Thomas Frank Has Risked His Reputation On Tottenham Hotspur Move

Tottenham Hotspur has a new manager. Less than a month after Ange Postecoglou led the North London club to Europa League glory in Bilbao, Thomas Frank is now in place as the Australian’s replacement. Lured from Brentford, the Danish coach will be expected to build on the foundations left behind by his predecessor.

Frank has risked his reputation on the move to North London. The 51-year-old is widely considered one of the most astute tacticians in the Premier League and has been the figurehead of one of the smartest, shrewdest clubs anywhere in European soccer for the last seven years. Spurs, however, does not have the same reputation.

Instead, Tottenham has a reputation for being a messy club with a scattergun approach to building its squad. Frank joins Spurs at a pivotal moment in its recent history. The North London outfit will be in the Champions League next season, but lack a team capable of competing at such a high level. It will be on Frank and his coaching staff to change this.

Tactically, Frank will likely ask his Tottenham team to play in quick transition and on the break. Spurs have some players who will be comfortable with this approach. Other players, however, might struggle to play at such speed, particularly in central midfield where Tottenham requires reinforcements before the start of next season.

Last season was a difficult one to decipher. While Spurs ended its long 17-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League, it also finished 17th in the Premier League table. The only way is up because if Tottenham is to sink any lower domestically, it will suffer relegation to the Championship next season.

Spurs expects to be somewhere in and around the top six next season and this is where Frank might have bitten off more than he can chew. Tottenham needs greater attacking talent in particular to compete with the best teams in the Premier League with the Dane also charged with steadying the team in a defensive sense.

There’s a lot to suggest Frank will be successful at Tottenham Hotspur. He has proved his ability at the top level of the Premier League and is someone who knows how to maximise talent. The Danish coach’s tactical approach might also be a good fit for Spurs. And yet the recent history of Spurs shows that nothing is ever guaranteed, certainly not success.