Three things we learned from Tottenham draw with Newcastle as Thomas Frank has a new favourite | OneFootball

Spurs signed off in South Korea with one solution but two new questions

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Tottenham ended their pre-season tour of Asia with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle.

Tottenham remain unbeaten under Frank and head to Germany to take on Bayern Munich in their final game of pre-season.

Here are three things Standard Sport learned from Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle.

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Son received a hero's farewell, embraced by team-mates and opposition players alike, in the second half.

It was an emotional goodbye, befitting of the 33-year-old's decade-long stay at Tottenham.

The South Korean's imminent departure has, however, opened up a wider debate about how Tottenham will replace his impact.

Johnson, the hero of Bilbao, showed glimpses in his debut season without ever truly convincing in front of goal.

The Welshman on Sunday netted the opening goal against Newcastle, courtesy of a heavy deflection, but he toiled as the game wore on and was replaced in the second half.

New signing Mohammed Kudus looks like a smart piece of business, and his flair and directness will add a different dimension to Tottenham's attack.

Like Johnson, though, he has proven to be a streaky player, and the main task on Frank's hands will be building consistency.

Tottenham have plenty of attacking talent, but turning them into an efficient unit could prove difficult.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will be Tottenham's first-choice central defensive partnership heading into the new season.

Kevin Danso, however, has proven himself to be more than an able deputy.

The Austrian, as he showed when winning back possession for Tottenham's opening goal, provides a level of aggression that Frank likes from his central defenders.

The 26-year-old won't usurp either Romero or Van de Ven, should they stay fit. But given the pair's injury issues last term, having Danso around the squad will prove useful for Frank.

Tottenham were made to use midfielder Archie Gray at centre-back last season, owing to the team's injury crisis. So, Frank will be glad to have a natural deputy in Danso.

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Maddison injury is a hammer blow

James Maddison’s injury has left a creative void in midfield that Tottenham desperately need to fill.

In a game where Tottenham struggled for supremacy in the centre of the park, there was little chance for others to stand out from the pack.

Second-half substitute Lucas Bergvall showed a little bit of ingenuity with a run and shot from close range that was easily held by Nick Pope, but has struggled during these summer friendlies.

The futures of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are also no closer to being resolved, with the pair having entered the final year of their contracts.

It seems that Bentancur will stay, while Bissouma could leave the club this summer, but realistically, neither player provides the answer to Tottenham's midfield problem.

Bergvall, Gray and Pape Matar Sarr are all promising young players who could form the basis of Tottenham’s midfield for years to come.

It is, however, too soon to hold them up as the answer to the most glaring of Tottenham’s issues under Frank, who had hoped to solve the issue with the failed pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White.