The bitter defeat in the European Super Cup against Paris St-Germain became a valuable lesson for new coach Thomas Frank in the early days of leading Tottenham.
The UEFA Europa League championship in May - the first title in 17 years - was once expected to open a new era, eliminating the xuongtering nickname " Spursy" associated with a series of years of decline when it was very close to glory.
However, in a way, this match evokes difficult days. Tottenham led 2-0 with only 5 minutes left thanks to goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
However, the players who came on as substitutes, Lee Kang-In and Gonçalo Ramos, scored in turn to help PSG equalize. In particular, Ramos' goal in the fourth minute of injury time forced Spurs into a penalty shootout.
Even after leading 2-0 in the 11m penalty shootout, Tottenham still let the victory slip away. Van de Ven and Mathys Tel both missed shots from the 11m mark, giving Nuno Mendes the opportunity to successfully execute the decisive penalty kick, sealing a 4-3 victory for PSG.
The fragile gap between victory and failure has never been clearer for Tottenham. After breaking the psychological barrier that had existed for nearly two decades in Ange Postecoglou's final match, Thomas Frank clearly understood the need to be vigilant against all scenarios.
Known as a "half-f-full" coach, Frank still has enough basis to maintain optimism, even after a disappointing end in his official debut match.
2 goals from set pieces, with new captain Cristian Romero contributing, showed a clear tactical mark.
In about 70 minutes under the heat, Spurs played a strong approach, defending tightly and being unlikely to penetrate - completely different from the openness under Postecoglou. Balance in playing style has returned, reflecting exactly what Thomas Frank built in the pre-season.
£55 million signing Mohammed Kudus left a strong impression when paired with Richarlison in a 5-3-2 formation, while Joao Palhinha added strength to the midfield.
Thomas Frank also admitted about the tactical change: "I know I need to do something different against PSG, so let's consider this a special campaign.
In terms of medicine, the surgery was successful but the patient died. The final result was not positive, but we are very close to success".
The collective spirit was emphasized by the Danish strategist at the beginning of the season and demonstrated through small details, such as the whole team leaving the field together at break time.
Another different factor is that the "Roosters" pay more attention to the dead ball, under the leadership of expert Andreas Georgson - who worked at Brentford, Arsenal and Manchester United.
In fact, Spurs lost the advantage mainly due to losing momentum, causing new playing principles to break as the Champions League champions gradually regained their rhythm. PSG had only gathered a week before, after participating in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final in the US, so it is understandable that they have had a shaky start.
However, while Spurs' substitutions have not made much difference, Fabian Ruiz, Lee Kang-In and Gonçalo Ramos have all had a clear impact, helping PSG come back.
One of the clear conclusions after this defeat is that Thomas Frank needs more support from the transfer market to perfect his idea.
Spurs could not hide their disappointment, especially the loss of Morgan Gibbs-White after he decided to extend his contract with Nottingham Forest.
James Maddison's serious knee injury and the absence of Dejan Kulusevski further exposed his biggest weakness: lack of creativity. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) and Savinho (Manchester City) have been identified as potential targets for Tottenham.
Regardless of the transfer window, Frank still has hope for the standards that the team showed in the first 70 minutes.
"Hopefully, the intensity and determination in putting pressure from the start of the match, the foundation and the spirit of running at full speed, that will be the foundation for every match" - the Danish captain affirmed.
