Thomas Frank: Mohammed Kudus 'exciting to watch' on Tottenham debut with 'lots of boxes ticked' | OneFootball

Challenges ramp up for Spurs ahead of new Premier League campaign

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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Kudus came on at half-time as part of a second half XI from Frank, and he was positioned wide-right, where he linked up well with deputy right-back Djed Spence.

He had an instant impact, assisting Luka Vuskovic for the second goal at the Select Car Leasings Stadium, playing it back to the Croat to nestle a sweet strike into the far corner beyond Joel Pereira in the Reading net.

Spurs could not muster that elusive opening goal in the first half, but it took just four minutes for back-up striker Will Lankshear to net the first goal of the Frank reign as he powered home a header from Kudus’ corner, which had been flicked on at the near post by Vuskovic.

Speaking to Spurs’ club media, Frank was impressed with what he had seen from his latest summer signing.

“I thought there were a lot of positives in there,” the Dane said.

“If we start with Kudus, of course, he’s the newest one. He was exciting to watch. He had four, five very good actions where you could see what he’s about. His pace, one-on-one skills, the way he can twist and turn going forward.

“That was a positive. There were a lot of others where I get to know them better. I’ve watched them a lot over the years, before I got appointed. But this - when you see them here now and when I watch the game back - are all the details we can go through.

“Luka deserves the praise as well. A great header. Showed his physicality and his composure on the ball. He’s not getting stressed when opponents get close. And what a strike.”

The former Brentford boss, who arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month to replace Ange Postecoglou, said that “lots of boxes had been ticked” from their trip to Berkshire.

Winning start: Djed Spence and Will Lankshear

Getty Images

“If we look at the bigger picture, it’s been a very tough and intense week for the lads,” Frank said.

“We got through the whole week. Touch wood, no injuries, everyone is in a better physical place. All the players got a good 45 minutes and an extra run after. The fitness box is ticked.

“It’s important [to get] a clean sheet. It’s very important to win football matches. It’s a good aspect of that. It’s good that we scored two from set pieces. Something we all started working hard on.”

As is to be expected from a pre-season game, Frank said there were “elements” of the game that he was content with, but emphasised that there was still plenty he wants his side to improve on.

“There were elements of the game that I was happy with,” the Spurs head coach said.

“Elements of high pressure, elements of counter-pressing, when we can bank teams in. An element of having enough players in the box, but there were also a lot of bits I’d like us to do better.

“That’s why you saw the blocking drill earlier in the week,” he said of some of the visitors’ last-ditchd defending, which included a Pedro Porro clearance off the line in the first half after Antonin Kinsky had flapped at a cross.

Next up for Frank and his men is a visit to Bedfordshire to take on another League One outfit - Luton Town - before they face rivals Arsenal and Bayern Munich as the tests ramp up ahead of the new season.