own mindset. The fans might get nervous in March or April if the title race is still close.
This is their year. If they don't win it, we'll all blame them for throwing it away. In the past, there was always a team that was a bit better, but that's not the situation this season.
Thierry Henry agreed with Carragher, saying that it's time for Arsenal to accept their role as title favourites.
He explained, Sooner or later, you have to accept it. People talk about trusting the process, but now it's happening.
We believe we have the best team, so we need to make sure we can win the league. I'm not saying they will, but they need to act like they are the favourites.”
Just accept it. I'm not trying to add pressure. If I were returning in the summer, I would say, 'It's time to get serious.' We need to perform so that people are scared of us.”
Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal needs to focus on themselves as they get ready for a pivotal week. He commented, “We have to take it one match at a time. The league is very competitive, and games are often decided by small margins. We need to keep our momentum going, enjoy this victory, and then concentrate on Bayern Munich.
Arsenal's next Premier League match will pose a challenge, as they face Chelsea, who are currently second, at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. They also have a game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek.