Tottenham Hotspur are finding their feet in the Premier League this season and there is a swell of internal belief surrounding one of their most promising stars.
Tottenham's resilience leaves Frank delighted
Over the years, external narratives involving Spurs have questioned their mentality to grind out results when the pressure is on, but Thomas Frank appears to be in a position to reverse that trend.
Speaking after Tottenham’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leeds United last weekend, the Danish boss made it clear that his side have the dig needed to secure momentous victories even in testing circumstances.
He stated: “I think if you want to build any successful team you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness. No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win, and I think we are building that more and more in the team.”
Of course, stiffer tests are to come and Frank’s men will need to show they have the mettle to claim a regular stream of points. Regardless, one loss in seven Premier League fixtures is a marked improvement on last term.
Ambition inside the building will lead that charge, and Spurs’ reported move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a sign that they aren’t willing to settle for just being part of the chasing pack.
Putting that aside, Frank will need to focus on the talent he has at his disposal for now, even if the January window offers an opportunity to add new faces to his collective.
Listening to that advice, the Spurs manager now believes he has a player that can rival some of the world’s best in his position over the coming years.
Frank makes exciting Archie Gray prediction
Profiling his role, Frank believes Archie Gray could one day be as good as Declan Rice or Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, and has urged the former Leeds United man to take his game to the next level under his stewardship.
He stated: “I see him as a midfielder who can play six or eight. That is his position and these days midfielders need to be more complete.
Five similar players to Archie Gray (FBRef)
Marin Pongracic
Fiorentina
Clinton Mata
Lyon
Christian Mawissa
Monaco
Jean-Clair Todibo
West Ham United
Ismael Doukoure
Strasbourg
“You need to be a little bit of a six, a little bit of eight and 10 and two of the best in the world right now are probably Rodri and Declan Rice. They can do a little bit of everything. I see Archie, and they are big names to compare him to, but I see he has got the same potential.”
Making 51 appearances for a club of Tottenham’s standing at 19 years of age is a commendable achievement, though it remains to be seen if the England Under-21 international can one day rival two of the Premier League’s most established midfielders.