This is game eight for Tottenham Hotspur under Thomas Frank and their first fixture with him in charge of the club in the Premier League. The visit of **Burnley**might not breed fear for fans, but they will be keen to see the new boss get off to winning ways while implementing his ideas with the group.
Only the bottom three were worse than Spurs last season, so expectations have been tempered. Yet, Frank will keep demanding improvement out of a young group who have the room to grow with a pragmatic edge and the ability to consistently get over the line. What will that mean for his plan?
Is Frank’s philosophy coming into fruition?
Frank will have his sympathies for the Clarets, whose exemplary defensive record of 30 clean sheets will be the bedrock of any ambitions to survive. He himself had worked wonders with **Brentford**upon their return to the topflight in 2021, stabilising the side among the elite of English football.
The Dane demonstrated how he could adapt to the ways of working at the club. The Bees found marginal gains that he was happy to lean into, and their alliance helped him earn the gig at Spurs.
Time will tell how much **Brentford**benefitted from his services as Keith Andrews adds his own ideas to their sporting project, but Frank has clearly come to North London with a familiar blueprint.
His first big test, the UEFASuper Cup****, saw a valiant effort against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. After a 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich, he decided to turn to a 5-3-2 formation for that fixture. It was the same structure that saw the Bees become a thorn in the side of the 'Big Six.'
Three tall central defenders protected the penalty area, with Kevin Danso supporting the typical partnership in the middle of the back four. Club captain Cristian Romero and **Micky van de Ven**got the two goals to put the tie in Tottenham's hands, as set-pieces piled the pressure on the Parisians.
While **Dominic Solanke**recovers fitness, **Richarlison**led the line. His partner was neither Brennan Johnson, the match winner of the Europa League final, nor a trained central forward, Mathys Tel.
**Mohamed Kudus**took his chance with both hands, showing how hungry he is to keep and progress the ball with his physique, balance, and ball carrying. At Brentford, Frank used **Yoane Wissa**and Bryan Mbeumo as a pair to target the weaknesses in wide areas, and Kudus carried on that trend.
It is too easy to say at this moment, but it looks like Frank is scaling up some of the vision that made the Bees so successful over the last four years. Right now, the plan appears to be a profitable one.
Who are the centrepieces of the plan?
Spurs reached the Super Cup thanks to a pragmatic performance that many felt was all too rare in the last two years. Ange Postecoglou pushed his players to be brave with the ball, dare to press high, and go with their instincts. But injuries stacked up in their squad, and often, one-goal margins went against them over the last twelve months as the season spiralled and attention turned to Europe.
Frank will want his players to be bold, highlighting how proud he was of the "aggressivity and intensity" of the team in midweek. But it might mean, in building upon the work with the youth that Postecoglou has done, that he trusts in certain members of the squad more decisively for now.
Pape Matar Sarr has stood out as something of a complete package in preseason. Especially in the absence of James Maddison, who has injured his knee, he could get more minutes off the striker as the most advanced midfielder because of his ability to offer output for this outfit in the final third.
But the Senegalese midfielder thrives in the tasks he does between both boxes as well. He is full of energy, tough in the tackle, and can keep attacks flowing with his willingness to pass and move.
Age is only a number, but the 22-year-old is coming into his own. Lucas Bergvall, 19, is a forward-thinking player, and Archie Gray, also 19, gives a little more security. However, among the three more junior options to feature in the midfield, Sarr should get the nod from Frank in the short term.
Similarly, Kudus continues to show his strength and maturity on the offence, where the roster remains youthful. After the departure of club captain Son Heung-min, minutes are up for grabs. For whom?
Johnson excelled with his speed and movement to crash the back post for Postecoglou, becoming the highest scorer for Spurs in the league last year. However, other aspects of his game are still limited.
It could be a great moment to provide playing time to Wilson Odobert. The Frenchman earned a switch to Spurs from Burnley and is a promising wide threat on both flanks with sharp movement to get himself into dribbling situations. If the guests sit deep, his invention could unlock the opposition.
Spurs are at the start of a journey, and things will not go to plan for Frank. But the more guarantees they can forge of their potential, the more points they pick up and the better their campaign will go.