Thomas Frank to completely rip up Tottenham plan after what Archie Gray did vs PSG
Thomas Frank may have had a lightbulb moment after Archie Gray’s performance against PSG.
Tottenham lost 5-3 to PSG on Wednesday in an action-packed Champions League showdown at the Parc des Princes.
Randal Kolo Muani was superb against his parent club, as things finally started to click in attack for Frank.
Despite an attacking revelation, the script flipped, and it was Spurs’ defence which let them down on the night.
Frank has been tipped for the sack at Tottenham, but the performance against the defending European champions has led to lots of positive takeaways.
One in particular being Gray.
Archie Gray was immense vs PSG
Gray has been sidelined with a calf injury recently and has been unable to prove his worth to Frank in the games that he has been fit, due to a lack of game time.
The 19-year-old was trusted by Ange Postecoglou last season, and with his display against PSG, he has surely given Frank the perfect solution to Spurs’ problem.
| Minutes | Tackles (won) | Crosses (accurate) | Hit woodwork | Key passes | Defensive actions |
| 76 | 1 (1) | 2 (1) | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Gray won 100 per cent of his tackles against the French giants and showed real promise while being thrown in to face elite competition despite a lack of match sharpness.
The midfielder also came away unlucky when he had an effort pushed onto the woodwork in the second half.
Having only started once in the Premier League this season, Frank will have only now realised what he needs to do with Gray and Tottenham moving forward.
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Gray needs to be at the heart of Thomas Frank’s formation change
Tottenham have often lined up as a 4-2-3-1 this season, with 4-3-3 variations also being deployed by Frank.
However, Tottenham’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Arsenal saw Frank play a five at the back formation, which didn’t work as he once again changed things up against PSG.
The Lilywhites put in perhaps their best attacking performance versus Les Parisiens, and it’s all because of Gray and the formation that Frank used.
| Formation in possession | Formation out of possession |
| 4-1-2-1-2 | 4-4-2 |
In possession, Spurs were fluid in their diamond shape, with Gray helping play move forward from deep in midfield.
There’s still work to be done out of possession, but Frank surely needs to divert away from his usual formation choice and go with this setup from now on.
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