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Tottenham's decision to deploy cautious tactics against Arsenal in the North London Derby has been called into question.
Jamie Carragher has criticised Thomas Frank's decision to revert to a five-man defence against Arsenal after Tottenham suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat in the North London Derby on Sunday.
The Danish boss' intentions were clearly to stifle his high-flying opponents, but the opposite played out, as a hat-trick from Eberechi Eze was supplemented by Leandro Trossard's opener, in a one-sided contest.
The Gunners now sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League, having only conceded five goals all season, while Spurs missed the chance to move into the top four, instead remaining ninth in the table and without a win in their last three Premier League matches.
Frank's cautious tactics for the encounter have come under scrutiny since, with pundit Carragher weighing in on the debate during Sky Sports' live coverage of the contest.
And whilst the former Liverpool stalwart had some sympathy for Spurs, given the number of absentees they are having to cope without, he compared the situation to the recent plight of Manchester United and questioned whether Frank had the answers to turn Spurs into a true attacking force when taking on the Premier League big guns.
Speaking about Tottenham after the match, Carragher said: "They don't play that system so often (five at the back). That is always the fall-down of that system. That's what we've been talking about for 12 months with Man United and Ruben Amorim.
"When we talk about the back five we always talk about the two central midfield players. That's the part of that system that will let you down.
"In terms of isolation today tactically, yes that caused them a big problem, but I think the bigger picture for Thomas Frank and Tottenham is - they are missing some really good attacking players - but the big thing for any manager making that jump is can he create chances, can he score goals, can he go win games rather than stop the opposition."
The result reaffirmed the current gap that exists between the two north London sides as Frank attempts to build a side in his image after taking over from Ange Postecoglou in the summer.
The Australian delivered Tottenham's first major silverware in 17 years last season when they won the UEFA Europa League, but a 17th-place position in the Premier League ultimately cost him his job.
Frank has made a solid start to his Tottenham tenure but has now been delivered a harsh reality check in how big of a job he faces to turn Spurs into a team that can sustain a challenge near the top of the table.
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