The Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur is officially underway — and it kicked off in winning fashion with a 2-0 victory over Reading in the club’s opening pre-season friendly.
Played out in sweltering conditions at the Madejski Stadium, Spurs fielded two separate XIs across each half, but it was a debutant teenager — Luka Vušković — who stole the show with a dream start in Lilywhite.
⚪ First Half: Tactical tweaks and full-back focus
Frank’s first 45 minutes in charge saw a Spurs side line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring several familiar faces and a few promising youngsters.
Starting XI (First Half):
GK: Antonin Kiński
DEF: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Kevin Dano, Destiny Udogie
MID: Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur
ATT MID: Alfie Devine
FORWARDS: Brennan Johnson, Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke
The performance was controlled, if not cutting-edge. Tottenham dominated possession and kept Reading pinned back, but rarely carved out clear chances in the opening half.
The standout performer was undoubtedly Destiny Udogie, who looked sharp and energetic down the left. He dominated his flank, overlapping with precision and linking up fluidly with Mikey Moore, who grew into the game after a quiet start.
On the opposite side, Pedro Porro was equally influential, staying deeper and spraying line-breaking passes forward. His earlier-than-usual crosses into the box highlighted a tactical shift, as Spurs bypassed midfield more often in search of Solanke, whose hold-up play showed promise — though he will regret blasting a good chance over the bar.
In midfield, Bentancur and Sarr anchored well, while Alfie Devine was given a Damsgaard-style free role, drifting laterally to find space. Despite his movement, he struggled to truly stamp his mark.
Further forward, Johnson failed to make much impact, with several attacking moves breaking down at his feet — a contrast that would become more apparent in the second half.
🔁 Second Half: The Luka Vušković Show
Frank rang the changes at half-time, fielding a completely fresh XI, including two debutants — Mohammed Kudus and Luka Vušković — and club captain Heung-Min Son.
Starting XI (Second Half):
GK: Guglielmo Vicario
DEF: Djed Spence, Luka Vušković, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies
MID: Yves Bissouma, Jamie Donley, Lucas Bergvall
FORWARDS: Mohammed Kudus, Heung-Min Son, Will Lankshear
It took just a few minutes for Spurs to take the lead — and it all began with a set piece, something Frank’s staff had clearly worked on pre-match. Kudus’ corner was met by Vušković, who flicked it on at the near post for Will Lankshear to bundle home.
Moments later, Vušković announced himself in spectacular style. Bursting forward and latching onto a pass from Kudus, the 18-year-old guided a superb left-footed finish into the far corner — his second touch of the game.
Goal. Assist. Goal-line clearance. All in his first ten minutes in a Spurs shirt. “Has there ever been a better first three touches?” asked one commentator. It’s hard to argue.
🌟 Kudus Offers Glimpses of Brilliance
While Vušković rightly took centre stage, Mohammed Kudus gave Spurs fans plenty to get excited about on his debut. Initially quiet in general play, he still managed to deliver the set-piece assist for the opener and increasingly grew into the game after the hour mark.
Kudus displayed trademark flair — pirouettes, dribbles, and clever link-up play, including a flowing move with Spence and Donley that nearly led to a goal. His confidence on the ball, compared to Johnson in the first half, was night and day. He was aggressive, direct, and looked like a genuine difference-maker.
👏 Other Performances of Note
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Jamie Donley: Calm and composed, the youngster showed a maturity beyond his years in midfield. Arguably more comfortable than Devine in the same role.
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Lucas Bergvall: Neat and tidy, offering good balance alongside Donley and Bissouma.
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Djed Spence: Showed flashes going forward but had some shaky moments defensively and was fortunate not to concede a penalty.
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Ben Davies: Solid and dependable at left-back.
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Guglielmo Vicario: A point of concern. While he made a couple of decent stops, his distribution under Frank’s ball-playing demands looked nervy and inconsistent — especially in contrast to Kosiński’s composed first-half showing.
😟 Son Struggles
One sour note came from Heung-Min Son, whose 45-minute cameo was notably subdued. Off the pace, lacking sharpness, and seemingly low in confidence, Son miscontrolled several passes and skied a decent chance over the bar.
Worse, his body language raised eyebrows. Shoulders slumped, little energy in his movement — a far cry from the talismanic figure Spurs fans are used to. Whether this is rust or something deeper remains to be seen.
🧠 Tactical Snapshot: Frank’s Early Blueprint
While it’s only one game, the early signs of Thomas Frank’s tactical imprint were clear:
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Full-backs played to their strengths, with Udogie pushing high and wide, and Porro tucking in to dictate from deep.
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Direct vertical play into the striker was more frequent, using Solanke and Lankshear as focal points.
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Set pieces are clearly a focus — both goals came from them.
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Flexibility in midfield and attacking movement mirrored Brentford’s style under Frank.
⚪ Final Thoughts
It’s only Reading. It’s only pre-season. But there’s no denying that Spurs fans have reason to be excited.
Luka Vušković’s incredible debut, Mohammed Kudus’ flashes of magic, and clear signs of tactical identity under Thomas Frank made for a promising start to 2025/26.
Next up? Luton Town — and with it, more clues as to what’s to come in this new chapter for Tottenham Hotspur.
Final Score:
📍 Reading 0–2 Tottenham
⚽ Lankshear (47′)
⚽ Vušković (54′)
🔜 Luton Town vs Spurs – Coming up next week!
🎥 Don’t miss the full post-match reaction on WeAreTottenhamTV and London Is Ours.
