Pape Sarr Shines with Double as Tottenham Draws Against Wycombe in Preseason Match

A preseason doubleheader? In this financial climate? Tottenham Hotspur kicked off their preseason with a closed-door friendly against League One’s Wycombe Wanderers. Pape Sarr netted twice, equalizing after two goals from Wycombe’s Junior Quitina, resulting in a 2-2 draw. The starting XI for Tottenham, detailed below, played between 60-75 minutes before Frank brought in players from the U21 squad.

While friendly matches focus on fitness rather than results, some insights can still be drawn from this training match devoid of spectators. Here’s a collection of reactions from the early game.

Match Reactions

• The match gave us a glimpse into Frank’s tactical setup. In a 4-3-3 formation, Spurs sought to attack, with Pedro Porro moving forward and Ben Davies joining Luka Vuskovic and Cuti Romero in defense. The team didn’t have to defend much in the first half but organized as a back four when required, with Porro and Davies taking on traditional fullback roles.
• Under Frank, Tottenham continued to press Wycombe, though not as aggressively as seen previously with Postecoglou. Consequently, the defense appeared more secure than it often did last season. This is worth noting, even considering it was a friendly against a League One side.
• A recurring challenge was the lack of a creative passing midfielder; the two most effective passers were in defense (Romero) and attack (Odobert/Son). Hopefully, Johan Lange is addressing this during the transfer window.
• George Abbott, stepping in for the ill Rodrigo Bentancur, showed promise in his performance. He previously had 33 matches and 4 goals while on loan at League 2 Notts County last season; perhaps he deserves another loan and a higher level of competition.
• Odobert shone in the first half on his less-favored right side, delivering several quality crosses and finding space, including a setup for Sarr’s first goal.
• Brandon Austin’s position remains essential, even though his goalkeeping skills may be questionable. He is currently the only club-trained player at Spurs. Unfortunately, he made an error on Quitina’s first goal, which he should have saved.
• Richarlison had a decent first preseason appearance, effectively holding the ball and passing well. However, I anticipated more offensive contributions from him — he missed a shot and a half-chance with his head. An ambulance was conveniently nearby, just in case.
• Luka Vuskovic, while continuing to impress with his size, had less influence in this match, yet Wycombe struggled to mount an offense despite scoring twice. He also took a notable shot that went astray.
• Cuti Romero displayed his usual demeanor with an elbow to a Wycombe player, which would have easily resulted in a yellow card in a competitive setting. He needs to exercise caution in these situations.
• Pedro Porro sustained a head injury but performed well overall before his substitution. He showed visible anger after the incident, pushing through until he left the field at 75 minutes.
• As anticipated, Frank made several substitutions in the second half, bringing in Tynan Thompson and Oliver Iroh around the 60-minute mark, followed by numerous changes at 75 minutes, resulting in a nearly U21 team. Thompson impressed during his time on the field.
• While the younger players had limited time to make a notable impact, their appearances were generally unremarkable.
• The team is currently on their way to Luton for the second of today’s friendly matches. Tune in to SpursPLAY for Game 2!