It’s been a tough few weeks for Tottenham. Not so long ago, Thomas Frank’s side were as high as third, but just one win in their last five Premier League games has seen them fall down to 12th, and pressure is piling on the manager.
The 2-1 defeat to Fulham was pretty indicative of how their season is going.
Individual mistakes cost them as they suffered yet another home defeat, and boos rang out across the Tottenham Hotspur stadium throughout and after the game.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. One player has been a standout for Spurs amid all the negativity, and that’s 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall, and he may hold the key to help Tottenham out of their current funk.
What is Tottenham’s biggest issue?
Spurs are really struggling to create any meaningful chances at the moment, and it all stems from what is happening in their midfield. Frank doesn’t have a lot of options in the centre of the park that are capable of getting the ball up the pitch quickly enough.
At the start of the season, he was using Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur as the pivot. Both are great at winning the ball back, physically very capable, and read the game well, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would describe them as ‘quick’ or ‘creative’.
Ahead of them, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both out injured, Pape Sarr has often featured in the number ten role. Sarr presses well, but again, he doesn’t provide the type of creative outlet that Tottenham need.
Against Fulham, Frank mixed it up a bit, playing a 4-4-2 and using Archie Gray alongside Palhinha. It didn’t work out, and Spurs created an xG of just 0.86 from 14 shots, only two of which were on target.
Xavi Simons was meant to be the man to come in and be Tottenham’s creative outlet, but the Dutchman is yet to adapt to life in the Premier League and not having that extra second to make a decision as he had in the Bundesliga.
Where does Lucas Bergvall excel and could he be the solution?
Bergvall’s versatility is both a blessing and a curse. The young Swede has played as a defensive midfielder, a number ten, and even a left winger, so, as a result, his numbers are a little bit all over the place.
He has a very strong tactical awareness and loves to progress play with his dribbling or a line-splitting pass, controlling the game's tempo with a fantastic recognition of space and the elite ball control.
Against Fulham, he was on the left of Tottenham’s 4-4-2, and he was easily their best player, not only providing the assist for Mohammed Kudus’ fantastic goal, but making six passes into the final third, and a 100 per cent long ball accuracy rate, while also being the most accurate passer of any outfield player who featured for more than 45 minutes (97 per cent).
Compared to Gray and Palhinha in the centre, neither created a single chance, but did make 14 defensive contributions between them, so, as stated, their main focus was to break down attacks rather than create.
Now, the last time Bergvall featured as either a number ten or a central midfielder, which are his best positions, in the Premier League was in the 1-1 draw with Wolves. It wasn’t a particularly good day at the office for him, or any Tottenham player for that matter.
That doesn’t mean he should be written off, however. There are forces beyond Bergvall’s control that are dictating why Tottenham are so bad at home, so perhaps a better example in 3-0 away win over West Ham.
Bergvall was player of the match for that game, scoring and providing the assist for Micky van de Ven’s goal. It felt like a real breakout performance in which he had 40 touches, four in the opposition box, and six passes into the final third.
As a midfielder, Bergvall does exactly what Spurs need; he progresses the ball up the pitch quickly and he should be played there a lot more often. Of course, it may leave them a little more open but Frank needs to take risks now more than ever.
Verdict
When Frank was appointed, Spurs fans were delighted to have a manager that can adapt tactically, and that’s a positive thing, but constantly changing formation and having players play out of position reeks of a coach that is struggling for ideas.
What Tottenham need is a bit more consistency. There is no issue with changing the way player mark or press the opposition based on who they face, but sticking to a formation and a style for a few games would be wise.
Doing that and playing Bergvall, someone who can progress the ball at a pace that his teammates can’t, could be the recipe to get Spurs out of their poor run of form.