Tottenham manager fails to recruit Son Heung-min as substitute Levi's pressure players fail to reach the highest level, criticizing Johnson Tel Odover's worst performance

Aug 31, 2025

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank indirectly pressured the club.

Tottenham lost 0-1 in the third round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2025-2026 season against Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 30th (Korea time). Tottenham, which had won two consecutive games, suffered a shock defeat at home.

Tottenham, who had caught Burnley and Manchester City, disappeared perfectly against Bournemouth. It even felt like a completely different team. Tottenham couldn't attack Bournemouth's defence at all. Tottenham's defense, by comparison, was too loose. It was fortunate that it ended with one run.

Tottenham's shocking performance can also be explained by figures. Tottenham made just five shots against Bournemouth, with only one effective shot. Bournemouth shot 20 times alone, and had six effective shots. Tottenham did not create a perfect scoring opportunity on the day. Tottenham fans reacted sharply to their worst performance in the first half and after the game, booing.

After the game, Frank said "We obviously didn't do well. Bournemouth made good use of their strengths, and we didn't respond to it properly. I knew exactly how they would come out, and I trained accordingly, but I didn't cope enough with the backspace penetration, second ball, and competition in the midfield. I think it was fair for Bournemouth to win in the overall flow of the game, he said, neatly acknowledging the complete defeat.

Frank also indirectly criticized the players' performance. 'I hope fans don't boo, but I understand. No wonder we didn't play well, and the fans' expectations are high. If we showed better performance today and lost, I don't know again, but in fact, today we didn't reach the level we needed to show. It is clear that the players have poured everything out and committed, but they have not reached the highest level in terms of football,' he said, indirectly criticizing the players' performance.

This may be some kind of pressure on the club. Prior to the game, he recruited a special talent called Xavi Simmons, but Tottenham has yet to find a devastating winger who can replace Son Heung-min. Brennan Johnson, who has been good for the past two games, was no threat against Bournemouth on the day. Wilson O'Dober and Matisse Tell, who came in as replacements, were also no different.

When the opponent sits down and defends, the only player who will release it with his personal ability is Kudus. It may be different if Simmons is put into the stadium, but Tottenham's attack power could certainly be different if there was a destructive winger on the left. For now, Tottenham is looking too big for Son Heung-min.

It's not that the club didn't do anything. Manchester City tried to recruit Savinho, but Manchester City finally announced that Savinho could not be sold. For the rest of the transfer window, Tottenham are unlikely to give up recruiting the winger, but it is not an easy situation.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.