“I’ve never seen anything so ridiculous” – Ex-Spurs star slams Thomas Frank’s bizarre tactic

‘I’ve never seen anything so foolish’ – Former Spurs star slams bizarre Thomas Frank tactic

Thomas Frank’s approach is being torn apart after Tottenham’s 4-1 humiliation at the Emirates. The Dane’s deeply defensive setup completely failed, and his team selection is also under fire, with the decision to use a back five and leave out players like Xavi Simons proving costly.

But one specific tactical choice left a former Spurs player utterly stunned.

Alan Brazil baffled by Tottenham’s set-piece setup against Arsenal

Ex-Tottenham striker and talkSPORT host Alan Brazil couldn’t understand why Spurs were defending so deep when dealing with Arsenal’s floated free-kicks. The 66-year-old said it was one of the most senseless things he had ever witnessed on a football pitch and warned that it could easily have led to disaster.

Brazil told talkSPORT:
“Look at the free-kicks Arsenal were putting in, and Tottenham were standing just outside their own six-yard box. How ridiculous is that? One flick and it’s in. Why sit that deep? Push up. Give your goalkeeper room to decide whether to come for it or stay. I’ve never seen anything so stupid in my life.”

Frank likely had his reasons for the setup

Frank and his staff would have studied Arsenal’s set-piece strengths and devised their plan accordingly. They clearly believed holding such a deep line was the best way to deal with the danger, despite the risks involved. It may also have been influenced by the fact that Guglielmo Vicario is not especially confident when coming off his line, potentially making Tottenham wary of Arsenal exploiting that weakness.