TA: Tottenham’s core injuries have a huge impact; wanting to buy Eze/White eventually turned into Simmons

Hupu, November 24th: TheAthleticUK Tottenham Hotspur reporter Jay Harris wrote a team reflection column after the 1-4 defeat to Arsenal.

Injuries

The absence of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke has a huge impact on the team.

Solanke is a forward with a good football intelligence. He can not only drop back to attack in series, but also can quickly break into the opponent's defense.

Madison and Kulusevski are both excellent dribblers and have a wide passing range. Maddison is likely to miss the entire season with a torn ACL, but Solanke and Kulusevski are expected to return soon. They are both experienced players who can immediately improve the team's offensive strength.

Currently, Mohammed Qudus shoulders the important task of creating opportunities. Odobel showed some promise but his first season in north London was marred by hamstring surgery and he is still adjusting to the pace of the game at this level.

With so many key players out, is it fair to judge Frank now?

Line Construction

Tottenham gave priority to signing players with Premier League experience during the transfer window, but in the end they only got Harvey Simmons after failing to sign Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White.

In Frank's defence, it was not his fault that Tottenham's then-chairman Daniel Levy lacked a sense of urgency in negotiations with Crystal Palace manager Steve Parish.

Tottenham signed Matthijs Telle permanently after a six-month loan spell, and Telle's performance was disappointing and he was even excluded from the Champions League squad. Kota Takai has not played a minute due to a foot injury.

During Ange Postkoglu's coaching period, Tottenham finished 17th, but qualified for the Champions League by virtue of winning the Europa League, so they were in urgent need of high-quality reinforcements. Simmons should improve with more playing time, but spending €35m (£30.8m) to sign Ter seems like a poor decision.

Randall Kolo Muani’s loan process was also stalled due to leg muscle strain and mandibular fracture.

Frank deserves to be criticized for the team's disappointing performance, but Levy, CEO Venkat Sam and sporting directors John Lange and Fabio Paratici should also be asked whether they have equipped Frank with a strong enough squad.

October and November are destined to be full of challenges. They will face Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa. Spurs will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday and their next four league opponents are Fulham, Newcastle United, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

These games should give Frank a chance to get back on his feet. If they fail to do so, they will face even more pointed questions.