"Outscoring the opposition was the mentality at Tottenham last season but now the focus is on keeping out goals at the other end of the pitch. Tuesday's 1-0 win against Villarreal in Spurs' Champions League opener was the fourth clean sheet they had kept in five games so far this season under Thomas Frank. In contrast, they had kept just one at the same stage of last season, when the more attack-minded Ange Postecoglou was in charge."
""We talked a lot about 'clean sheet mentality' this year because we conceded a lot last year," Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall told Amazon Prime. "They [Villarreal] did not have a shot on target, so we did a really good job." Defender Micky van de Ven added: "I think we are a difficult team to play against, for sure. Structure-wise we are standing really good and we all know what to do, so we're a difficult team to beat.""
A focus on a 'clean sheet mentality' replaced last season's outscoring approach after high concession numbers. Thomas Frank's Tottenham kept four clean sheets in five games, including a 1-0 Champions League win over Villarreal. Villarreal produced 10 shots but had no shots on target, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario did not make a save. Defensive organisation and structure, led by Micky van de Ven's interventions, limited clear opportunities. The style under Frank was more cautious than the previous attack-minded approach, producing few attacking moments and only one shot on target for the home side while prioritising defensive discipline and quick recovery sprints.
Read at www.bbc.com
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