Amorim blushes spared by De Ligt as Frank outclasses Man Utd boss from the touchline | OneFootball

Thomas Frank and Ruben Amorim took it in turns to make bad decisions in their bid to lose a game which neither Tottenham nor Manchester United therefore deserved to win.

There was a predictable spattering of boos at half-time from the Tottenham fans, who had watched another insipid attacking performance from their team on a home patch which has reaped the scant reward of 13 points from their previous 19 Premier League games.

While Joao Palhinha and Pape Matar Sarr offered the very same inability to progress the ball from the base of midfield, Xavi Simons was frequently spotted looking up and seeing no-one to either bounce the ball off or find running in behind thanks to the almost comically inert and toothless trio of Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani playing ahead of him.

The surprise in Spurs’ one decent chance wasn’t Richarlison entirely missing his header but Johnson creating that opportunity with a very fine cross, such was their shocking end product or even ability to get into a position where end products matter besides.

Micky van de Ven produced a sublime tackle to deny Benjamin Sesko late in the game which ended up being worthy of the Man of the Match award as Ally McCoist scratched his head in search of alternatives, but the centre-back didn’t cover himself in glory in the first half.

Understandably buoyed by his extraordinary solo goal against Copenhagen, he ignored the first inevitable and thoroughly enjoyable roar from the Tottenham fans when he jinked past a Manchester United forward with the ball at his feet from the back, but failed at the second time of asking, imagining the goal celebration when a full 70 yards from goal before being tackled after about ten of those yards as the ball got away from him.

And while Sarr is undeniably the chief culprit when laying blame for the Manchester United opener, a less panicked centre-back would have taken a touch and cleared, while one with Van de Ven’s very particular set of skills could have dribbled his way out of trouble, with Bruno Fernandes admittedly close but also the only Manchester United player in his vicinity.

There are also few more gear-grinding sights than the public dressing down of one player by another in a blatant bid to make sure everyone in the stadium knows who’s at fault. Sarr knows he’s made a mistake, the fans know he’s made a mistake. The only purpose the on-pitch scolding serves is to make Van de Ven look like a self-serving so-and-so.

The quality of Spurs’ forwards was in stark contrast to Manchester United’s for the vast majority of this game. Amad Diallo’s delivery for Mbeumo was excellent, and while the Cameroon international scoring a header with his feet firmly rooted on the ground isn’t a great sign of Spurs’ defensive order, it was very well directed by a player who was a constant threat both with and without the ball.

United looked to be cruising, albeit not entirely convincingly, towards a relatively comfortable victory until the managers rang the changes in the second half.

The most ardent boos of the day came when Xavi Simons was taken off once again. But Frank may well be afforded more leeway with regard to his hooking in future as his replacement Mathys Tel scored the equaliser with a deflected shot past Senne Lammens after a quite brilliant first touch following a cross from fellow sub Destiny Udogie, who – like yet another sub, Wilson Odobert – did this alien thing of taking on and beating defenders before delivering the ball.

Frank also deserves credit for leaving Richarlison on the pitch. Few would have complained at him not coming out for the second half, let alone still being around to expertly flick Odobert’s shot past Lammens with his head.

But as much blame should be laid at Amorim’s door as praise bestowed upon Frank after the Manchester United boss contrived to put his team in a position where the towering Matthijs de Ligt header deep into stoppage time was required for them to claim a point when they looked destined for three for so long.

Mason Mount’s touch and blind pass for Sesko before that Van de Ven tackle was stunning, and their introduction from the bench made a positive difference, but why oh why is Amorim obsessed with changing his centre-backs? Harry Maguire had been faultless and while Leny Yoro didn’t do anything wrong per se, it just creates a needless disruption when things are going smoothly.

And frankly we can’t imagine just how entirely knackered, injured or concussed Casemiro would have to be to make it a good idea to bring him off for Manuel Ugarte. Tottenham had no joy in front of the United defence before that change was made in the 72nd minute, and Odobert was found in that space for both goals.

Amorim got his starting XI right, Frank got it wrong, but the Tottenham manager outclassed his Manchester United counterpart from the touchline. They each did their level best to lose this game through their decisions, but instead head into the international break with a point that is serviceable if uninspiring, which also neatly serves as a perfect description of both of these teams right now.