Gary Lineker suggests Tottenham star can’t do basic thing right in his position

Tottenham’s brief unbeaten run under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt end at home to Aston Villa last Sunday, with pundit Gary Lineker expressing concern about having one star in a key role.

Tottenham’s lack of creativity has been a concern for Thomas Frank

Tottenham got off to an excellent start against Villa when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who recently signed a brand new contract, opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock, capitalizing on a strike from midfield partner Joao Balenha to give Tottenham the lead.

However, that was fine for Frank’s team.

Tottenham failed to get the team going throughout the match, and ultimately paid the price against a well-organised Aston Villa side, with summer signing Xavi Simons criticized as Spurs lacked a creative spark.

From the start, the Lilywhites found it difficult to create clear-cut chances. Tottenham’s attackers, especially on the counter-attack when one of Balenha or Bentancur won possession from Villa, lacked that sophisticated edge to create anything noteworthy.

Ultimately, Frank’s midfield failed to provide the necessary service to Tottenham’s forward line, leaving them deprived of good opportunities.

While the north London side struggled to a 2-1 win away to Leeds before the international break, there were big signs beforehand that Tottenham simply needed to improve in attacking areas.

They were very fortunate to earn last-gasp draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt before traveling to Elland Road, but Tottenham’s luck ran out against Villa, who stole all three points in N17 thanks to a stunning goal from Emiliano Buendia.

Especially after Tottenham’s loss to Aston Villa, their lack of momentum in the final third has become a real concern, if it wasn’t already.

Concerns surround Richarlison’s ability to lead the line, while Dominic Solanke’s misfortune with an ankle injury, which required minor surgery, has limited the England international to just 49 minutes this season.

As Simmons continues to pick up the pace, Frank will sorely miss the attacking quality of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. He hopes to have the former player back as soon as possible, with Kulusevski unable to participate since suffering a knee injury against Crystal Palace last season.

Tottenham face a tough trip to Monaco in the upcoming Champions League, and Frank will have a key decision to make on who will start up front, if Solanke is not fit enough to make his long-awaited return.

Gary Lineker says Matthijs Tille can’t do the basic thing right in the Tottenham striker role

If Solanke proves unable to start against Monaco, Spurs could turn to Matthijs Tille as their number nine again.

Till was handed the nod by Frank against both Leeds and Villa, opening the scoring at Elland Road, but was isolated and largely ineffective against Unai Emery’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Once Julian Nagelsmann expected to score 40 goals a season, the Frenchman may have a long way to go before he realizes that prediction, and Lineker has revealed one major flaw in his game.

Speaking on the rest of the football This Week podcast (via GiveMeSport), Lineker says Till can’t do anything fundamentally right in the Spurs striker role – namely, he lacks a natural run in behind to beat the offside trap.

Ange Postecoglou played a key role in convincing the 20-year-old to join Tottenham from Bayern Munich last January, on an initial loan that was renegotiated and secured permanently by former boss Daniel Levy for £30m.

While the Lilywhites have worked hard to sign Tel, he has scored just six goals (four goals and two assists) in 28 appearances so far.

However, it is important to remember that the former Rennes star is still very young, and Spurs will be counting on Till eventually reaching his full potential after flashes of true brilliance at Bayern.