Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has opened up on his decision to deploy a back three against Paris Saint-Germain and has given his thoughts on whether his decision worked.
Throughout pre-season, Frank had given absolutely no indication that he plans to start the campaign with any other formation other than the 4-2-3-1, which was also the one he used most often at Brentford last season.
However, everyone was in for a huge surprise when the team news came out ahead of the UEFA Super Cup final, with the Dane opting to go with a 3-5-2 instead.
The move showed the kind of tactical versatility that Frank is known for and served as confirmation that we will see Tottenham use different plans this season for different opponents, which was not something Spurs fans were used to under Ange Postecoglou.
Thomas Frank reveals thinking behind Tottenham’s 3-5-2 formation
It will be difficult to argue that the system did not work, as Tottenham prevented the European champions from having hardly any shots on target until the dying stages of the encounter.
Frank admitted that he felt Spurs needed a ‘special operation’ to overcome PSG, and pointed out that the game plan came very close to succeeding.
When asked when he decided to use the 3-5-2 and if that is something he worked with the players on, the Spurs head coach responded (via Football.London): “Probably decided that the day after Bayern. I knew we had to do something a little bit different against PSG. It was a special operation.
“In medical terms, the operation succeeded, but the patient died. So not that good in the end. But we worked on a game plan that was a little bit different and (it was) very close to succeeding.”
Frank won the tactical battle against Luis Enrique
While Tottenham may have come out on the wrong side of the result, there is no doubt that the Spurs head coach can hold his head up high.
Hardly any club has been able to stop the PSG’s attacking juggernaut the way Tottenham have, and Luis Enrique appeared to acknowledge that after the game.
The PSG boss admitted that his did not deserve to win that game and were very lucky to emerge with the trophy.
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