Thomas Frank has now shared his thoughts on the attacking role of Mathys Tel, with the Tottenham manager weighing up how best to utilise the French forward in his plans this season.
Thomas Frank has a plethora of options to pick from in attack as Tottenham boss this season, with a good blend of youth and experience available to him.
Randal Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson are all names the Dane has at his disposal and each offers something different to the side.
In fact, already this season, we have seen Frank hand out opportunities to each one of his forward options, as he looks to rotate sensibly and keep them fit and firing across all competitions.
Thomas Frank speaks on Mathys Tel’s best attacking role at Tottenham
Versatility is a valuable trait for any footballer to possess, but it can also create problems as players who are capable of performing in several positions sometimes struggle to lock down a permanent place in the side.
Mathys Tel is one of those versatile options Frank has, and already this campaign, the young Frenchman has been used both as a left winger and through the middle as a centre-forward.
Speaking to football.london about where he feels the forward is best suited, Frank explained that Tel has shown flexibility across the frontline but hinted that his best role may still be up for debate.
He said: “Yeah, I would say he plays all his games for the French Under-21s down the middle, he played for us down the middle.
“I’m definitely aware that he can play to the side as well, also to the left and maybe that is his best position. Maybe, I would like to say, so that’s definitely something I have in mind to use as well.
“It’s always that you need to juggle everything. There’s a few players also quite good down the left! And that’s not that they maybe are better than Mathys, it can just be how do you construct a team.”
Frank is still undecided on his preferred left winger
Tel, of course, has a point to prove and regardless of where he is deployed, the young forward has to deliver when his chance comes.
The pressure is certainly on the 20-year-old, especially given his omission from Frank’s Champions League squad, which highlighted just how competitive Tottenham’s attacking unit is at present.
The centre-forward role does look stacked, however, the left wing could provide Tel with a real opportunity to break into the starting XI, as Frank has yet to settle on a consistent option in that position.
Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Tel have all been used there, but with the Dane still rotating heavily, one strong performance could be enough to tilt the balance and lead to more regular minutes.