Joe Cole names two transfers Chelsea must target for Enzo Maresca to close gap
Chelsea are back in the Champions League and former midfielder Joe Cole reckons a proven goalscorer is a must if Enzo Maresca's team are to close the gap further on the top three next season
Joe Cole says a summer of calm is necessary at Chelsea regardless of the outcome in Wednesday night's Conference League final against Real Betis and next month's Club World Cup.
And even though he does not agree with all elements of their divisive recruitment approach, Cole believes that another two years are required before the owners' daring strategy can be defined as a success or bust.
The former midfielder believes silverware can act as a springboard under the stewardship of Todd Boehly and Bedhad Eghbali but stresses another window of chaos could have a detrimental effect on Enzo Maresca's young charges.
'The club has had so much going on, it needs continuity,' Cole said. 'It's been a good season because there's been progress. The club needs to keep believing in the approach.
'I would do things differently, I would have had a lot more experience in the team and stuck with managers. But it is three years into a five-year project. In two years if Chelsea are sitting on the top of English football and competing for the Champions League then it's a job well done.'
Despite that Cole reckons this summer's transfer priority must be adding a proven goalscorer to lead the attack.
He thinks Chelsea are a better team when hit-and-miss centre-forward Nicolas Jackson, who missed the final two league games of the season because of suspension, is involved.
But a more prolific No9 is required for them to close the gap at the top. Ipswich's Liam Delap and Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike are being looked at.
For TNT Sports pundit Cole, however, Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Aston Villa 's Ollie Watkins would be the ideal fit despite being older than the profile of player Chelsea are keen on.
'They will stick with the model but they need to find more goals in the final third,' he added. 'If Osimhen is available, go and get him. Ollie Watkins in that Chelsea team improves them straight away.
'I'm coming from a purely footballing perspective but these guys are trying to run a successful business where you need to have assets.'
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Temba Bavuma's gutsy fightback shows South Africa's never-say-die spirit
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Thomas Frank has TEN priorities to sort at Tottenham: Big decisions to be made over six key players... and the one star he could bring Brentford
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They know what they are trying to do. At Brentford, he has deployed a back four (4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3) and a back three (3-4-3) and often flexing from a back four into a back three when in possession, releasing one full back more readily than the other with an aim to disrupt and overload opponents. This was effective with Keane Lewis-Potter and Kristoffer Ajer as his full backs and it is easy to envisage with Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven in similar roles. Van de Ven has all the attributes to play the Ajer role on the left of a back four but as one of Tottenham's bigger stars, will it be easy to dislodge him from the centre of defence? Probably not. Postecoglou's high defensive line is not likely to survive a summer of change. Nor the inverted full backs. Up front, Frank likes pace to enable a quick counterattack and will find plenty of that at his disposal from speed merchants like Heung-min Son, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson. 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They must be careful not to simply become a club who buy promising talent to train on and sell for profit. They are very low on experience and leadership, and this will become more important if they are competing for big prizes. Another factor is always the conflicting interests. Levy likes to be central to the process, and the influence of former managing director Fabio Paratici, nearing the end of a FIFA ban, remains strong. Both have preferred agents and trade in favours. It is drastically different to Brentford's holistic culture and mastering this minefield has proved impossible for several of Frank's predecessors. Prepare for the Champions League… One glaring omission on the Frank resume is a lack of competitive experience in Europe. He took Brondby into the Europa League, although with little success. The first campaign ended at the first hurdle, beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Bruges. The second made it through three qualifying rounds before a 6-1 aggregate defeat against PAOK in the play-off tie. Combining the demands of the Premier League, two domestic knockout cups and the expectations to deliver an adventurous style of football while playing European football is arguably the toughest challenge. Postecoglou could not solve the puzzle with a squad lacking depth and there is a chance they will lose vital international experience if Romero and/or Son leave. The Champions League is a tougher challenge than the Europa League, with stronger opponents, greater emotional strain and fewer opportunities to rest, rotate and blood youngsters. There's a small compensation by way of an end to the gruelling Thursday-Sunday cycle. Build the backroom staff… Much of the discussion and delay after striking a deal with Frank has revolved around who can join him from Brentford. And how much will that cost Spurs. Postecoglou was an anomaly, but head coaches always want their own staff to help them instil their culture and beliefs. Frank always said 'the secret sauce is the people' when impressing what made Brentford tick and he would be keen to bring Claus Norgaard, his trusted Danish sidekick, and Justin Cochrane, a highly rated young coach who worked previously on Tottenham's academy staff, across London with him. His commitment to the power of set pieces means he will want a dedicated coach to work on them, whether that is Keith Andrews, who is one year into that role at Brentford, or someone else. Spurs have fired coaches Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Mile Jedinak, but intend to keep Postecoglou's assistant Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch at the club. Finalise preseason preparation… Frank will be eager to start work. He usually takes a week to tie up loose ends at the end of a season, then a week or two on holiday before throwing himself back into summer planning. 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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Tottenham CONFIRM Thomas Frank as new manager after paying £10m to Brentford to replace axed Ange Postecoglou
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOTTENHAM have confirmed Thomas Frank as their new manager. The Dane, 51, replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was axed just 16 days after winning the Europa League with Spurs. 7 Thomas Frank has left Brentford to join Tottenham Credit: Getty 7 Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs 16 days after winning the Europa League Credit: Getty Tottenham quickly identified Brentford boss Frank as their primary target following Postecoglou's dismissal. Spurs have paid around £10million in compensation for Frank, who has signed a contract until 2028. SunSport revealed at the weekend that Frank had given the move the green light before Tottenham had even formally approached Brentford. The switch took time to be completed due to negotiations over backroom staff - specifically highly-rated head of coaching Justin Cochrane. The Bees wanted to keep the 43-year-old and were even prepared to consider him as a candidate to take over from Frank. But Cochrane, who previously worked as a youth coach at Spurs, has decided to leave the G-tech to join Frank as his assistant, along with head of performance Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton. Set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson arrives from Manchester United as a first-team coach. Cochrane is also a coach with England and has been working alongside Thomas Tuchel over the past week - and FA sources are expecting him to continue in that role. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Spurs confirmed the appointment in a statement, which read: "Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 - since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League. "During his time at Brentford he transformed the Club, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, consistently and significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time. Ange Postecoglou's BEST Press Conference Moments 7 "In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. "He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead." Frank took over at Brentford in 2018 after two years as assistant. He guided them to the Premier League in his second full season, and has since established them in the top flight. Under Frank's astute management, the Bees achieved a tenth placed finish last term. Brentford finished seven places and a whopping 18 points above Postecoglou's Spurs. The Aussie boss saw Tottenham fall all the way to 17th in the Premier League. But his sacking still raised several eyebrows due to his Europa League triumph in Bilbao. Despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought, securing Champions League qualification in the process, Postecoglou was axed 16 days on from beating Manchester United in the Europa League final. 7 Frank, 51, will now have an opportunity to manage in Europe Credit: Alamy 7 Justin Cochrane makes the move to N17 with Thomas Frank Credit: Getty 7 Postecoglou, 59, was axed despite ending Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy Credit: Alamy An excerpt of Spurs' statement read: "Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. "However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. "Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. "This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. "Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph." 7 Spurs yesterday today that Postecoglou's assistant coaches Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo have all left. Ryan Mason has already left to take the reins at West Brom, but Ange's No2 Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch remain at Spurs. FRANK 'PERFECT' FOR SPURS Frank's move comes after nearly seven years with Brentford. During that time, the Dane managed Christian Eriksen for a successful six months in 2022 before the 33-year-old midfielder joined Manchester United. Eriksen, who spent seven seasons at Spurs between 2013-2020, said: 'Thomas is the right coach for Tottenham. 'I had Thomas at various times and I think he is the perfect match for Tottenham. It would be great if he takes on that challenge. 'His personality, his way of playing and his way of being make him a good fit. 'And the club, considering where they were last season - they won a trophy of course - but they are in the process of building something and I am sure that Thomas is a good man to bring in.' Eriksen's link-up with Frank three years ago saw him return to football seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch playing for Denmark at the delayed Euro 2020. He moved on to United the following summer, but is leaving Old Trafford following three years there. The 144-cap Denmark star has stated he fancies a new challenge away from England, feeling he has 'had my turn' in the Premier League.
