Tottenham confirm appointment of Thomas Frank as new manager
Tottenham
have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new manager. The 51-year-old Dane joins from Brentford on a contract that runs until 2028 and succeeds Ange Postecoglou, who delivered Europa League glory to end Spurs' 17-year trophy drought but was sacked because of dismal results in the Premier League.
Spurs moved to line up Frank before dismissing Postecoglou last Friday, holding talks via intermediaries and plainly keen to avoid a protracted search for the person to lead them forward after a season in which they finished 17th with 38 points. Only once in club history have they had a worse league record – in 1914-15.
When Frank, who has impressed with his work in charge at Brentford during a near seven-year period, gave the green light, Spurs knew he was within their grasp because of a £10m release clause in his contract. They have spent the past few days negotiating the finer details, plus the transfer of some of Frank's coaches from Brentford.
The writing had been on the wall for Postecoglou, with the expectation being he would depart even if he led Spurs past Manchester United in the Europa League final on 21 May. The club said they could not 'base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph' when they announced Postecoglou's departure.
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The move for Frank has been pushed by Spurs' technical director, Johan Lange, a Dane who has a long-standing relationship with his compatriot. Lange gave Frank his first full-time position in the game as a youth coach at B93 in 2004, although they did not spend much time together at the club as Lange soon left.
The pair were reunited not long after at Lyngby where Frank would come to the attention of the Danish Football Association, who hired him as the coach of their under-16s, under-17s and later the under-19s. From there Frank got his break in senior management at Brondby in 2013, taking charge of them for almost three seasons before going to Brentford, where he worked initially as the assistant to Dean Smith. He succeeded him as the manager in October 2018.
Spurs have been impressed by more than the headline items of Frank's Brentford tenure – the promotion from the Championship via the playoffs in 2021, how he has established them in the Premier League, finishing 13th, ninth, 16th and 10th. Frank consistently overachieved in relation to his financial means at Brentford; they have one of the smallest budgets in the division. An excellent communicator and noted developer of young talent, he has also shown himself to be tactically flexible.
Frank prioritised possession-based attacking football in the Championship but adapted in the Premier League, becoming more solid and direct while retaining a powerful threat on set pieces and long throws. That said, Brentford could still build through the thirds and they were the joint-fifth highest scorers in the league during this past season. Frank's preference is for a back three and wing backs, which could suit Spurs's current full-backs Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence.
Frank has yet to win silverware or manage in European competition beyond Europa League qualifying stages; Spurs are back in the Champions League after the Europa League triumph. But he is not short of high-profile backers. Pep Guardiola predicted last September that Frank would one day join an elite-level club. 'It is just a question of time,' said Manchester City's manager. 'I'm good in a few things, one of which is reading when the manager is good. It is going to happen. Thomas is one of the best. What his team does always makes sense. Every corner is a headache. They are compact. This season they have a high press.'
Jürgen Klopp described Frank as 'a cool guy' who he respected a lot in November 2023. 'He plays against possession teams one way and plays against other teams when all of a sudden they are a possession team themselves,' the then Liverpool manager said. 'It's really interesting.' – Guardian
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Irish Daily Mirror
40 minutes ago
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Caoimhin Kelleher's 25-word remark that highlights why Frank exit is bad news
You just need to look at the first few paragraphs of Caoimhin Kelleher's maiden interview with the Brentford website to see how big a role Thomas Frank played in the Corkman's decision to join. Kelleher was in no hurry to decide on his future. What was clear from a long way off was that he would end his 10-year spell at Liverpool this summer. But with so many clubs linked with the 26-year-old, he could have taken his time and made his mind up closer to the start of pre-season. Kelleher's performances across his 20 appearances last season only served to embellish a reputation that had already earned him plenty of admirers and plaudits, and the unwanted tag as the 'best number two' around. We will never know whether interest from clubs such as Chelsea, Newcastle and Aston Villa would have led to concrete moves. But as Nottingham Forest's multiple bids last summer for the Boys in Green star show, the summer transfer market can spring plenty of surprises - and the clamour for Kelleher would only have grown the longer the wait for a decision. But when he spoke for the first time about the move, he revealed how his meeting with Frank and the Brentford coaching staff turned his head. And one comment in particular points to why the sudden upheaval is an unwanted headache for the 23-time capped star. 'It was interesting to see their point of view on why they wanted to sign me and how they think they can develop my game," said Kelleher, speaking to the club's official website. He added: 'I came down to meet the manager and some of the coaches. They spoke to me about why they wanted me to be here and showed me around the training ground... It was impressive and I think the club's a really good fit for me. 'I like the way the manager and the coaching staff go about their ways. It seems like a really close, tight knit, family club. They've got a really good track record of improving and developing players which is really what's drawn me to the club.' Kelleher won't get the chance to work with Frank. Just days after he signed his contract, speculation flooded the media that the highly-regarded coach was on his way to Tottenham. This week, the Dane made the switch. Kelleher's head must be spinning with the news - but this blow can be softened on the double. First, the news that Keith Andrews has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to take over from Frank. Andrews was brought into the club by Frank last summer as the set-piece coach. Andrews had no playing history at the club, but his reputation as a coach - he worked with MK Dons, Sheffield United and, under Stephen Kenny, Ireland - had director of football Phil Giles pursuing him for a while before his arrival. 'He is someone we have known for a while and always had in mind for a role at some point in the future,' said Giles on Andrews' appointment. Although yet to hold down a number one job, Andrews has done enough over the past year to put himself in the frame to replace Frank - and at least that would give Kelleher the opportunity to work with a familiar face. Secondly, Brentford can do everything in their power to stop their former boss from returning to his old club on a recruitment drive. Nathan Collins is one name that has already been linked with a reunion with Frank, but Kelleher, Ireland and Brentford can all benefit from the Leixlip native staying put. It would be a huge boost to Heimir Hallgrímsson if Kelleher and Collins built on their growing international relationship on a daily basis at club level. The news of Frank's departure has no doubt tempered some of Kelleher's excitement about his big move. However, his new club can pursue an aggressive course of damage control by taking some firm steps over the coming weeks.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Keith Andrews remains at Brentford as Thomas Frank bids emotional goodbye
FORMER REPUBLIC OF Ireland international Keith Andrews is not among the Brentford backroom staff joining Thomas Frank at Tottenham, and is thus expected to start pre-season with the club as they seek to appoint a successor to their long-serving Danish boss. Andrews, who served as Ireland assistant boss during Stephen Kenny's four-year tenure, joined Brentford as set piece coach at the start of last season, having been on the staff at Sheffield United. But while Frank has brought assistant Justin Cochrane, head of performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him to Spurs, Andrews remains at Brentford. Reports suggest Brentford had hoped to appoint Cochrane as Frank's successor. Andrews is presently the bookmakers' favourite to take the job but the fact Andrews has yet to work as a manger may work against him, with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna heavily linked with the post. Brentford declined to comment on whether Andrews is under consideration for the job. Advertisement Frank meanwhile insists Brentford will always have 'a big piece of my heart.' Frank won 136 of his 317 matches across a seven-year spell, with the Danish coach able to lead the club into the Premier League for the first time in 2021 via Championship play-off success at Wembley. In an emotional message posted on Brentford's official club website on Friday, Frank said: 'The time has come for me to move on. But, even as I leave, I know I have left a big piece of my heart at Brentford, not just at the football club but with the community and, of course, the incredible and loyal supporters. 'I want to extend my profound gratitude to the club for giving me the chance to pursue my dreams and for everyone involved who made the journey such a memorable one. 'For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it's an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life. So, thank you. 'Whatever we have achieved, we have achieved together, and our success is built on unity, spirit, courage and ambition at every level of the club and amongst the fans. 'Everybody has contributed, and every contribution has been invaluable. I am not just leaving a football club, I am saying goodbye to friends whose support through good and bad times I will carry with me always. 'I would like to say a special word of thanks to Matthew Benham. His trust and friendship have meant so much and the fact he gave me a chance in English football means I will always owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you, Matt. 'So, while this is a goodbye, I hope the relationships I have built with everybody will be lasting ones and, of course, we will meet again in the wonderful world of football.' Additional reporting by PA
Irish Times
an hour ago
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Thomas Frank is just what Tottenham need but will he be given time to prove it?
Brøndby appointed Thomas Frank as manager in June 2013 and did not win any of their first eight games of the 2013-14 season. Brentford appointed Frank as manager in October 2018 and lost eight of their following 10 games. So nobody should panic if Frank begins slowly at Tottenham . In reality, though, the first couple of months will be a major challenge for the Dane. These are not easy circumstances for anybody to take the Spurs job. Usually a manager takes over after a run of poor form, with fans and players ready for a change and a regression to the mean in the offing. Spurs have been on a run of poor form: one win in 12 league games over the final three months of the season, but in that time they also won the Europa League, which means everything is seen in a different light. Fans may have grumbled, they may have stopped singing Angels, and there was the contretemps at Stamford Bridge, but many of the doubts about Ange Postecoglou were forgotten amid the ecstasy of Bilbao. To judge by the victory parade after the Europa League final and the outpourings of love on social media, the players remained supportive of the previous manager. Which makes this a very unusual situation: Frank inherits a side that finished fourth-bottom of the league, that is both buoyed by recent success and expectant of improvement. READ MORE That Postecoglou started his first season so well only complicated the issue: unfair and unrepresentative of the whole as it may be, it's easy to imagine the comparisons to his first 10 league games, which yielded 26 points. There are other doubts. After working in the youth ranks in Denmark, Frank has only ever managed Brøndby and Brentford. In terms of scrutiny and expectation, Tottenham is a whole new level. It's one thing to be affable at the club with the second-lowest wage bill in the Premier League, quite another at a club like Spurs with a vast global fanbase. Already there has been some online scepticism about the wisdom of a club of their size and self-perception appointing from humble Brentford. Tottenham sacked Ange Postecoglou despite him delivering the Europa League for them. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA While the examples of José Mourinho and Antonio Conte show the dangers of turning to a manager who believes the club should be grateful to have them, latent doubts about the scale of the step-up could exacerbate the backlash if early results or performances are poor – as Tottenham experienced during Nuno Espírito Santo's inglorious 17-game reign. And then there's the Champions League: after the Europa League win, there should be few fears about playing in Europe, and Spurs should at the very least qualify for the playoff round, but constant high-level games are a drain on both physical and emotional energy. Frank has limited experience of balancing the domestic league and Europe, the furthest he ever took Brøndby being the fourth qualifying round of the Europa League. His European record is notably poor: played 10, won three, and two of those were against Juvenes/Dogana of San Marino. His record in domestic cups, similarly, is dismal; his past history makes it unlikely a poor league season could be redeemed by other silverware – although the depth of the Spurs squad perhaps means the cups will not be such a low priority. There is one further doubt, which is more to do with Spurs than with Frank. He is leaving an exceptionally well-run club, at which every component worked together to a coherent philosophy. There can be no certainty that any one cog from that system, however important, can achieve success in a different environment, something Chelsea have found as they accumulate more and more parts from Brighton without ever looking like replicating the efficiency of the Brighton model. It may be that such efficiency is not even possible at bigger clubs. Thomas Frank with Yoane Wissa: Brentford are an extremely well-run club - Frank will have to adjust to life at Tottenham. Photograph: John Walton/PA But there are risks in any appointment, just as there are in any transfer. There can be no guarantees that what worked in one set of circumstances will work in another. Football is complicated, and Frank has not just thrived at Brentford – taking the club with the 19th-highest wage bill to 10th in the table is a remarkable achievement – but has given every indication that he is flexible enough to adapt to a new environment. Brentford were promoted as a progressive side with 55% possession in 2020-21, stayed up in their first three Premier League seasons playing in a relatively low block with 44% or 45% possession and then, in the season just ended, began pressing higher and playing more in transition, their possession rising to 48%. That's three clear and distinct ways of playing, even before you get to the frequent tweaks of formation. Not for Frank stubbornly sticking to a philosophy – only to then abandon it when the injuries became too much, leading paradoxically to glory – which is a large part of his appeal. Frank is 51, but he is a manager on the way up. He has Premier League experience. He is the sort of profile of manager Tottenham should be looking to appoint. His track record is very good. It should work. But nothing in football is ever certain and there is a danger a poor start, combined with a confusion about realistic aspirations, could undermine his reign before it begins. — Guardian
