Thomas Frank has been appointed as Ange Postecoglou’s successor and the man to turn Spurs’ sinking ship around.
Postecoglou became the first manager to win the club a trophy since 2008. However, finishing 17th in the Premier League proved to be a pill chairman Daniel Levy could not swallow as he wishes to “compete on all fronts”.
Frank overachieved massively at former club Brentford, leading them to two top half finishes in the league over the last three years, and multiple victories over top 6 teams, despite their inferior financial circumstances.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Dane has maximised what he’s had to work with, improving the team year after year, even after the sale of key players such as Ivan Toney and Christian Eriksen.
But how does Frank get the best out of his players?
His engaging personality is contagious. He makes everyone feel cared for. Watch any interview with him and you won’t be able to resist watching another.
Many of the players who have played under him have spoken about the strength of the relationships between him and his players. It is about empowering, not instructing.
Embed from Getty Images“The chef needs to be able to cook the food himself” is what he said when asked about his approach. He oversees the vision but needs many more like-minded people to deliver to the level of detail he would like.
On the pitch Frank’s football is everything Postecoglou’s was not. He hides players’ weaknesses and platforms their strengths. His teams are hard to beat, versatile and organised to adapt to their opposition and different game states.
Getting the most out of each player is one of his key skills which will see multiple Spurs players reach new levels. Frank will be excited at the chance to work with some of the talent Spurs have in their underperforming squad.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow will Frank set Tottenham up?
As previously mentioned Frank will tweak formations and tactics depending on who the opposition are, but for the most part we can expect an offensive but structured 4-3-3 approach.
Heavy reliance will be placed on the wingers who will act as inside forwards to provide goals with the striker being more of a facilitator, making space for the inside forwards.
It comes as no surprise that Spurs pulled the trigger on a bargain deal for Mathys Tel as he slots into an inside forward role seamlessly.
Embed from Getty ImagesFrank loves a creator in midfield to set the tempo and be the beating heart of his team. Initially former Spurs man Christian Eriksen did this job for him, then Mikkel Damsgaard, and now he has James Maddison at his disposal.
Frank tends to opt for physical midfield options to protect the defense and break up play. Spurs come up short in this area and finding someone to fill the position will be high up on Frank’s shortlist.
Defensively Frank’s teams are compact and physical. However, he also likes to build up from the back and encourage at least one full back to join attacks.
Rico Henry was phenomenal at bombing up the pitch for him at Brentford, before he converted a traditional winger in Keane Lewis-Potter into a flying wing back.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Destiny Udogie being the athlete he is, and Pedro Porro’s creativity within his hands, Frank will likely make the most out of their attacking capabilities from deep.
In certain game states and against some opposition we will likely see a back five deployed. Yet this will not be a defensive formation. Compact, but not primarily defensive.
Fast counter attacks will be the aim, provided by high wing backs making the pitch large and a hold up striker who allows the inside forwards to get into key shooting positions.
There is one Thomas Frank quote that sums up his whole philosophy: ‘I want to create a beautiful game but I’m very focused on how you can create a fantastic culture, a fantastic environment.’
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Max Pollen
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