4 things we learned from Spurs' crushing UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG

This was a contest I entered with few expectations. When I don't expect, I seem to enjoy the games more. The absence of anxiety for 90 minutes is enticing.

However, as Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup progressed, the innate emotions associated with supporting this Godforsaken club simply couldn't be avoided. There was no Parisian bloodbath. No humiliation. Spurs were on top!

Our 1-0 lead was fully deserved, yet there was a sense that the world's best would inevitably grow after half-time. At 2-0 and our superiority still intact on the hour, all you could do was believe. Two European titles in the space of three months. How good, eh?

All it took was a sweet swing of a South Korean's boot, so often Son Heung-min's when Spurs are involved, for surprising optimism to drastically switch familiar pessimism. PSG had finally started to knock, and Lee Kang-in's finish broke the contest open. A second excellent goal took a game Spurs remarkably had in the bag to penalties. And while the hopeless romantic in me thought Guglielmo Vicario, in his hometown, simply had to be the hero, the Italian instead failed to come close to saving any of PSG's five spot-kicks, including one Vitinha put wide.

So, here we are. A gut-wrenching defeat. I wasn't supposed to care this much! It was meant to be a stroll for the world's best, you know, the sort of 2-0 win where their superiority is abundantly clear and they barely exit second gear.

That sort of loss appealed greatly to me at 10.30 p.m. on Wednesday night, but now that the emotion of the occasion has gradually faded, we can look back on the Super Cup with great pride and, crucially, hope! Here are four things we learned from our penalty shootout defeat.

1. A nightmare to play against

Frank's flexibility was on full display in Udine. The new manager has opted for a 4-2-3-1 throughout pre-season, but changed tack here. He went with a back five, although the aggression of our wing-backs throughout meant we lined up in more of a 3-4-1-2. When we were forced to sit in and resist, the shape became a 5-3-2.

Given the players at his disposal, the shape change made plenty of sense—and it worked. While Spurs eventually entered clinging-on mode and defended deeply, for the most part, we sought to disrupt PSG's rhythm with a high man-to-man press. This was not a case of merely absorbing pressure and hitting Luis Enrique's side on the counter-attack.

The game plan was predicated on ensuring PSG were as uncomfortable as possible. We played long over their press, threw the ball into their box at every opportunity, and asserted our physical superiority. Pape Matar Sarr was incredible. Our set-piece dominance resulted in two goals, and this was no smash-and-grab. Sure, there was more than a pragmatic edge to Frank's plan, but we were fully deserving of our 2-0 lead.

While such ploys are unlikely to facilitate sustained success in the Premier League, there's no doubt that many of the big boys in the division who caught a glimpse of the Super Cup are already dreading our meetings in 2025/26. We're going to be a nightmare to play against.

2. Signings excellent but Frank needs more

I feared for us in Udine primarily because we haven't yet done enough in the transfer market. Frank's squad is incomplete, and that's what made our performance all the more impressive.

There have been just three new signings, one of whom, Kota Takai, is out injured and unlikely to play a major role in his debut season. The other two, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha, were brilliant here, and their withdrawals doubtless contributed to our late collapse.

Although, I get why both substitutions were made. Both were knackered, with Palhinha playing just 45 minutes in Lilywhite before the Super Cup.

The midfielder's performance offered great encouragement after a poor debut last week. He offered great stability when screening the defence, snapping into tackles and performing efficiently in possession. On the big occasion, we'll constantly turn to him to step up, and it was great to see him take on an impromptu coaching role on the bench. These are the characters we desperately need.

As for Kudus, well, where do I start? He was our sole bright spark in Munich last week, and the ex-West Ham star was key to a supreme collective effort in Udine. Nuno Mendes has made so many of the world's best look ordinary this calendar year, but he had his work cut out against Kudus, who's seemingly impossible to dispossess.

He's not yet the finished article in the final third, but boy, how fun is he to watch? He's going to be huge for Frank. Signing players of his quality is a foolproof method.

3. Richarlison earns himself another season

Dominic Solanke was fit enough for a place on the bench in Udine, having recovered from an ankle injury, meaning Richarlison retained his spot in the starting XI.

The Brazilian was poor last week in Munich, and I didn't hold out much hope for the forward here. His role was always going to revolve around winning the first ball and making it stick, something he failed to do for the duration of his performance against Bayern.

However, we couldn't have asked for much more from Richy. After a slow start, he grew into the Super Cup wonderfully. He functioned as a reliable focal point, smartly moving off PSG's backline to receive possession and distribute wide, and resisting contact effectively to ensure his team could get up the pitch.

He was immense in the second-half, continuing to work tirelessly until he couldn't give anymore. It's the best I've seen of him in a Spurs shirt, and I'd be surprised to see him sold in the final weeks of the window now.

4. "Cowards"

Mathys Tel did not play well after entering the fray. Having seen Richarlison and Kudus work gloriously in tandem, Tel and Solanke offered close to no telepathy.

The Frenchman's night was capped off by a miss in the shootout, which proved decisive. He sent Lucas Chevalier the wrong way, but curled his effort wide of the post. Sadly, you knew what was coming next after Nuno Mendes thumped home the winning penalty.

Tel is certainly not the first to face abhorrent racial abuse on the back of a failure, and he most definitely won't be the last. In a strong-worded post, the club labelled those who resorted to such disgusting behaviour as "cowards", hiding behind anonymous profiles.

Mathys Tel is 20 years old. He dared to step up in the shootout, in the hope of scoring and giving the low-lives, who would later send direct abuse his way, the joy they so desperately need. You think Micky van de Ven was targeted the same?

It's the ease at which players can be accessed, as well as the anonymity offered, that means online racial slander will never disappear. Tel is just the latest victim.