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The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Frank and open: early observations as Dane's Spurs tenure begins with friendly win
It is rarely wise to read deeply into pre-season fixtures. Especially the opening one. Yet when it is the first game for a manager at a club, the temptation is there. How can it not be? The initial glimpses offer the outline of the plan. Thomas Frank got his Tottenham tenure under way with a 2-0 win over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He played different XIs in each half and the goals came early in the second period from Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic. For the latter, it represented the gloss on an eye-catching first appearance. With the chair, Daniel Levy, looking down from the directors' box, flanked by the technical director, Johan Lange, whose profile is fast on the rise, Spurs had too much for their League One opponents, who are also at the start of a new era, Rob Couhig having taken over as the owner after the turbulent tenure of Dai Yongge. The stadium was sold out, with the 3,000 or so visiting Spurs fans keen to proclaim themselves as 'champions of Europe' after May's Europa League triumph. Expect to hear that on repeat in the coming months. There was plenty to pick over. The short answer was in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Frank is all about flexibility and there were a number of takeaways, particularly in possession. He started with Mikey Moore on the left wing but the teenager was given the licence to drift inside to connect with the No 10, which at the outset was another youngster, Alfie Devine. This created the space for Destiny Udogie to push high up from left-back, with Spurs building in a back three. On the other wing, Brennan Johnson played high and wide. Of the central midfield pair, Rodrigo Bentancur sat and Pape Sarr pushed up at times. The approach with the ball was similar after the interval, although this time it was the right-winger, Mohammed Kudus – on his first appearance after signing from West Ham – who roamed inside, allowing the right-back, Djed Spence, to overlap. Out of possession, Spurs broadly pressed in a 4-4-2, with the No 10 squeezing high. Frank brought a 26-man squad and there were notable absentees – above and beyond the injured Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin plus James Maddison, who is only part-training with the squad after an injury of his own. Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel were given additional leave after their involvement in the European Under-21 Championship and did not travel, Frank preferring that they stayed at Hotspur Way to train in the morning. Richarlison did likewise. The striker was involved with Brazil up to the second week of June and he is taking care with his return in light of previous injury problems. As an aside, Richarlison is understood to be keen on staying at Spurs; only if something exceptional showed up would he consider leaving. Kota Takai, the new Japanese signing, was not in Reading. He has a minor contact injury. It was certainly striking to see Spurs practise corners and free-kicks on the pitch about 20 minutes before kick-off, with all the outfield starters defending the deliveries from the youngster George Abbott, who would be an unused substitute. Attacking them were members of Frank's coaching staff. He enjoyed great rewards on set pieces at Brentford and the early signs here were positive, both goals coming after corners from Kudus. The taker in the first half had been Pedro Porro. The opener followed a header by Vuskovic for Lankshear to nod home from close range and the second came after Kudus crossed low for Vuskovic, Reading having withstood the first phase of the move. There were no long throws, albeit there were minimal opportunities for Spurs to try one. The towering 18-year-old Vuskovic, who played the second half at right centre-back, with Micky van de Ven to his left, agreed to move to Spurs from Hajduk Split in September 2023. There has been a lot of noise about his potential, a lot of expectation as he starred on loan at Westerlo in the Belgian top flight last season where he weighed in with seven goals. What an impact he had. The Croatian had already clattered into one challenge and just about got away with a play-out-from-the-back move when he teed up Lankshear's goal. His finish for the second was a beauty, a first-time left-footed drive, low into the far corner after Kudus's pass. The Danish manager is blessed with centre-halves. Behind Cristian Romero and Van de Ven, he has Kevin Danso, Dragusin and Takai. Vuskovic would not be short of loan options if he were to sense he will not get the minutes he needs; Hamburg would be one in the Bundesliga. He wants to play at Spurs. If it was easy to be drawn in by Vuskovic, it was impossible to ignore Kudus. Yes, it was only League One opposition, but the £54.5m new boy wowed with his sharpness and balance, his work in tight spaces, the impression he gave of always being in control of the ball and the situation. There was an explosion up the wing that led to a big chance for Jamie Donley, some lovely spins and time-buying feints, and the overall feeling that he seriously enjoyed himself.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED from Thomas Frank's Tottenham bow: How new £55m man Mohammed Kudus got on, the star who could be fearing for his spot, and where they NEED signings after 2-0 win over Reading
Thomas Frank 's Tottenham reign started with a 2-0 win in a preseason friendly at Reading before a crowd of more than 22,000. Frank used 22 players who each had 45 minutes. It was goalless at half-time and Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic scored the goals, early in the second half, watched by chairman Daniel Levy in the front row of the directors' box, sat next to technical director Johan Lange. Here are five things we learned. 1) A shape of things to come The first glimpse into Frank's tactical plans came from the shape and he used a 4-2-3-1 formation in both halves, with fairly orthodox full-backs, two deep in midfielder and a number 10. Alfie Devine, 20 years old and back from a season on loan at Westerlo in Belgium, was deployed as the number 10 in the first half. After the break it was Jamie Donley, also 20, also back from a season on loan, in his case at Leyton Orient. But it is easy to see how James Maddison or Morgan Gibbs-White, if they can complete his signing from Nottingham Forest, might slot into that role. Maddison, who missed the end of last season with a knee injury, was among those absent at Reading. He is still behind others on the preseason training schedule. Dejan Kulusevski might eventually come into this equation, too, but he is recovering from a serious knee injury and will miss the start of the new season. For the record, the line-ups… First half: Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Danso, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Johnson, Devine, Moore; Solanke. Second half: Vicario; Spence, Vuskovic, Van de Ven, Davies; Bergvall, Bissouma; Kudus, Donley, Son; Lankshear. 2) New faces looking the part There has been an excitable preamble to the arrival of teenage centre half Vuskovic from Hajduk Split via loan spells in Poland and Belgium, and fans were not disappointed as the 18-year-old centre half marked his first appearance in a Spurs shirt with a goal and an assist. The tall Croatian, who made his senior international debut in June, flicked on a corner by Mohamed Kudus for Lankshear to head in the opener, then advanced to sweep in the second with his left foot from a pass by Kudus. Vuskovic, who played only the second half, deployed in tandem with Micky van de Ven, scored seven from central defence for Westerlo in Belgium last season. Kudus was involved in the goals and sharp on the ball. The first flash of him in full flow came 12 minutes from the end, jinking past a couple of challenges inside his own half and, with a change of pace, carrying the ball forward down the right win before picking out Donley, who fired wide. 3) Serious about set-pieces After all the criticism of set pieces during Ange Postecoglou's tenure, Frank wants us to know this is an area he is very serious about. A lengthy part of the pre-match warm-up routine involved the entire starting XI defending set pieces delivered from various angles by teenager George Abbott, one of four unused subs, with the Spurs coaching staff mimicking the attacking side. Still, Reading's main threats came from set pieces, one scare with a free kick delivered by Charlie Savage in the first half and a cluster of corners in the second half. Tottenham broke the deadlock directly from a corner, taken by Kudus, flicked on by Vuskovic and headed in by Lankshear at close range. The second came from a recycled corner, with Vuskovic still lurking up front in the penalty area. 4) Looming tug of glove We shouldn't at this stage to read too far into Antonin Kinsky starting the first half rather than Guglielmo Vicario because this was a large squad swirled up into two teams to play 45 minutes each, but Frank has a decision to make in goal. Kinsky certainly looked comfortable with the ball at his feet here, and Frank clearly asked his team to play out from the back where possible. Vicario struggled and was prone to mistakes after returning from a broken ankle last season. He has also had his well-documented problems from set-pieces but is one of the dressing room leaders and made a terrific save in the closing stages at Reading. It is a big call for the new boss and he won't want to rush into it. 5) Still lacking up front Richarlison was the most notable absentee and a reminder that there is no obvious cover for Dominic Solanke at centre forward. Richarlison must be the first option but cannot be relied upon to be fit and available. Lankshear, 20, is a natural centre forward who made little impression on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the second half of last season but found the target here soon after coming on. Mathys Tel did not look entirely comfortable as a centre forward last season. Kudus will provide another option although is probably not a natural in that role as they found at West Ham last season. Son Heung-min, another with experience in the role, could be gone before the end of the transfer window. Frank did nothing to quash the theory when he spoke on Friday. Son was one of the last to report back for training and looked sluggish when he came on for the second half, especially compared with the zip of Kudus on the opposite flank. Son's touch was heavy and he miscued a volley he might have taken when at his sharpest. Lucas Bergvall also looked rusty, making errors on the ball deep in midfield in the second half. But these things won't worry the new boss as he experiments with combinations and partnerships in different areas of the team to find out where there is chemistry and understanding to carry out his instructions. P.S. Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Tel are all on a delayed schedule after being given more time off following their roles in the U21s Euros and trained at the training ground. Kota Takai has only recently received his work permit and started to train after a move from Kawasaki Frontale in Japan, so is not fully integrated. Maddison is not yet training with the team after his knee ligament injury at the end of last season. Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are some way behind after serious knee injuries this year. Bryan Gil, who has no future at Spurs, is in Spain undergoing rehab on an injury. Manor Solomon and Dane Scarlett were also absent.
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Reading 0 Tottenham 2: Frank makes ELEVEN changes at half-time of first match as new-boys Vuskovic and Kudus shine
Scroll down to see the two XIs that Thomas Frank trialed during his first game in charge KUD NOT BE BETTER KUD NOT BE BETTER Reading 0 Tottenham 2: Frank makes ELEVEN changes at half-time of first match as new-boys Vuskovic and Kudus shine Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEW-BOYS Mohammed Kudus and Luka Vuskovic sparkled on debut to hand Thomas Frank a winning start to his Tottenham reign. Croatia wonderkid Vukskovic, 18, teed up Will Lankshear for Spurs' opener, and then fired home their second himself. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Tottenham got their pre-season preparations off to a winning start with a 2-0 victory over Reading Credit: Getty 9 New boss Thomas Frank tried out a new system as he made 11 changes at half time Credit: Reuters Kudus meanwhile, who joined last week from London rivals West Ham for £55million, whipped in the corner that led to the first goal before assisting Vuskovic to make it 2-0. Both players looked very sharp - although the same could not be said for a rusty-looking Son Heung-min. Spurs played two different XIs for each half at a packed Select Car Leasing Stadium. Cristian Romero, whom Frank had described as 'very committed' to the club on Friday, captained an XI that read: Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Danso, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Johnson, Devine, Moore; Solanke. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL RASH HOUR Man Utd agree to sell Rashford to Barcelona as he closes in on huge transfer The 3,021 Spurs fans who turned up instantly sang songs proclaiming their 'Champions of Europe' status following May's Europa League triumph. Chairman Daniel Levy, who controversially sacked the man who had delivered that trophy, Ange Postecoglou, and replaced him with Frank, watched on from the directors' box, deep in conversation with Spurs' technical director Johan Lange throughout. In truth, it was a dull first half that very much reflected its pre-season status, but there were a few hints of what Frank may bring to Tottenham from a tactical perspective. First of all, he went with two holding midfielders - something predecessor Postecoglou rarely did until the final stage of the Europa League. 9 Here's how Tottenham lined up in the first half 9 Luka Vuskovic netted on his debut for Spurs Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Mohammed Kudus impressed on his first outing for the club Credit: Shutterstock Editorial CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS While out of possession his formation looked to be a 4-4-2, similar to how his Brentford side would line up when without the ball. The only real chance of the first 45 came shortly before the break, when former Manchester United goalkeeper Joel Pereira beat away a powerful Pape Sarr shot from close range. Thomas Frank has held his first press conference as Tottenham manager - what did we learn? Pedro Porro was also on the receiving end of a very unfriendly tackle by Mark O'Mahony, who cleaned out the Spaniard after the Spurs man had knocked the ball past him. O'Mahony was booked and Brennan Johnson gave him a shove for good measure. Frank gave his team-talk to the completely new side he put out for the second period on the pitch in a huddle at half-time. His line-up read: Vicario; Spence, Vuskovic, Van de Ven, Davies; Bergvall, Bissouma; Kudus, Donley, Son; Lankshear. Kudus and Vuskovic, who officially moved to the club this summer two years on from when his £12m switch from Hajduk Split had been agreed. The switches quickly had an impact with Frank's men going 2-0 up with nine minutes of the restart. Spurs' opener came from a set-piece, which must have pleased their new boss immensely given it is an area he is looking to improve. Academy product Lankshear got the finishing touch, but it was set up by two new-boys. Kudus fired in an outswinging corner which Vuskovic flicked on, allowing Lankshear to nod home. 9 Here's how Spurs looked for the second half 9 Will Lankshear finished off a move from Kudus and Vuskovic Credit: Getty Five minutes later, Kudus and Vuskovic linked up again with the man signed from West Ham for £55m laying the ball off for Vuskovic to steer beautifully into the corner. It was a brilliant finish from a centre-back, or any player, but then again Vuskovic has goals in his locker, having netted seven on loan in Belgium with Westerlo last season. The Croatia international then showed his defensive awareness with an important clearance to deny Andre Garcia's header. There has been a lot of scrutiny around the future of Son this summer and the South Korean struggled with his touch when coming on. There was a bit of crowd trouble between the two sets of fans up in the corner of the Sir John Madejski Stand in the final ten minutes of the game, with a few bottles thrown. But it did not take the shine off what was a good start for Frank - and for Kudus and Vuskovic in particular. 9 Spurs were impressive against League One Reading Credit: PA
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reading's carbon emissions have fallen by 57%, data shows
Carbon emissions in Reading have fallen by more than half over an 18-year period, new government figures Berkshire town has seen the 12th biggest reduction in emissions out of the UK's 384 local authorities between 2005 and 2023, according to the Borough Council said it was currently working on "major projects" to reduce its own carbon footprint and "create a net zero borough".John Ennis, the authority's climate lead, said the government figures showed "Reading's commitment to taking positive climate action". "It is only through organisations, businesses, communities and residents working together that Reading has achieved a 57% drop in emissions and maintained its position as 12th in the country for carbon reduction," he Ennis said the council was "leading by example", including the work to upgrade the Hexagon major construction project, which started this week, includes plans to install ground and air source heat pumps across the building, replacing gas council said it has cut its own emissions by almost 75% since 2009, adding that it only accounts for roughly 2% of the town's overall Reading Climate Change Partnership, of which the council is a key member, is also currently asking people for their thoughts on how the town can achieve net zero."We all need to keep up the momentum in the face of rising temperatures, wetter winters and extreme weather conditions occurring more frequently," Mr Ennis said. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Reading vs Tottenham: TV channel and live stream for friendly today
Tottenham begin their pre-season preparations at Reading this afternoon as head coach Thomas Frank makes his bow in the dugout. A little over two months since winning the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou, and ending their 17-year trophy drought, it is another summer of change at Spurs. Postecoglou was quickly replaced by Frank. Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have turned their loan deals into permanent stays and Mohammed Kudus has already joined for £55million. Kudus and fellow new signing Kota Takai could make their debuts for Spurs at the Select Car Leasing Stadium - formerly the Madejski Stadium - as fans get their first glimpse at Frank's plans for his squad. Players who spent last season out on loan - such as Manor Solomon, Yang Min-hyeok, Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington - will also be hoping for a chance to impress. Reading are a little further on in their pre-season preparations, with their domestic season beginning a week before the Premier League, having beaten Hungerford and Swindon and drawn 0-0 at Gillingham. Where to watch Reading vs Tottenham TV channel: The game will not be broadcast live on TV in the UK. Live stream: Spurs fans will be able to stream the game live on SPURSPLAY. A 12-month subscription costs £45. Reading will be showing the game live on their RoyalsTV service for a one-off payment of £5. Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport's live blog, with expert insight and analysis from Sam Tabuteau at the ground.
