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It was a winning start for Thomas Frank with a game that was every inch the typical pre-season starter with a blend of quality, rustiness and players getting used to yet another new head coach's tactics.
When asked in his first press conference at Tottenham on Friday about taking on a job at a club that had sacked five managers in the time he had been at Brentford, the Dane jokingly asked "Only five?" before saying that he was a man who liked risk. This certainly is the riskiest move of Frank's career since he decided to quit teaching in Denmark and move into football coaching full-time. That calculated gamble paid off and the 51-year-old will be hoping this one does as well.
His first session with the media on Friday had a touch of everything - humour, insight, some guarded answers and some open ones and also the odd nervous verbal stumble. That's understandable for someone going from Brentford press conferences with six journalists to a room packed full of those pesky reporters with all eyes on him and scrutinising his every word.
The Dane is an affable character, warm and engaging and when he threw one question out to the room he warned those present to expect that from him during his press conferences. He was after all a teacher used to throwing out posers to those sat in rows before him.
Frank had gathered many of the club staff at Hotspur Way in that same press conference room a couple of weeks before. He spoke to them about building a culture, remaining together as a unit and setting the standards for the players to follow on the pitch.
There's a collaborative approach to the way Frank works. He seeks opinions from others around him on what is working well and what can be improved, not only in the players but in the way he and the staff operate. He is always willing to take on feedback and use it to grow.
You know those people who keep attaching rubber bands together until they end up with a huge ball of them? Frank essentially is that ball. He adds more and more layers to what he does, learning and improving along the way and growing his experience so he can bounce higher in his career, if we're going to keep with that analogy.
It's there in his football. His predecessors like Postecoglou, Conte, Mourinho and Pochettino had clear systems and set-ups on the pitch. Barring the odd tactical departure for certain games, you could predict how those four men would line up their Tottenham teams most weeks.
Frank will provide more of a challenge in that aspect. His teams are shapeshifters, moulding to the need of the moment and the opposition in front of them. He requires his players to be tactically flexible and versatile and he is fortunate that he has inherited a Tottenham squad with many such players.
The Spurs players have enjoyed the training sessions so far even if by Frank's own admission he likes to mix the old school in with the modern techniques.
football.london understands that many of the new head coach's sessions so far have had a noticeably bigger focus on defending, for the attacking players as well, and many of the training sessions, for now in pre-season anyway, end with running for the players as Frank looks to get them to the fitness levels his ideas require.
There is also a strong focus on being aggressive in everything the players do in all areas of the pitch, both with the ball and without it.
The focus on defending is not surprising. That's not to say they haven't been working on attacking movement. It's just that Spurs scored goals galore under Postecoglou despite losing Harry Kane at the start of his tenure, but they invariably failed to keep the ball out of the net at the other end more often than not.
Frank is looking to build a solid foundation to underpin the attacking instincts the squad already has. He stated on Friday that he is "100 per cent sure we will score a lot of goals".
The players have found the Dane and his staff, both the coaches and conditioning staff, to be approachable and talkative. It is all part of the collaborative approach that Frank always looks to forge within his structure.
That life began under him with a clean sheet and two goals originating from set pieces would have been pleasing for the new boss.
After a slow and probing first half, the extra dynamism of Mohammed Kudus helped Spurs burst into life in the second period.
First the Ghanaian's out-swinging corner was headed on by 18-year-old Luka Vuskovic for Will Lankshear to nod home the first goal of the Frank era. On the bench, Andreas Georgson, who is responsible for the team's set pieces at both ends, applauded the young academy striker knowing his impact was already being felt.
The second goal came from the aftermath of a corner and for Frank it is as much about the next phases of play and being prepared as it is the set piece itself.
This time Kudus' corner was headed out to Jamie Donley and the youngster's cross back into the box was also cleared but Djed Spence aggressively stepped up and headed the ball back over the top into Kudus' run.
The £55million signing from West Ham looked up and saw the marauding Vuskovic running into the box and picked out his stride. The young Croatian met the ball sweetly with a low shot inside the right-hand post.
It was a combination between two players who were the main shining lights on the day. It's always difficult to fully judge a Premier League team playing against one from two levels below but you can only look at those who took their opportunities.
Kudos to Kudus
Mohammed Kudus took the chance to dazzle and then some. The 24-year-old is a box of tricks, flicks and pace. He's got that lower body strength that makes him very difficult to shake off the ball.
One such run down the right hand flank showcased all of that in one moment. Spence beat a man and Kudus took on the ball. He initially went back towards his own goal, facing two Reading players before spinning away from them, beating a third and when Spence touched the ball ever so slightly for him, the newcomer burst down the touchline at full throttle past a fourth opposition player.
There was an early ball on to Son Heung-min at the back post but instead he picked out Donley's run to the edge of the box. The young Spurs academy product did well to dig the ball out from under his feet amid the attentions of a tracking Reading player before hitting a shot that was deflected wide.
Tottenham needed more attacking options and Kudus brings something very different to the team. He will complement Brennan Johnson as a completely different option on the right.
The Wales international, who looked rusty on Saturday, has a game that is all about arriving at the right time in the box and that's why he was the team's top scorer last season.
Frank wanted Johnson at Brentford and thought he had a deal done for him before he joined Spurs in 2023. He will have planned how to use the 24-year-old within his system and could well employ him off the main striker at times this season.
Kudus is all about the build-up and the dynamism on the ball. Johnson needs to attack his man more often. His new team-mate will always do that and as Tottenham look to build a squad that is essentially a toolbox for Frank to use in different ways against different opponents both men will provide very different uses and both could learn from each other.
"I thought there were a lot of positives in there," said Frank after the game. "If we start with Kudus, of course, he’s the newest one. He was exciting to watch. He had four, five very good actions where you could see what he’s about. His pace, one-on-one skills, the way he can twist and turn going forward.
"That was a positive. There were a lot of others where I get to know them better. I’ve watched them a lot over the years, before I got appointed. But this - when you see them here now and when I watch the game back - are all the details we can go through."
Luka who's arrived
Luka Vuskovic was the other main positive from the day. The 18-year-old has waited two years for the opportunity to finally pull on a Tottenham shirt and play and he made the most of it.
The Croatian started his second half appearance a little nervously but grew into the game after that headed assist, in which he showed plenty of physical strength while being pulled. His own strike was only further proof after his seven goals and three assists last season in Belgium at Westerlo that he is not your normal giant centre-back.
Ten goal involvements in 36 matches is a decent tally for a midfielder. For a centre-back it's remarkable. With his technical ability and desire to look forward, the youngster might even find himself in midfield at times as his career progresses.
Now a Croatia international, Vuskovic will continue to work on the defensive side of his game and made one important block in front of his goal after his two attacking moments at the other end. He was mostly comfortable on the ball under pressure.
With the sheer number of defenders at Tottenham and the arrival of the older and more experienced Kota Takai, plus those frustrating European squad restrictions, Vuskovic's immediate future could yet lie away on loan with a queue of clubs around the continent awaiting Frank's decision.
More games in this vein though and Spurs fans are not going to want to see the teenager heading out of the club.
"Luka deserves the praise as well," said Frank. "A great header. Showed his physicality and his composure on the ball. He’s not getting stressed when opponents get close. And what a strike."
Vuskovic formed an effective fledgling partnership with Micky van de Ven while Kevin Danso, who played alongside Cristian Romero in the first half, had plenty of praise for the teenager.
"He's amazing, young, lots of confidence and you can just see his presence on the pitch and I think it's a good thing today that he's got his goal and assist," said the Austrian.
Vuskovic enjoyed himself and was keen to thank those around him for making it a perfect debut with the goal, assist and a clean sheet.
“I’m very happy for those stats and I’m more happy that we won the game with a clean sheet. We just have to continue to build on this," he said.
“Kudus gave me a top pass and I just put it in the net. I had a bit of good luck and I’m very happy about it."
He added: "Everything is perfect. The club is behind me, the players, the staff, the coach, everyone is helping me a lot. I’m very happy now and that’s it.
"I think it was a good game, a lot of duels, a lot of transitions and I think we managed it well. We got a clean sheet and a victory so it’s good.
"I had Vicario and Van de Ven beside me, it was a really amazing experience and I hope it will continue."
Son and Romero's future
For many others the match was about getting fitter and sharper. Pedro Porro came back early to pre-season and it showed as he and Rodrigo Bentancur were probably the two best players of the first half team.
Porro, who headed one Reading chance off the Spurs goal line, also took a horrendous lunge to his leg from Mark O'Mahony that may well have been a red card rather than a booking had it not been a friendly.
Romero did little wrong either and both youngsters Alfie Devine and Mikey Moore did not look out of place in the set-up. Devine was solid for the most part without being spectacular while Moore started slowly but had some exciting moments as the first period wore on including one dribble past a couple of challenges before a blocked shot.
Donley did well in the second half with his passing range during a solid display while Lankshear looks to have once again edged ahead of Dane Scarlett, who did not travel with the squad, in pre-season with another summer goal.
While Johnson and Solanke looked rusty in the first half, so did Son and Lucas Bergvall. The young Swede played some sloppy passes in his first game back since that training ground ankle injury towards the end of last season.
His captain Son just could not find his rhythm and lost the ball a couple of times, although it's worth noting that his blocked cross and tackled run led to both the corners that Spurs scored from or just after.
The South Korean also sliced over an effort from the edge of the box and failed to take the ball with him during one run bringing jeers from the home crowd. He looked frustrated when neither Kudus nor Donley found him in space during that breathless break midway through the second half.
Son's future remains unclear and Frank's words on him the previous day did little to clear the fog.
The Dane seemed to hint more at Romero's immediate future calling him "very, very important for us" and that "I know he’s looking forward to the season", suggesting a conversation has been had there.
When football.london asked specifically about whether Frank had spoken to the Argentine and Son about their futures, he did not give a direct answer.
"My expectation is all the players are here and they are training well," he said. "That is what I am focusing on and again very impressed by them. They set the standards and train hard. As I said, they are playing tomorrow, that’s a good indicator that they are here."
He never really gave much away about Son, who football.london reported early last month was open to leaving the club after finally getting that trophy he craved with a move to MLS or the Saudi Pro League of interest.
The most telling answer from Frank about the 33-year-old came with the question about whether he had decided who his captain would be this season.
"Good question. I haven’t decided anything on that. I have a long list of bullet points I need to get through and I take them in the right order," he said. [Son] was the captain last year and when we play two 45s tomorrow, Son and Romero will be the two captains, but I haven’t made a final decision."
If Son was definitely remaining at Tottenham then surely there would not be a decision to be made? You wouldn't strip the captaincy off a player who has been at the club for 10 years and given everything to it.
Frank's answer was also interesting when discussing whether after 10 years at the club, the South Korean should be able to decide what comes next for him with 11 months left of his contract.
"It’s always tricky, situations like that. If that happens. Right now I have a player that is fully committed and training well, and will play tomorrow," said the Dane. "If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take of course.
"And of course, the head coach and the guys who are in charge and this case will be with Daniel [Levy] and Johan [Lange]. Because there is something in it if someone wants to leave at a certain stage, then there can be something there. But the club will always decide in the end, of course."
What happened after the game
The final minutes of Saturday's game brought some disturbances in the crowd at the top of one stand where the Spurs and Reading fans were closer to one another. Stewards were having to intervene and objects looked like they were being thrown.
When the final whistle did blow down on the pitch, Vicario, who made a couple of good second half saves, grabbed Spence and launched into one of his now trademark emotional debriefs for his defenders, with his arms around the right-back's neck and pushing himself head to head with him.
Spence even had time to turn to Lankshear and congratulate him while being held by Vicario as the Italian kept delivering his passionate sermon.
Afterwards, Frank held his team talk on the pitch, as he did at half-time with the 11 players who would play in the second period.
At the end of the game, it might just have been about the sheer number of players and the struggles of trying to fit them into the League One side's dressing room, but he spoke to them in a circle about the game, explaining there were good aspects of it and what will be worked on and improved as they continue to learn and understand his demands.
Some of the Spurs players later went off to watch the boxing at Wembley. George Abbott, Ashley Phillips and Yang Min-hyeok were the three players who did not get on to the pitch and one look at the official match team sheet actually shows them at the bottom of the list underneath the team of subs that came on for the second half - it wasn't in number order. They were always unlikely participants.
The plan for Abbott this season was always that he would head back out on loan to continue his rapid development and heading out of the Spurs exit door looks likely for Phillips and Yang at some stage this summer.
Alfie Dorrington departed back on loan on Saturday to Aberdeen after his Scottish Cup-winning turn there last season and he will have European football on the menu this time around.
Josh Keeley has left Spurs permanently to join Luton Town as football.london revealed earlier this week. The goalkeeper has moved on in a £1m deal and Spurs have a sell-on clause for the future but no buy-back.
Frank explained some of the other absences from Saturday's squad, aside from Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, who were the latest to return to pre-season training this week following their exploits at the U21 European Championships last month.
"Manor [Solomon], a minor calf injury unfortunately. Nothing big. Kota [Takai] has a minor issue, like a contact [one], we expect him to train next week," said the Dane.
"Richy has trained well. We're just building him. I think that's the big thing, we're building him. He trained well yesterday. I'm expecting a full training week and I'm expecting him right now to play next week."
The timing of the injury for Solomon is far from ideal both in terms of impressing Frank and also getting a move elsewhere. Richarlison will want to remain at Tottenham to try to catch the eye of the new head coach in a season ahead of the World Cup. Spurs will consider any large bid for a player who has struggled for availability since joining from Everton but are also aware that when he is available to play he often makes an impact.
Ins and outs
Thomas Frank needs to trim his bloated squad for the season ahead but conversely at the same time also needs and wants to add to the quality.
"No doubt if you want to compete in all tournaments you need a competitive squad, a robust squad. There’s a lot of competitive players in the squad. It’s an exciting squad. There’s no doubt the club is in the market and looking. I would like to speak when a player comes in and not about the market," he said.
"It’s always a balance, the squad size, how big, how small should it be to compete. I know Tottenham. I know the players, I’ve seen a lot but I need to know them one to one, need to train them and getting input every single day about them to give me more knowledge. But if you want to compete you need to use the squad well."
One position Frank appeared to rule out for the mean time in the transfer market is another forward.
"I think the front three, four, depending on if we play with a 10 and a front three, with Dominic up there, I think Richarlison is a good striker, I know he’s been struggling with injuries, I think he was having a strong end to the season and was very important for the team to win the Europa League trophy," he said.
"Brennan, Kulusevski, I know he’s out for a little bit of a while but he’s still there, Maddison, Odobert, Mathys Tel and now Kudus. I think that’s a strong, creative frontline and I’m 100 per cent sure we will score a lot of goals."
Spurs have been linked to Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich for the number six role, although reports of a fee up to £26million seem steep for a 30-year-old who started just nine matches for the German side last season due to a torn muscle that kept him out for almost three months and then he never really getting back into favour.
The Portuguese has that Premier League experience thanks to his two seasons at Fulham but if Tottenham were to move for the midfielder it would surely be at a lower price than that for his age and last season's struggles.
The Morgan Gibbs-White stand-off continues as he played in the first half on Saturday in Nottingham Forest's 0-0 friendly at home against Monaco. As the 25-year-old came off the pitch he applauded the Forest fans and made a heart gesture towards them with his hands as they chanted his name.
His team-mate Ola Aina told Sky Sports: "Morgan is a professional. I don't really know the ins and outs of that, but he was here today, he was playing, training with us, staying fit as normal.
"At the end of the day we're all professionals. We've got a job to do and that's what Morgan's doing right now, keeping it professional."
Forest are set to travel to Portugal on Monday for a pre-season camp and unless something shifts dramatically with one of the three parties involved in the next 24 hours then Gibbs-White will be with Nuno Espirito Santo's men.
While Spurs would ideally want the player through the door as quickly as possible, he would not be the first player to head off on a club's summer exploits before joining the north London outfit. Solanke did the same last summer with Bournemouth.
A resolution needs to be found though with Tottenham and the player wanting the move and all parties waiting to see who blinks first amid the legal matters shrouding it all and that much-discussed confidential release clause.
For now though, Frank must make decisions on who is leaving his Spurs squad and where he wants improvements. The games keep coming now and there is no time to waste before a chance to win a trophy in his first competitive match arrives and then the start of another Premier League season.
The Morgan Gibbs-White mess, a departure from the club and Thomas Frank's first set of matches as Spurs boss - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Or click here to watch on YouTube!
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