PRIORITY ONE: THOMAS FRANK TARGETS PSG AFTER ROMERO'S 'STYLE' WARNING
Spurs boss Thomas Frank remains detached from criticism after the Arsenal loss as his team faces a crucial test of style against PSG.
Even a tough loss to Arsenal wasn't enough to get to Thomas Frank.
The Tottenham coach often says he doesn't pay much attention to the chatter around the club, except for what his press officer tells him or what reporters ask.
Sitting in Paris before a Champions League game against the champs, just days after a 4-1 defeat, Frank insisted that hasn't changed.
I don't read anything—no articles, no social media. So, I don't know if people are upset, he said.
Frank is smart, though. He probably has an idea what Spurs fans thought of the game and knows where the team needs work.
He's also heard enough this season to know people aren't thrilled with the way they play. Some home games have ended with boos, and after the Arsenal game, Frank and the players walked over to clap for the mostly empty away section.
Spurs now play Paris Saint-Germain tonight in what feels like the least important game of the week.
Fulham is coming to north London on Saturday, and that's a key game for Frank. If they don't win and win big, he'll have a hard time avoiding the criticism.
The Champions League isn't as risky since Spurs already have eight points from four games. A few more points should be enough to get them to the next round.
Frank's team needs to almost double their current points to finish in the top spots and move straight to the final 16, and a good result against PSG would help.
But that's not the biggest thing right now. How they play in this game will matter more than the score.
Losing 3-1, but really going for it against PSG, creating chances, even if they fall short against a better team, would be better than a boring 0-0 tie.
Frank's time at Spurs won't be judged by the PSG game. It'll be judged by whether Spurs start playing better together on offence.
Spurs have three of the five lowest xG scores in the league this season.
They were great defensively in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG in August, holding a 2-0 lead until the last few minutes despite having the ball only 25% of the time.
That was okay for Frank's first game, but it would be worrying if they haven't improved after a few months.
The fans need to see improvement, and so do the players. They can only be told to defend and disrupt so many times before they want to create. Too often, Frank's approach has made the players scared of the other team.
That can't be fun, and it won't work for long. Cristian Romero didn't like the mood at Spurs under Antonio Conte's style and praised Ange Postecoglou's more attacking style.
"It's the way Tottenham always played," Romero said in 2023. It's about taking risks and trying to control the game.
Again, a year later, the Spurs captain said, "We play in a fun style, and we're all happy with how the coach sets us up."
If Romero, a defender, doesn't like sitting back, the forwards definitely don't.
There's no such thing as an easy game at a club like Spurs, but fans will accept some losses.
This is one of those games, but only if Frank and his players show they're trying.
INJURY CRISIS: L’EQUIPE CONFIRMS MBAPPE FAILED FITNESS TESTS AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DECIDER.
Discover why Kylian Mbappe is officially out of the Real Madrid vs Benfica clash and Arbeloa's tactical response.
Kylian Mbappe looks set to miss the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off with Benfica after picking up a knee injury in training. Madrid hosts Benfica at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Lisbon.
Mbappe left training early on Tuesday because of pain in his left knee. L’Equipe reports that he had tests that afternoon, and the results were pretty clear: there’s no way he’ll play against Benfica.
That’s a big shift from what Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa said just hours before. In his press conference, Arbeloa insisted Mbappe was ready and had been pushing through the pain for weeks.
“Kylian is ready to play tomorrow, and really, that’s what matters most right now. He’s been here for weeks, and everyone can see the commitment he’s showing to his teammates, to the team, to me, to the club, and to the fans. I want to point out just how hard Kylian is working. He’s trying to help us out there.
“He changes the game. Any defender facing him knows he can decide things in a second. He’s ready for tomorrow; we’ll need him, and he’ll have a great game.”
Meanwhile, Benfica comes to Madrid under a cloud. The first leg was marred by Vinicius Junior’s claim that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him after Vinicius scored the only goal. Prestianni has been handed a provisional one-match Champions League ban, though he denies the accusation. He says he actually directed a homophobic slur at Vinicius after being called a “dwarf” by the Brazilian. That defence probably won’t hold, and he could end up with a longer ban.
Arbeloa and Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois both spoke about the incident on Tuesday. Arbeloa said, “We have a chance to make a real difference in the fight against racism. UEFA always says it’s fighting racism, but this is a moment to go beyond slogans or banners. I hope they take it.
“For us, the focus is on playing at a high level and doing the job on the pitch so we can win. That’s where our energy is going. The rest, honestly, isn’t our responsibility. That’s for UEFA to decide.”
Courtois added, “A lot of things haven’t been handled well. Racism and homophobia – none of that is acceptable, and the insult is just as serious. Vini didn’t do anything wrong. He celebrated the way plenty of opponents have celebrated against us. In the end, we have to move forward. You can’t excuse an act of racism because of a celebration.”
THE SPEED FACTOR: IS IVáN FRESNEDA TRULY THE FASTEST DEFENDER IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
Is he PL-bound? Analyse Fresneda's speed, Sporting's depth, and why Arsenal and City are monitoring the 21-year-old star.
Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Arsenal are all keeping tabs on Sporting’s right-back Iván Fresneda ahead of the summer transfer window. Sporting seem pretty open to selling him for less than his €80m (£69m) release clause.
That’s according to A Bola in Portugal, which says Sporting are ready to talk if someone shows up with a good offer for the 21-year-old. They haven’t set a final price yet, but they’re willing to negotiate.
Fresneda has turned into a key player under Rui Borges this season. Switching from a 3-4-3 to a 4-2-3-1 really helped him lock down the starting right-back spot, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. He’s also picked up more attention with Spain’s Under-21 team.
The interest from England isn’t new; Newcastle, City, and Arsenal have all been linked before. But as things stand, Sporting haven’t actually received any formal offers. There’s been some early interest, but nothing concrete has landed in Lisbon.
Sporting put an €80m (£69m) release clause in Fresneda’s contract when they signed him from Real Valladolid for €9m (£7.8m) last year. Still, they’re not insisting on the full amount. They’re open to a deal that reflects how much he’s improved, so there’s definitely room for negotiation if the right bid comes in.
From Sporting’s side, they’re in a strong spot. Georgios Vagiannidis joined in 2025 and is under contract until 2030. Salvador Blopa is set to step up after doing well with the B team, and Diogo Travassos will return from Moreirense; he can even play as a winger. With that kind of depth, Sporting don’t have to panic about finding a replacement right away. They have options, and, honestly, that gives them leverage in any talks.
So what does this mean for Newcastle, City, and Arsenal? Basically, it’s an opportunity. There’s no sign of a bidding war yet. Fresneda’s profile checks a lot of boxes: he’s young, he’s got international experience with Spain’s Under-21s, he’s played in the Champions League, and he’s one of the fastest players in this year’s competition. Pace at full-back is always in demand in the Premier League.
He’s expected to get another Spain Under-21 call-up in March for the games against Cyprus and Kosovo. That kind of exposure will only boost his value.
Timing is everything here. No one’s made a formal move yet, but Sporting are clearly open to selling him this summer. If one of the English clubs moves early with a serious offer of something less than €80m but well above the €9m they paid, things could pick up fast.
Premier League Standings
Must Read
Read More News