‘Oh my God’ – Thomas Frank has three Tottenham starters who are ‘miles off it’
Troy Deeney has ripped into three Tottenham starters and suggests they are “miles off” the level needed to be in the team.
Thomas Frank has enjoyed a largely strong start to life in the North Londoners’ dugout, but Spurs had to come back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday, 20 September.
Frank’s men are now third in the Premier League, while they also started their Champions League campaign well, with a 1-0 win over Villarreal.
Meanwhile, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Tottenham are considering a deal for Sevilla star Ruben Vargas.
Destiny Udogie blasted for his performance in Brighton vs Tottenham
Despite Spurs’ strong start to the campaign, Atletico Madrid ace Conor Gallagher is prepared to snub Tottenham’s interest.
Meanwhile, discussing Frank’s squad depth live on talkSPORT’s Final Word on Sunday, 21 September, Troy Deeney remarked: “(Destiny) Udogie, the left-back. For me, he is miles off it. He’s miles off it from when they have Djed Spence in.
“You can’t afford to take three lads out now, because they’ll end up like the first half (vs Brighton). It’ll be so night and day in terms of the performance.
“I think a few of them, the likes of (Mathys) Tel, Udogie at left-back, even the goalkeeper, will make him (Frank) think ‘Oh my God’, I’m going to have to work these boys to the bone, just to get to January.”
Thomas Frank provides further proof Spurs appointed the right man
Tottenham have endured a turbulent few months after sacking former boss Ange Postecoglou, with former executive chairman Daniel Levy leaving the North London side.
| Tottenham’s last three results | All competitions 2025/26 |
| West Ham (A) | 0-3 W |
| Villarreal (H) | 1-0 W |
| Brighton (A) | 2-2 D |
However, Frank’s early-season exploits suggest that sacking the Europa League winner in favour of the 51-year-old was the correct call.
Spurs boast a significantly better defence than the one that conceded 65 goals in the Premier League last term, allowing their opponents to score just three goals in five top-flight fixtures so far this season.
Therefore, Deeney’s criticism of Udogie is arguably harsh, although the 22-year-old has made just one league start this season, when his side allowed Brighton to score two first-half goals.
Meanwhile, the fact that Tottenham came back from a 2-0 deficit against the Seagulls proves that Frank’s squad are willing to fight for the former Brentford boss.
Spurs must continue their rich vein of form when they face League One club Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, 24 September.