Tottenham Hotspur received a heavy 4-0 beating in a pre-season clash with German champions Bayern Munich. It was a rude awakening after some promising results.
Spurs got a harsh reality check as former talisman Harry Kane haunted his old club with a goal and a top showing.
Besides preparing the players for the season, these games provide an opportunity for the new players to acclimate to team tactics and their teammates.
However, new Tottenham signing Joao Palhinha did not enjoy the best debut against his former team.
The Portugal international gave away a penalty in the 15th minute, just moments after Kane’s exquisite opener, as Spurs crumbled under Bayern pressure.
Palhinha brought down Josip Stanisic with one of his trademark sliding tackles.
Kane missed the penalty, but Bayern never removed their feet from Tottenham’s necks. They dismantled Spurs in the second 45.
Palhinha failed to stem the tide and was guilty of throwing a few long passes away when he should have been recycling the ball short to control the game.
Football London gave Palhinha a 4/10 rating on his Tottenham debut.
”Probably not the best game to judge him on after so little game time over recent months, and he sometimes looked off the pace,” they wrote.
Tottenham fans must be patient with Palhinha
Tottenham fans were excited when Palhinha arrived to plug the gaping hole in midfield and solidify the engine room.
However, we must give him time to learn Thomas Frank’s system and get some game time in his legs.
Palhinha played only 986 minutes last season with Bayern, equivalent to around 11 90-minute games. He needs time to find his groove.
Fans will hope he can get into his stride before Tottenham lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday (UEFA Super Cup) and Burnley days later in the Premier League opener.
The Tottenham hierarchy knew Palhinha’s deficiency on the ball before they took the punt on him.
Frank must find a way to mitigate that issue while using him to protect the defence.
Stats from Transfermarkt