Three winners and three losers from Tottenham’s pre-season defeat to Bayern Munich - Opinion

Tottenham’s pre-season ends in disarray as Bayern Munich thrash Thomas Frank’s side in a brutal Allianz Arena rout. Who shone and who faltered? We pick out three big winners and three worrying underperformers from the 4-0 defeat.

The post-Heung-min Son era at Tottenham Hotspur has not started on a promising note, as Spurs were dismantled 4-0 by Bayern Munich in the Telekom Cup at the Allianz Arena.

The result marks Thomas Frank’s first defeat as Tottenham manager and comes just days before his competitive debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.

There were few positives to draw from such a heavy loss, but we have identified three players who stood out in some capacity and three who will want to quickly move on from this final pre-season outing.

Mohammed Kudus shows promise despite Tottenham’s attacking struggles

While Tottenham’s attack looked lifeless and lacking invention, new signing Mohammed Kudus appeared sharp throughout the match against Bayern Munich.

As expected, the Ghanaian winger constantly looked to take on his man and inject some urgency in the final third, although his efforts ultimately led to no end product.

Still, Kudus stood out with his intent and work-rate, often tracking back to help double up on Luis Diaz down the right side of the Tottenham defence – a trait Thomas Frank has repeatedly emphasised as a key part of the winger’s development.

Guglielmo Vicario saves Tottenham from a heavier defeat

The 4-0 scoreline could have been significantly worse if not for Guglielmo Vicario, who produced a string of smart saves to spare Tottenham further embarrassment.

He was let down by a disorganised and static backline that allowed Bayern Munich’s attackers ample time and space to strike at goal time and again.

The Bundesliga champions registered 26 shots in total – eight of which were on target – and Vicario saved four of them. While there have been murmurs that Antonin Kinsky could provide competition this season, Vicario’s display served as a timely reminder of his quality.

Cristian Romero captains Tottenham for the first time post-Son

With Heung-min Son now having departed for MLS side LAFC, Tottenham’s captaincy is up for grabs. Son wore the armband for the past two seasons.

In this match, Cristian Romero led the team out, and while the performance was far from ideal, it all but confirms that the Argentine is now viewed as Son’s successor in leadership.

Romero did not have his best outing and will be eager to set things right ahead of the UEFA Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Richarlison fluffs his lines again in Tottenham defeat

With Dominic Solanke sidelined for most of pre-season, Richarlison and Mathys Tel have had the opportunity to lead the line for Tottenham.

Against Bayern Munich, it was the Brazilian’s turn to impress, but he failed to take the chance, missing a clear opportunity to score.

It was not an isolated incident either – Richarlison had similar moments against Luton Town earlier in pre-season, and this continued wastefulness only casts further doubt on his long-term future at the club.

Brennan Johnson fails to take his chance on the left wing

It was a forgettable day for Tottenham’s attackers, and Brennan Johnson was among those who failed to impose themselves in the final third.

Given the nod on the left – a position Heung-min Son had made his own – the Welshman looked largely ineffective and struggled to make any sort of meaningful impact.

He was barely a threat to Bayern’s defence, and it was no surprise when he was substituted after 60 minutes.

Djed Spence exposed at left-back in Bayern Munich loss

Tottenham’s lack of full-back depth has been a concern, and it was on full display as Djed Spence was asked to fill in at left-back against Bayern Munich.

With Destiny Udogie sidelined and Ben Davies the only recognised option, Thomas Frank turned to Spence for his versatility, but the Englishman struggled to cope.

He was beaten repeatedly by Kingsley Coman and Michael Olise, and was even caught in possession in the build-up to Bayern’s second goal – a far cry from his solid showing against Bukayo Saka a few days earlier. With PSG’s tricky wingers looming, this performance raises some serious concerns.

• READ MORE: Five things we learned from Bayern Munich 4-0 Tottenham as Thomas Frank suffers first defeat

The post Three winners and three losers from Tottenham’s pre-season defeat to Bayern Munich - Opinion appeared first on Spurs Web.