Thomas Frank ready to pair Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall up in Premier League

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank would have no hesitation starting teenage midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall together for Saturday’s visit of Fulham.

Spurs are without a Premier League home win since the opening day and have claimed victory in only four of their nine matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions this season.

It places extra significance on the battle with Fulham, and after a humbling 4-1 loss at rivals Arsenal last Sunday, the performance of Bergvall and Gray in a spirited 5-3 defeat away to Paris St Germain in the Champions League has provided food for thought for Frank.

Gray, 19, has only featured in two league games this season whilst Bergvall has started five times in the Premier League, with the experienced duo of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur often preferred in midfield.

However, with a lack of creative spark a longstanding issue during Frank’s short reign, the bravery and dynamism of both Gray and Bergvall on Wednesday showed a potential blueprint to help the Danish coach land on the right formula at Spurs.

Asked if he had any hesitation about starting them together against Fulham, Frank replied: “Absolutely not.

“I think if you perform like they did against the European champions away from home, I think you’re ready to start in the Premier League.”

Frank used a 4-2-2-2 formation in Paris with Gray alongside Bentancur in the double pivot and Bergvall further forward, but summer additions Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons were only on the bench.

Quizzed on whether that formation could work in a home game, Frank said: “I liked a lot of the intensity and aggressivity in the pressure. I liked the forwardness and the running forward, playing forward.

“We played four midfielders across the midfield. That could be for some games. It could also be different for some games. I think it’s fair to say it’s one game away to Paris and it’s a different game for Fulham.

“Everything is possible but I think it depends on the opponent. It depends on the type of game.”

Frank has shuffled his pack in an attempt to balance freshness with a congested fixture list along with working out the basis of his strongest line-up.

Yet, he must solve the conundrum of Tottenham’s attack and with only three wins in 12 fixtures, the 52-year-old is acutely aware decisions taken with the long-term in mind must be married up with short-term success.

“The challenge that we are facing, that we are embracing, is that away to Arsenal, three days later away to PSG, three days later home to Fulham, three days later away to Newcastle,” Frank smiled.

“So, how can we find that perfect balance of energy, intensity, freshness and the right structure and relationship on the pitch? So that’s a nice coaching challenge.

“We said from the beginning when I walked in the club, every decision I take is to do everything I can to win the next game, but it’s for the long run. If you can’t build something that lasts, it doesn’t matter.”