Most of the time, positive analysis is the best way to go. Who is Tottenham Hotspur's best center back partnership? Well, that's obviously Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Who is the best option on the left wing? Which midfield is the best for Thomas Frank to use in the big games and which is the best against teams that park the bus?
But sometimes, it's good to go the opposite direction - albeit doing this more sparingly and without running the risk of exaggeration. That is to say, sometimes it's useful to think about the "worst" case and discuss why that is and how to avoid it.
Against Bodo Glimt, I couldn't help but think to myself that Tottenham stumbled upon the worst possible attacking partnership, and it's one they've used before this season. In order to spell Mohammed Kudus some rest, Tottenham gave him the night off against Bodo Glimt (or so they thought...he came in for the final 30 minutes anyway).
In his place, Spurs started Brennan Johnson again on the right wing, and while he was the team's leading goal-scorer last season in the Premier League, there's a reason why Tottenham look so much better in 2025/26 with Kudus on the right wing.
A bad night for Tottenham vs. Bodo Glimt
Johnson and striker Richarlison were beyond belief in the attack. They were horrendous. Tottenham were fortunate to have gotten a point against Bodo Glimt, because these two looked in no way, shape, or form capable of creating anything meaningful beyond that late own goal.
Richarlison's hot start to the 2025/26 campaign seems like a thing of the past, as this was his latest dud of a performance up top with no other alternative available due to injuries to Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke. The Brazilian international did nothing statistically meaningful besides one shot on target and one foul drawn.
Honestly, Johnson was even worse. He didn't even draw a foul or muster a shot on target, and as the adage goes, if he isn't scoring goals for Tottenham, he isn't helping the team. Even in his favored position on the right wing, Johnson was a total nonfactor, and it's so hard to build as a unit at the Champions League level when you have a winger who is doing that little.
Neither Richarlison nor Johnson mesh well. They are on the opposite wavelength. Johnson is a poacher who can't create for the striker, while Richarlison is someone who needs a player to play off of, like a Kudus. Frank has to take what we saw against Bodo Glimt seriously and realize that Johnson and Richarlison cannot start together as the main threats up top because neither will score or create as a pair.