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Here's the Tottenham Hotspur team that we reckon Thomas Frank will select to face Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon
Thomas Frank will be looking for another Tottenham clean sheet while trying to entertain the frustrated fans as Sunderland come to town on Sunday.
The promoted Black Cats arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with one of the best defensive records in the Premier League and punching above their weight despite missing six players who are at the Africa Cup of Nations. They will be looking to frustrate a Spurs side that has recorded successive clean sheets but has struggled to create chances.
That culminated in Frank being booed by the travelling Tottenham supporters on New Year's Day as he approached them to applaud their efforts after the drab goalless draw at his old club Brentford. The fans had sung 'boring, boring Tottenham' during the encounter and chanted for former players and managers throughout another performance lacking in creativity and cohesion from the Dane's side.
The need for a more adventurous performance at home will likely see Frank move away from the more defensive Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha partnership in the centre of the pitch.
With Lucas Bergvall a doubt again after missing the Brentford match that could mean Frank getting creative himself in the absence of his sole fit playmaker Xavi Simons, who is serving the final game of his three-match suspension.
The Tottenham boss could use the misfiring Mohammed Kudus in a more central role with Archie Gray moving back alongside one of Bentancur and Palhinha.
With Spurs deciding now was the time to deplete their already meagre attacking options by selling Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35million in the opening days of the window, Frank will have to decide which of Wilson Odobert, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel play with Richarlison on Sunday.
He might also be tempted to manage the Brazilian's minutes in order to keep him free of injury for the trip to Bournemouth in midweek, which would mean Kolo Muani or Tel up front.
The same could apply for Micky van de Ven, with the possibility of Cristian Romero missing further games due to his FA charge for failing to leave the pitch promptly following his red card against Liverpool. Both full-backs are also playing a lot of football and that could open the door for Ben Davies to make a rare start at left-back.
Here's the team we reckon Frank could select:
(4-2-3-1) Vicario; Spence, Romero, Danso, Davies; Bentancur, Gray; Tel, Kudus, Odobert; Kolo Muani.
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