Tottenham are yet again on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou and there is a clear favourite for the job: Thomas Frank.
Winning the Europa League and ending Spurs’ 17-year wait for a trophy was not enough to save Postecoglou, with Daniel Levy unable to overlook the club’s horrific Premier League season.
After finishing 17th in the table, losing a record 22 games and with the return of Champions League football on the cards, whoever takes over in the dugout will have an almighty task on their hands.
Brentford boss Frank has emerged as the leading contender following his impressive work in west London and reports say the Bees are expecting an approach from Tottenham very soon.
But is the Dane the right fit for Spurs and how could the Lilywhites line-up under him?
At a glance:
Thomas Frank’s managerial career
Following a practically non-existent playing career, Thomas Frank worked as a youth coach in Denmark for 18 years, in which time he managed various youth levels of the national team.
His first venture into senior management came at Danish Superliga side Brondby before moving to Brentford in December 2016, initially as an assistant manager to Dean Smith before getting the top job two years later.
In 2021, Frank guided the Bees to victory in the Championship play-off final, returning to the club to the top-flight for the first time in 74 years, where they have remained ever since.
Under the 51-year-old, Brentford have finished no higher than ninth and no lower than 16th, impressive given their relatively tight budget, with a net spend of £161.2million over the past four years.
Thomas Frank’s tactical style and possible Tottenham line-up
Frank has made a name for himself by getting the best out of unlikely and less well-known players, turning the likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa into some of the Premier League’s best forwards.
The Dane’s attacking philosophy centres around high-pressing, direct and vertical play, creating numerical overloads which overwhelm opposition defences and proficiency from set-pieces. In theory, Tottenham should be able to adapt to easily.
Last season, Brentford were the fifth-highest goalscorers in the Premier League with 66 – two more than Spurs. It should be noted however that they conceded 57 – just eight better than Tottenham’s leaky defence.
Frank is not set on one formation, often changing between a 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 depending on players’ form and opposition.
If using the former, Tottenham under Frank would line-up pretty much the same way as they did under Postecoglou, but a back-three system might give fans PTSD from Antonio Conte’s toxic time in north London.
Which other managers are in the running?
It is far from a certainty that Frank will get the Tottenham job, with fellow London-based Premier League managers Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner also frontrunners.
Silva’s high tempo style of play is well-liked and has helped re-establish Fulham as solid top-flight team but does the Portuguese fancy his chances of managing in the Champions League again?
Glasner may use a back-three formation like Conte but his tactics are completely different and by winning the FA Cup with Crystal Palace and the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, it’s clear the Austrian can achieve with an underdog club.
Andoni Iraola is also a contender after his Bournemouth side finished ahead of Brentford, Fulham and Palace last season, while former Spurs players turned managers Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick could be options, though their Premier League credentials are lacking.
And last but certainly not least is arguably the club’s best manager of the Premier League era: Mauricio Pochettino. Still loved by many fans, he could be tempted to return but surely not until after the 2026 World Cup where he’ll be managing host nation USA.
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