Tottenham Hotspur were remarkably poor again on Wednesday night against Bournemouth, as they did their best Oprah impression to hand the Cherries three points for the first time in 11 games, sinking in the final moments in another unclutch performance as Antoine Semenyo buried them after already burying them with a transfer rejection just a couple of weeks ago.
It has been that kind of a season for Spurs, whose 3-2 scoreline really only flattered them. The goals were the result of a bicycle kick from Joao Palhinha and another bit of individual brilliance from left winger Mathys Tel.
At least the young Tel can hold his head high, because in addition to the goal, he quietly delivered another standout performance for Tottenham and was by far the best player on the pitch for Spurs. Honestly, he was the only truly impressive player on the team and a clear star for an attack that was otherwise woeful, reeling from a potentially serious injury to star right winger Mohammed Kudus.
Mathys Tel did it again
Tel led Tottenham with five dribbles completed and four fouls drawn in the defeat to Bournemouth, and he also tied center back and captain Cristian Romero for the team lead with three key passes to the good. Altough Semenyo played the hero in the end for Bournemouth, Tel actually outplayed the Cherries star left winger and coveted Man City transfer, showing that he does indeed have the potential to become one of the best left wingers in the Premier League one day.
His standout performance honestly highlighted Thomas Frank's incompetence further. It has been patently obvious to Tottenham Hotspur fans that Mathys Tel should be starting every week on the left wing and gives Spurs their best chance of winning. Every Spurs fan can see that Tel has that something special and is worth developing into a star.
Every time Tel gets a chance, he shines, including last weekend against Sunderland. Frank had no choice but to start him against Bournemouth, especially with Kudus injured on the other wing, and Tel totally delivered again.
But it really shows you just how poor Frank's mentality and team selection are that he has left Tel out of the starting lineup for so many months. That Tel came out and played this well in a game in which most of his teammates flat out stunk really underscores how little of a clue Frank has when it comes to his own players. It is honestly yet another reason to be mistrustful of Frank and wonder if he really has got a clue what he is doing in charge of Tottenham.