After Tottenham Reading 2-0, TA: New players perform well in their debut, and set pieces tactics are starting to achieve results

After Tottenham defeated Reading 2-0 in the first preseason, "The Athletic" gave a detailed analysis of the focus of Tottenham's preseason. In this game, new players Kudus and Vuskovic performed well in their debut, and Tottenham's set-piece system also undergoes major changes. The

Thomas Frank era has officially begun, and the new Tottenham head coach coached his first game against Reading on Saturday afternoon. Although Tottenham had several outstanding performances in the first half, it was the appearance of new players Luka Vuskovic and Kudus at halftime that made the team rejuvenate. Will Rankhill received the first record of the external corner kick from Kudus, and then Vuskovic used an excellent left-footed shot to secure a 2-0 victory. Chairman Levi and athletic director John Lange also witnessed the starting point of Frank's coaching in the stands.

Frank used two completely different starting lineups in the first and second half. Romero was the captain in the first half, and Son Heung-min wore the captain's armband in the second half. The Danish coach is still trying to combine the formation, and the team's position looks like a 4-3-3, sometimes transforming into a 4-2-4. For example, in the first half, Alfie Devine served as the forward midfielder in the offense, leading Bentankur and Pap Saar, and in the absence of the ball, he would tie with center Dosolak. The following is a detailed analysis of the focus of Tottenham's preseason game.

Kudus brings hope in the 88th minute of the game, Kuudus showed an amazing skill. When he received a pass near the center circle, he gently pushed the ball with his heel and it was accurately delivered to Jamie Tangli. Another time, he easily turned around and got rid of Bognis' defense, and then passed through the crowd in the narrow space of the sideline to control the ball, and gave the ball steadily to Tang Li. The latter should have scored if it hadn't been adjusted for too long. Not only did Kudus participate in two goals, but he also created multiple opportunities.

Spurs paid £50 million for the Ghana international in order to create such a magical moment, which is why fans are so excited. Frank praised his "unpredictable" traits before the game, believing that he can bring different dimensions to the offense. Although Solank did not compete with Kudus in the first half, he will be looking forward to cooperating with the latter in the future. Brennan Johnson and Kulusevsky are probably worried about the competition on the right.

Is Vuskovic worth waiting for?

Tottenham has spent a lot of time waiting for Vuskovic. They finalized the signing of the central defender from Hayduke as early as September 2023, but they didn't officially join until he turned 18 at the beginning of this year, so he didn't come to Tottenham training base until before the season this season. This young man's debut is worth remembering and indeed worth waiting for. He has shown his abilities during the pass drill during the warm-up. When he was pushed to the corner, he skillfully picked the ball over Lucas Berrival's head.

Just shortly after halftime, the Croatian international gently rubbed Kudus' corner kick with his head, creating a chance for Rankhill to easily hit the back point. A few minutes later, the two cooperated again. Kudus received the ball in the left penalty area and sent a cross. Vuskovic scored with a strafing shot and the ball flew into the goal guarded by Joel Pereira. Surprisingly, the central defender actually appeared in the offensive position in the penalty area, but no one was dissatisfied with it. Shortly afterwards, he blocked Andre Garcia's header, which originally went straight to the bottom corner of the goal. Of course, he also made some mistakes, such as a poor position or a missed pass. But judging from these preliminary performances, Tottenham may have discovered another gem.

Settings became the focus of tactical

Postkoglu expressed his disdain for relying on set pieces many times when coaching, and even compared it to a melee in rugby. Brentford has always been one of the strongest teams in set pieces in the past few years, and Frank also hopes to use this weapon at Tottenham. Settings coach Andreas Jogsson arranged a training session in the pre-match warm-up, attacked by the coaching staff, while all players on the field defended George Abbott's pass in the penalty area. During the period of Boston Po’s history, Tottenham often used short pass tactics in corner kicks, but in this game, Polo and Kudus kept sending corner kicks into the penalty area, eventually assisting Rankhill to score.

The only disappointment is that despite the team's test shots of a powerful hand throw earlier this week, Tottenham did not throw the ball into the penalty area at once in this game. When Frank asked about the result of his trial on Friday, he unexpectedly remained silent, and it seemed that he wanted to keep a secret for the time being who his New Territories’ out-of-field tactics executor was.

Kinsky vs. Vicario

was originally planned to start by Vicario, but was replaced by Kinsky before the start of the game. Vicario was Tottenham's main goalkeeper last season, and the team's record was damaged during his three-month absence due to an ankle fracture. However, he still doesn't seem comfortable in possession of the ball. Kinsky joined Tottenham from Slavia Prague in January, and he stood very high in the first half of the game. Once, he cleverly sent a short pass against the back foot under the pressing of several Reading players. At the age of 22, he has a clear mind and knows when to pass it in a short time and when to pass it in a long time. In contrast, Vicario, who came on as a substitute, seemed more unstable. He once rushed out of the penalty area to clear the ball but kicked the ball high, and was then almost intercepted by the Reading forward in the penalty area.

From the perspective of style, Kinsky is closer to goalkeepers David Raya and Fleken when Frank coached at Brentford. Although Vicario has more experience and has been not only an outstanding goalkeeper in the past two seasons, but also one of the team leaders, this position may usher in a fierce competition.