Tottenham Hotspur may have fallen to a defeat in the UEFA Super Cup final against PSG last night, but it still highlights the superb work done during the off-season.
The outing was Thomas Frank’s first competitive game in charge of the Lilywhites, handing him the perfect opportunity to analyse the players currently at his disposal for the season ahead.
As a result, he will likely already have a good idea who he will want to start when he leads his side into the Premier League, with their opener against Burnley just two days away.
However, it will also showcase the areas he will want to improve, with the Dane likely to be disappointed with his side’s collapse during the closing stages of the contest.
It was so nearly a night to remember for Spurs in Italy, but it proved a step too far – with the Parisians’ quality ultimately shining through in key moments.
How things played out in Spurs’ Super Cup final defeat
Spurs looked almost certain to claim victory over the Ligue 1 at one stage, after getting themselves into a two-goal lead just three minutes into the second half.
A tap-in from centre-back Micky Van de Ven and a back-post header from newly appointed captain Cristian Romero put the Lilywhites just 40 minutes away from a well-deserved triumph.
However, nightmares from the previous managerial tenure once again reared their head, after the side somehow managed to throw away their excellent early work against the Champions League winners.
Kang-in Lee and Gonçalo Ramos both scored in the final ten minutes to send the game to penalties, with goalscorer Van de Ven and substitute Mathys Tel both missing their spot kicks.
Nuno Mendes scored the decisive spot-kick, helping the French outfit to in yet another piece of silverware during the tenure of manager Luis Enrique.
However, despite the late collapse, Frank will certainly still have reasons to be positive, potentially allowing the club to forget about one of their transfer targets.
The player who could allow Frank to forget about Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White is a player who was firmly on Spurs’ radar earlier this summer, even agreeing a deal to land the £60m star from Nottingham Forest.
However, a deal fell through after the Englishman signed a new deal at the City Ground, subsequently putting a dent on the Lilywhites’ transfer dealings this window.
He could’ve made his competitive debut for the side last night had he made his move, but the hierarchy have been tasked with the job of landing alternative targets before the transfer deadline.
Such a task may prove to be difficult for the club, but they may not need to worry, especially after the performance of Mohammed Kudus during last night’s defeat.
The Ghanaian made his first competitive start for Frank’s side, making an immediate impact after his £55m switch from London rivals West Ham United earlier this summer.
He featured for 79 minutes before being controversially replaced by Tel, who ended up missing the decisive spot kick during the eventual shootout.
However, despite his withdrawal, he managed to create three chances for his teammates, completing 83% of the passes he attempted during his spell on the field.
Minutes played
79
Touches
35
Chances created
3
Passes completed
83%
Crosses completed
100%
Dribble success rate
67%
Fouls won
2
He also provided a constant threat within the final third, completing 100% of his crosses and achieving a 67% dribble success rate – arguably being the most threatening option in the final third.
As a result of his performance, he was handed a 7/10 match rating by Football London journalist Matt Verri, with Bobby Manzi labelling him as “terrific”.
His £55m transfer fee already now looks to be a bargain, having the tools to thrive in the Premier League under Frank’s guidance in the coming months.
Should he continue on his current trajectory, he could allow the manager and the fanbase to forget about missing out on Gibbs-White ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.