Ninety minutes of unimaginative mediocrity was all it took to destroy any illusion that Thomas Frank's current squad is deep or talented enough to challenge for the Premier League—let alone qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Bayern embarrassed Spurs. The German giants peppered Guglielmo Vicario with 26 shots and managed to score more goals (four) than Spurs had shots on target (three). Even more worrying was that Vincent Kompany's side squandered seven "big chances" throughout the match, including a rare missed penalty by Harry Kane, and played the last twenty minutes with six teenagers on the pitch. Had the Bundesliga champions not taken their foot off the gas, they might have scored ten.
But there was an important lesson to be gleaned from the thrashing. After the tour of Asia, there was a moment when it seemed plausible that Thomas Frank could lead his depleted squad through another devastating Tottenham injury crisis without having to spend big in the transfer market. That moment has passed like a fart in the Bavarian wind.
Spurs' feckless display in Munich exposed three alarming deficiencies that Daniel Levy, Johan Lange, and Fabio Paratici must address in the next 20 days.
Impotence in the Attacking Third
Problem: Regardless of whom Thomas Frank has selected, Spurs' frontline has been woeful in every preseason match. They can't seem to complete a string of passes together or conjure up any ideas about how to break down opposing defenses. The lack of precision, creativity, fluidity, quality, and confidence in the attacking third can be attributed to the growing pains of adapting to a new system, jet lag, or the absence of Dominic Solanke. But it has never been more obvious that Brennan Johnson cannot create chances for himself, or others. Mathys Tel does not possess the skill set to play as a number nine. And Richarlison is a liability when leading the line.
Solution: The loss of Son Heung-min is going to hurt. Spurs need a versatile winger who is capable of playing as a striker, or vice versa.
Who's Available: Rodrygo would be a dream signing, but there is a better chance of Daniel Levy growing an afro than the Madrid forward coming to north London. The same can be said for Randal Kolo Muani and Ferran Torres. Ademola Lookman and Arnaud Kalimuendo are more realistic options. And unlike Nicolas Jackson, they wouldn't require Tottenham to add funds to Chelsea's coffers.
A Dearth of Creativity
Problem: Other than Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert, Spurs lack playmakers who can produce moments of individual brilliance and single-handedly alter the course of a match. The problem is most evident among Tottenham's midfield quintet of João Palhinha, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, and Archie Gray. However, the issue is equally apparent in the attacking third. The lack of creativity isn't an isolated problem; Spurs' plodding, unimaginative patterns of play put stress on the backline to defend against unnecessary counterattacks, play on their heels, and engineer the offense. It will be a long season if Spurs are reliant on Pedro Porro to create chances in the attacking third.
Solution: Finding a replacement for James Maddison should be at the top of Spurs' list of priorities in the waning weeks of the transfer window.
Who's Available: If Spurs can't sign Eberechi Eze before the UEFA Super Cup, they need to spend the Morgan Gibbs-White money on a statement signing like Rafael Leão, Maghnes Akliouche, Nico Paz, or even Barış Alper Yılmaz. Bilal El Khannouss, James McAtee, and Harvey Elliott don't move the needle, while Jack Grealish would be an expensive temporary fix.
Lack of Defensive Depth
Problem: Spurs will regret attempting to compete in four competitions with six healthy defensive players. It would be ludicrous to think Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will stay healthy throughout the entire season when neither was able to suit up for half of Spurs' 60 matches during the Europa League-winning campaign. Furthermore, no one knows how Radu Drăgușin will perform when he returns from ACL surgery, and Kōta Takai suffered an injury in the first week of training. There are also questions about Destiny Udogie's long-term fitness. That leaves Thomas Frank with two healthy fullbacks in Djed Spence and Pedro Porro, and only Ben Davies and Kevin Danso as cover for Romero and van de Ven at the moment.
Solution: Spurs need to sign a left-sided central defender who is capable of playing fullback, or vice versa.
Who's Available: Spurs could try to pry Marc Guéhi or Maxence Lacroix away from Crystal Palace, with the former entering the final year of his contract and unwilling to sign a new deal. Alternatively, Fabio Paratici might be able to convince Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini or Lazio's Mario Gila to come to N17. Other, less likely, options include Sporting's Ousmane Diomandé, Benfica's António Silva, and Leipzig's Castello Lukeba. But Spurs could still decide to shore up their "locally trained player" quota and sign either Dennis Cirkin or Cameron Carter-Vickers.