Frank unearths a new “game-changing” duo

Tottenham Hotspur have been through all the emotions over the past few years, and the plan is for Thomas Frank to instill stability and a winning culture over the years at the helm.

However, the Danish coach has navigated turbulent waters in his first few months in the team, with his attacking play far from smooth.

Creativity is at an all-time low in the Premier League, and although neither James Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski have kicked a ball this season due to injury, Frank is expected to spark more successful returns in the future.

We’ve seen some green shoots in recent weeks, with Spurs currently riding a two-game winning streak, but the team needs to ignite some new talismanic figures, with the absence of players like Heung-min Son keenly felt.

Why Spurs are missing Son

Tottenham have clearly failed to replace Son and Harry Kane following the sales of the respective superstars in recent years, and although the South Korean was in decline last year, he still posted 23 goals in all competitions.

This is a natural power that you simply cannot teach, but only guide in the right direction. The 33-year-old now plays for Los Angeles FC, but Frank would certainly need a new superstar to emerge and prove himself in Son’s place.

His leadership and devastating abilities were something shared with Kane, but removing him further back, so did Christian Eriksen.

Of course, the Lilywhites would benefit from the Dane’s creative flair at the moment, especially with Maddison and Kulusevski both out of action. Eriksen scored 69 goals and 88 assists in 305 games for the north London club, and former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy marveled at his “world-class” quality at White Hart Lane.

It would be easy to look to the transfer market for solutions, and while Frank needs to find a formula that creates a natural well of creativity and offensive consistency, he could actually have two new signings who are well on their way to emulating Son and Eriksen before them.

Spurs’ new Son and Eriksen duo

Eriksen and Son were instrumental in creating a Tottenham team, led by Mauricio Pochettino, among the most feared and entertaining on the continent.

It was always going to be difficult to replace such players, but with Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, Frank might just have the tools to reshape these.

Simons, 21, has had a difficult start to life in N17, but with two goals in two matches, the Dutch number ten is starting to show why the ENIC Group paid over £50m to bring him in from RB Leipzig over the summer, beating Chelsea in the transfer battle.

He’s been hailed as a “superstar” of a talent by analyst Ben Mattinson, and he ranks in the top 3% of Premier League peers this season for progressive passes per 90, according to FBref, highlighting that Eriksen-style passing range that will only grow as the months and years go by.

Kudus may not be cut from the same cloth as Son, but he certainly has that wow factor, capable of doing things with a football that those around and against him simply can’t match.

The fact that the former West Ham winger is the joint-best passer in the Premier League this season says a lot about his abilities. Analyst Raj Chohan even praised Simons’ ability to be a “game changer”, suggesting he has more in his locker than the always impressive Kudus.

Perhaps the most exciting thing is that the best is yet to come. After all, Son was slow to get going after joining Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, while Eriksen needed Christmas to pass before discovering a touch of Midas in the final third in 2013/14, when he joined from Ajax.

We have to be patient, but there is no denying that Tottenham have signed several strikers capable of standing out not only among their peers, but against anyone in the Premier League.

Tottenham are yet to step up a gear this season, but there have been plenty of positives to take away as Frank navigates the first few months of this post-Ange Postecoglou era.

And with Simons coming into his own and Kudus showing his skillful qualities, the Londoners have all the tools they need to reach the next level when the different parts all come together.

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Frank is expected to be supported in the next transfer windows by the ENIC group, owners of Tottenham.