Spurs midfield is a problem for Frank, Fernandes nears MU milestone - The Radar

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:

🤔 Tottenham's midfield issue analysed
📊 Fernandes' unrivalled creativity
🔍 A player to watch this weekend

Spurs need something different in midfield

Thomas Frank faces a midfield selection dilemma ahead of Tottenham's trip to Everton, live on Sky Sports on Sunday. The head coach continues to favour a pairing of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur but supporters are clamouring for a change.

Wednesday's game against Monaco was just the latest in which the balance has looked off in the centre of Frank's team. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Palhinha and Bentancur are too similar, both players' strengths lying out of possession.

Spurs are struggling to progress the ball through midfield. Amazingly, the pair only directed seven of a combined 58 passes forward against Monaco. They only found striker Richarlison three times. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani was not found once.

The issue was clear in Spurs' defeat to Aston Villa too, with Palhinha and Bentancur sending only 15 of their 79 passes forward and only finding Mathys Tel once. Even in the win over Leeds, in which Tel scored, he was only fed twice by Palhinha and Bentancur.

Tel's goal proved crucial at Elland Road but he was substituted in the second half of the game having only touched the ball 13 times.

Spurs profile similarly to Burnley, West Ham and Everton for forward passes and defenders bypassed from central midfield this season, at the opposite end of the scale to the Premier League's top sides.

Frank can argue the decision to pair Palhinha and Bentancur together is justified if it adds defensive solidity. But that is a hard case to make after Wednesday's game. Monaco cut through Spurs easily. They had enough chances to win it twice over.

Their record with and without them is revealing.

Spurs have only won three out of nine games with both players starting this season, and one of them was against League One Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup. The side's record is far better in their other games, with three wins and a draw from four.

In fairness, they are not the only ones being found wanting when it comes to servicing the side's forwards. Xavi Simons provided an assist against West Ham from a corner on his debut following his arrival from PSV Eindhoven but has struggled since.

Across two starts in the No 10 role against Leeds and Aston Villa, he did not manage to complete a single pass to Tottenham's strikers.

The disconnect running through the heart of the team can be seen in their passing network, which highlights the lack of combinations between their midfield and attack this season.

So what are the alternatives? With Simons still finding his feet, Frank is unfortunate to be without the injured James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, key players who ranked first and third respectively among Spurs players for progressive passes last season.

Frank's pool of midfielders without them is a shallow one. He has Lucas Bergvall and also mentioned Archie Gray as an option after using him at left-back against Monaco. Pape Matar Sarr might be his best bet to bring some much-needed drive having impressed with a goal and two assists earlier in the campaign.

In the long-term, Spurs will probably need to use future transfer windows to redress the balance between ball-winners and ball-players at the base of their midfield. But in the meantime, a change to the Palhinha and Bentancur axis looks necessary.

Where would Man Utd be without Bruno?

While Frank ponders the make-up of his midfield, Ruben Amorim has a guaranteed starter in Bruno Fernandes. The captain is set for his 300th appearance for Manchester United when they face Brighton at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports on Saturday.

He reaches the milestone with an outstanding body of work behind him. His total of 100 goals in 299 games puts him 26 clear of any current or former team-mate in the same timeframe. His total of 84 assists is more than double anyone else's.

Fernandes has had to endure periods of heavy criticism during his time in the Premier League. His status as captain remains the subject of some debate. But few players can claim to have been more consistent when it comes to the stuff that really matters.

The 31-year-old is out on his own among Premier League players for chances created since his debut in 2020, his total of 560 roughly 30 per cent higher than the next player on the list in Kevin De Bruyne.

He also comes out on top for expected assists, which highlights the quality of the opportunities created as well as the volume.

Fernandes has been moved further back by Amorim this season, into his midfield two. But he continues to deliver unmatched creativity.

The sensational first-time cross to set up Harry Maguire's winning goal against Liverpool at Anfield was one of 22 chances created by him this season. No other player has created more than 17.

Where Manchester United would be without him hardly bears thinking about after the lows of last season. But his robustness is another super-power. Fernandes has featured in 203 of a possible 212 Premier League games since his arrival, starting 199.

He is always there. And he almost always delivers.

Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on

Savinho's Manchester future City looked uncertain following interest from Spurs in the summer but he signed a new contract earlier this month and looks to be getting back to his best having provided assists in back-to-back games against Everton and Villarreal. Erling Haaland will aim to make the most of his service against Aston Villa.