Tottenham Hotspur appoint Brentford’s Thomas Frank as manager

LONDON – In hiring Thomas Frank as their new manager, Tottenham Hotspur said they are appointing “one of the most progressive and innovative coaches within the game”, with a proven track record in player and squad development.

The 51-year-old Dane’s appointment was confirmed on June 12, with the former Brentford boss penning a three-year contract to replace

the sacked Ange Postecoglou

after Spurs triggered his release clause of about £10 million (S$17.4 million).

Frank, who is Spurs’ fifth full-time manager in six years, had established Brentford in the top flight after becoming their manager in 2018.

A keen user of player data, he and his backroom staff have proved especially adept at unearthing gems and reaping huge profits by selling players such as forwards Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Said Benrahma, plus goalkeeper David Raya.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby, who watches Brentford regularly in his role as a Premier League analyst in Denmark, told the BBC that his compatriot had earned this move, having gained a reputation for being a “problem solver”.

He added: “There have been a couple of seasons when people have thought Brentford would struggle that year, but they didn’t. He kept finding new solutions.

“Who would have thought after losing Ivan Toney he would be able to produce a pair like he has done this season, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa?”

Mbeumo (20 goals, eight assists) and Wissa (19 goals, five assists) made sure that Toney’s departure for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli was not felt last season, and both could well be Tottenham targets.

Brentford assistant first-team coach Justin Cochrane, head of athletic performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton have already followed Frank in joining Spurs, along with coach Andreas Georgson from Manchester United.

At Brentford, Frank created a high-scoring side who have punched above their weight since reaching the Premier League in 2021 via the play-offs.

Under Frank, Brentford’s four Premier League campaigns yielded finishes of 13th, 9th, 16th and 10th. This past season, just four teams outscored their 66-goal tally.

Frank’s reputation for detailed preparation was evident when Brentford scored inside 40 seconds in three straight league games last season.

Brentford director of football Phil Giles said: “From the moment he replaced Dean Smith (in 2018), he understood what we were trying to build and his wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.

“We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential.”

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace Frank at Brentford as the Dane faces a completely different challenge at Tottenham.

A fast start to his reign will be important to win over fans who felt Postecoglou, who paid the price for a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, should have been given another season at the helm after winning the Europa League to end a 17-year trophy drought.

That earned Spurs a place in the 2025-26 Champions League, a new competition for Frank, whose managerial experience in Europe does not go beyond Europa League qualifying stages.

The Athletic’s Tottenham reporter Jay Harris said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Thomas has said before he has this 24-hour rule where he gives himself and the players 24 hours to process a result – I don’t know if he’ll have the time to do that when Spurs are playing in the Champions League.”

Former England striker Chris Sutton also feels that playing in Europe’s elite club competition might be too draining for the current Spurs squad.

“We’ve seen how the demands of Champions League football has affected the league form of teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa in the past couple of years,” Sutton told the BBC.

“Especially now there are so many group games. That is a big ask for this squad, to compete on both fronts.” REUTERS