Young Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray has delivered a frank assessment of his team's recent Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, labelling the 5-3 loss as "not good enough" while identifying several positive takeaways from the European encounter.
Mixed Emotions After Paris Thriller
The 19-year-old expressed his disappointment with the result at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, where Spurs conceded five goals to the defending European champions. Despite the defeat extending Tottenham's worrying run of form - with just three wins from their last twelve matches across all competitions - Gray insisted there were more encouraging signs than in their previous 4-1 derby humiliation at Arsenal.
"It's disappointing to lose games of football and we're not happy after that one," Gray stated. "But we've got more positives to take from this game than the last game. We scored three goals so that was obviously pretty positive. It was always going to be a tough game, we were playing probably the best team in Europe."
Fighting Spirit Amid Defensive Frailties
The match represented a curious case study for analysis, with Spurs showing genuine attacking threat while simultaneously demonstrating concerning defensive vulnerabilities. Richarlison netted his sixth goal of the season, while Randal Kolo Muani - on loan from PSG - scored twice, marking his first goals in Tottenham colours.
Manager Thomas Frank implemented a man-for-man system in midfield, which produced moments of fight and aggression from the North London side. However, sloppy defending proved costly, particularly during the rapid concession of goals that turned a 2-1 lead in the 50th minute into a 4-2 deficit by the 65th minute.
Gray acknowledged the whirlwind period where "Spurs heads were scrambled," noting the lack of conviction during PSG's devastating attacking spell.
Praise for Unwavering Support and Coaching Staff
The England youth international reserved special praise for the travelling Tottenham supporters, who he described as "unbelievable" throughout the challenging evening in Paris. "They have stuck with us through a lot of hard times," Gray said gratefully. "We can't thank them enough for the support they give us, especially after a few tough games."
Gray also highlighted the positive impact of the coaching staff, who have provided individual development plans to help players improve. Reflecting on last season's challenges, where he was frequently deployed in unfamiliar positions including centre-back by former manager Ange Postecoglou, Gray acknowledged the difficulties while expressing gratitude for the learning experience.
"Last season was a tough season," he recalled. "It ended really well with the Europa League victory but there were a lot of tough moments, especially for me playing centre-back and all these different positions. The coaching staff this year have been really helpful with individual plans and stuff like that."
Looking Ahead to Fulham Challenge
With attention now turning to Saturday's Premier League encounter against Fulham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gray believes the PSG performance provides a foundation to build upon. Spurs' home form remains a significant concern, with just one league victory at their stadium this season and only three wins in their last twenty home league matches.
Gray recognised the supporters' desire for entertaining football while acknowledging the need for tactical flexibility against elite opposition like PSG. "Every club wants to play entertaining football," he noted, "and sometimes when you play teams like PSG you have to alter that a little bit. They have that individual quality where they can take you apart in literally one moment."
Despite the recent setbacks, the young midfielder remains optimistic about Tottenham's ability to bounce back, emphasising that the team will "look to improve" as they seek to reverse their fortunes starting with this weekend's crucial London derby.
