Scoreless Stalemate

Spurs Men draw away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League | Previewing Brighton on the weekend | Spurs Women injury update

Well, that wasn't very pleasant, was it?

Eintracht Frankfurt 0 - 0 Tottenham

I don't want to dwell on this game too long because I think the best practice would be to simply move on. But it's worth saying that the first half wasn't actually that bad, and Spurs had some decent chances to score, particularly for Son and Kane. It's rare that Kane fails to get on the end of the kind of quality deliveries Son was sending in with his crosses, and I'm fine with chalking it up largely to bad luck. The production slowed down in the second half. Passes weren't connecting, players were a half-step behind the pace, and we ended the match with just one shot on target (depending on which stats provider you look at). Luckily, Frankfurt were also pretty toothless in attack on the night. Their clearest chance came when Ansgar Knauff was in a one-on-one situation with Hugo Lloris; Hugo made a superb save, but it's equally true that Knauff fluffed his shot.

On a minor note, I thought the referee was a little too lenient in calling fouls and the match became quite physical as a result. On the other hand, Clément Lenglet was lucky not to be shown a second yellow card in the second half, so that leniency worked in our favor in the end. Lenglet had a pretty decent game otherwise.

Yes, we have undoubtedly been missing Dejan Kulusevski's presence in the forward line. He's one of the most creative players in the squad, and also one of the best at maintaining possession. But I think we still had more than enough quality in the lineup to beat Frankfurt. The terrible finishing in the first half combined with the bizarre lack of fundamentals in the second half made the draw a fair result for this specific match as it played out. In the home leg, we will have to be more ruthless.

The only other happenings of note from this match are that Ben Davies returned from his recent injury to play a little over ten minutes as a substitute, and Bryan Gil made his first appearance with the team since before his loan to Valencia last spring. As usual, Gil showed some good initiative and had a couple of highlight-worthy moments in possession (as did Pierre-Emile Højbjerg with his Maradona-esque turn), but you don't yet get the sense that he can put together a 90-minute game at the top level—not that he's getting into the starting XI over the usual suspects anyway.

Bissouma back in Brighton

The next PL match presents an interesting dilemma for Conte. This would seem to be the perfect time to try out the 3-5-2 formation from the start of the game, bringing Yves Bissouma into the starting lineup to play against his old team, Brighton. However, I think he has been leaning towards wanting to give the usual formation/lineup a chance to work things out, as evidenced by him choosing the same starting XI for Frankfurt as he did against Arsenal. He'll have to make at least one change for the Brighton game, though, because Emerson Royal has a red card suspension.

Brighton have been in a great run of form and are just three points and one spot below Spurs in the PL table, despite losing their previous manager, Graham Potter, to Chelsea and also having played one less game than Spurs. They got off to a decent start under new manager Roberto De Zerbi,  drawing 3-3 away at Liverpool—and Anfield is no easy place to get a draw. Interestingly, Brighton themselves played a 3-5-2 in this match. Perhaps this is why they tend to be able to go toe-to-toe with top teams, since they give themselves a fighting chance to win the midfield battle.

Leandro Trossard scored a hat trick in the Liverpool game, and Spurs fans may remember him scoring the game-winner for Brighton just before stoppage time in our last matchup. Our back-3 will need to be wary of him, in the box especially.

Brighton don't have a ton of quality reinforcement on their bench, however, so that gives Spurs one advantage when it comes to breaking a potential stalemate. It's reassuring that Matt Doherty and Oliver Skipp are at least starting to make their way back into match fitness through recent substitute appearances.

I do think Conte will be under some pressure if he puts out the same lineup (with a swap for Royal) and doesn't get a win for the third match in a row. Too often he seems to lack a plan B, so it will be important to see a proper reaction from him and the team if the match isn't going our way at first. We know this squad is capable of great performances, but it's up to Conte to unlock their full potential.

Spurs Women injury update

We got the worst possible news regarding Kyah Simon's injury that occurred in the cup match against Reading.

I wasn't surprised to hear the extent of the injury was that bad, having seen it in excruciatingly slow motion on the FA Player, but it's still gutting to have it confirmed. It's especially sad considering that her home country is co-hosting next summer's World Cup. Here's to hoping for a quick and strong recovery for Kyah!

Beyond how tough the news is on a personal level for Kyah and her fans, it has also deepened the early-season injury crisis for Spurs Women.

Currently, we have three players out with ACL injuries, including Kyah, although Kit Graham is very close to a return and Ria Percival will hopefully be back within a few months. Then there is Rosella Ayane with her ankle fracture, return timetable unknown, and Kerys Harrop with a mystery injury that has kept her out of both pre-season and the first few games, with no word on when she will be back. Esther Morgan is close to a return from her injury suffered last spring but will be immediately going out on loan to Coventry United once her rehab at Spurs' training center is complete. There have also been a few players in and out of the squad during the first few weeks of play, including Jess Naz, Ramona Petzelberger, Nikola Karczewska, and Ellie Brazil (with the latter two featuring in the most recent cup match). Luckily, Chioma Ubogagu's suspension ends on October 18, so we will at least have her back as an option very soon.

The injuries have hit the midfield and forward line most heavily, which is concerning when we all know the number one priority this season has to be scoring more goals. I'm curious to see if we will pick up any NWSL players whose contracts are ending in just a few weeks for some much-needed reinforcement, or if we will just continue getting by with a thin bench until the January transfer window. I have to say it feels like poor planning from the club not to have at least brought in a couple of players to cover Kit and Ria until their returns, as well as cover for Kerys, since her injury occurred before the summer transfer window closed. Then there's the baffling decision to let Esther go out on loan after her rehab is finished, when surely she would have a chance at some decent minutes this season, and even limited WSL experience would be more valuable than a starting spot on a Championship team.

Most of all I feel bad for Rehanne Skinner for having to manage the team under such difficult constraints. A manager of her caliber deserves a complete squad to work with. Sure, you can't always predict or plan for injuries, but the current state of the squad goes way beyond just bad luck. Different decisions could have been made in the recent transfer window to mitigate the impact of future injuries and compensate for known absences in the squad. This failure of anticipation has undercut the club's stated ambitions for the season and is surely just as frustrating to Rehanne and the entire squad as it is to us fans.

Elsewhere in the world of football

Don't mind me, just worrying about the state of the USWNT players' ankles after training at the Hive...

On a serious note, the upcoming friendly between England and the US has been overshadowed by the release of Sally Yates' report on widespread abuse under USSF and NWSL. And logistically, there have been injuries to key players on both sides that are going to make the matchup not quite the blockbuster event that was promised. It's a shame the match will be played in these circumstances when it should have been a great celebration of the state of the women's game.

Sorry to end this issue on a downer note, but I guess that's just where I'm at this week with football. We love this sport for all its thrills and heartwarming moments, but we also can't ignore the moments of disappointment and devastation.

It's been a tough news week across the world of football, so I hope you're all taking care of yourselves and taking some time away from the sport if needed.

Love and COYS

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