One of the most respected managers in English football since he led lowly Brentford to the Premier League, Thomas Frank has built up a reputation as a hard-pressing, aggressively tactical coach who knows how to get his players to run hard ninety minutes of every game.
His consolidation of Brentford’s position in the top flight of English football, plus his no-nonsense, affable personality, has won him the respect of his peers across the game and made him one of the most popular coaches out there.
Some were slightly taken aback by his decision to join Tottenham as head coach for next season, replacing the outgoing Ange Postecoglou, and the choice does seem strange on some levels.
However, the enticement of a huge club, a large salary, and Champions League football seems to have proved too much to resist. But is the Dane making a mistake?
Let’s have a look.
Is This A Bad Move For Frank?
Thomas Frank is used to managing a small, dedicated squad who are willing to run ninety-plus minutes for his team. He has no big egos to massage, and Brentford’s policy of ‘moneyball’ style transfers has reaped dividends for the club – case in point is Bryan Mbeumo’s £65 million move to Manchester United, Brentford originally paid circa.
£5 million for him. You can see the liveliness and versatility week in and week out for the west London club, and it’s uncertain he’ll find the same spirit in the Spurs dressing room.
Frank has also been a fan favourite, happy to interact with his supporters and the club’s fans.
As fans await the new Premier League season, they are finding new ways to interact with the game.
This includes watching shows and listening to podcasts, and visiting entertainment sites like online casinos, where plenty of sports-based games like Ronaldinho Scores Shoot and Win can be found alongside other popular titles like the Rainbow Riches slot.
This fan engagement showcases fans’ passion for the game, and helps to develop sports live-streaming services and more sports-themed entertainment to meet the demand.
While Brentford’s tactics remain fluid, Postecoglou stubbornly resorted to his plan A, even when faced with increasingly disastrous results, which left Tottenham 17th in the Premier League table at the end of last season. Frank, however, is a very pragmatic manager, willing to shake things up to get results.
But will the Tottenham players respond to this, and will they be willing to come out swinging each week for their new boss?
The Spurs Pressure Cooker
Another major factor in the appointment of any Tottenham manager is the time.
Some saw Postecoglou’s two-year tenure as generous considering Daniel Levy’s rotating door of coaches, and many pundits are wondering if Frank will get the time he needs to impose his vision on the club.
Frank is renowned for his player growth — just look at Ivan Toney, Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa, and his signings of Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel bode well for his attacking vision.
But Spurs quickly dismissed Postecoglou – even after winning the Europa League – highlighting the club’s swift demands for results.
Frank will need to deliver rapidly, and at a level of the game he’s never experienced.
Though successful domestically, Frank has not managed in the heightened scrutiny of European knockout or Champions League competition.
Ultimately, there is no answer to this question.
It’s a great move for Thomas Frank to take on the job of managing the mighty Tottenham, in terms of his salary, and the chance to pit himself against the greatest clubs in the world.
But will time be on his side? We’ll have to wait to find out.
