The progress and pitfalls of Tottenham’s tactics: Why Thomas Frank’s safety-first approach is testing fans’ patience, the key issue hurting Spurs’ attack – and the changes that worked against Man United

It presumably wasn’t lost on any of the locals that Tottenham highlighted their greatest shortcoming by rolling out Glenn Hoddle for an interview at half-time of the 2-2 draw with Manchester United. What they would give for a fraction of his creativity among the current crop.

There ought to be a limit to the criticism that follows such a result against an in-form side and especially any wider inquisitions when the league table, in isolation, makes for vastly improved reading on last season.