Liverpool rest key players for PSV game with Champions League qualification secured
Liverpool are travelling to PSV Eindhoven without the bulk of their first-team squad after deciding to rest a number of big-hitters.
Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will all remain at home as Arne Slot makes widespread changes for the final group stage outing in the Champions League.
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Liverpool have already qualified for the last 16 and have nothing to play for in the Netherlands so head coach Arne Slot is using the game to give some of his fringe players a run out.
Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to start in goal with the likes of Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott all pushing for more minutes. Cody Gakpo is also a part of the squad and will likely feature against his former side.
Following the trip to the Netherlands, Liverpool travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday before hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final next Thursday.
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'Un-be-liev-able': How Szoboszlai became essential for Liverpool
In the 21-man squad are a number of youngsters, including the top young talent at the club, Trey Nyoni.
This is the ideal fixture for the 17-year-old to gain more minutes as Slot continues to carefully manage his development.
Tyler Morton, James McConnell and Jayden Danns also have a good chance of featuring. All three are attracting interest ahead of the transfer deadline as clubs in the Championship consider loan moves.
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Is Trey Nyoni ready for a regular place in Liverpool's matchday squad?
Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Jaros, Davies.
Defenders: Quansah, Bradley, Norris, Nallo, Tsimikas, Robertson.
Midfielders: Endo, Mabaya, McConnell, Morrison, Morton, Nyoni.
Forwards: Chiesa, Gakpo, Elliott, Kone-Doherty, Danns, Nunez.
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Fox Sports
43 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Tottenham hires Thomas Frank as coach, luring him from Premier League rival Brentford
Associated Press Tottenham hired Thomas Frank as head coach on Thursday after the Danish manager ended his nearly decade-long stay at fellow Premier League team Brentford. The 51-year-old Frank will replace Ange Postecoglou, who was fired last week despite leading Tottenham to its first trophy in 17 years with a win over Manchester United in the Europa League final. Tottenham said Frank's contract runs until 2028. 'In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game,' the club said in a statement. '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.' Strong reputation Frank joined Brentford in December 2016 and has been manager since 2018. He has established a reputation as a tactically flexible and shrewd coach who has improved players, especially those of a lower profile or who have not performed at other clubs. At Tottenham, he will have a squad of higher quality — albeit one that finished below Brentford in the Premier League last season — and will be managing in the Champions League for the first time. One of his first games will be against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. In that sense, it's a slight gamble from Spurs. Indeed, Frank has never won a trophy in his managerial career. However, having had Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho at the helm for spells since 2019, even those managers with elite-level pedigree have found it tough to lead Tottenham to success and Frank at least has plenty of Premier League experience. Brentford has played in the top flight since 2021 and consistently punched above its weight, with Tottenham pointing to Frank's ability to get his former team 'significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time.' Frank's 'emotional intelligence' Brentford director of football Phil Giles said Frank's 'wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.' 'He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength,' Giles said. '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.' Tottenham said Frank will bring several of his backroom staff with him from Brentford, including assistant coach Justin Cochrane, with set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson also joining from Manchester United. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Thomas Frank is the new Spurs manager. So how do his teams play?
Tottenham Hotspur's switch from Ange Postecoglou to Thomas Frank is a move towards the pragmatic end of the coaching scale. In his four Premier League seasons as Brentford's head coach, Frank has demonstrated his ability to have teams play in different styles depending on the composition of their squad and who the opponents are. Advertisement The first two seasons after Brentford's 2021 promotion are generally remembered for defensive organisation, innovative set pieces, and long balls to striker Ivan Toney. However, that is a reductive summation: Frank's side also pressed aggressively and knew how to attack in wide areas. It wasn't all 5-3-2, deep blocks and hitting it long, but the intention was to establish Brentford as a Premier League team before adding layers to their game. Frank started the process of introducing that greater variety at the beginning of 2023-24, but injuries hindered their evolution. 'We talked about Brentford 2.0,' Frank told The Athletic last year. 'We wanted to add layers to our style. We wanted more control and to be more dominant on the ball, to create chances. I didn't want a thousand passes before we scored a goal. 'All of our offensive statistics went up from the beginning of the season until the 12th game — possession, passes, crosses, number of players in the box, xG (expected goals), goals… and then the injuries hit us. We tried to still go down that route for the next couple of games but we had too many players out.' So the evolution didn't really kick into gear until last season, with Frank still playing to the strengths of Brentford's individuals, especially Mikkel Damsgaard, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo (they sold Toney to Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli at the end of August). 'I always wanted to play offensive football, (but) it's a combination of what is best for the players we got,' Frank told the BBC in January. 'We have this style, but what kind of players, because I can't pick all the best players in the world.' Frank mainly used a back four last season, and Brentford's shape in possession changed depending on what they wanted to achieve, who was available and how their opponents set up. Brentford played in different variations of 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. From Wissa dropping in the half-space to form a 4-2-2-2 shape on the ball… … to Damsgaard starting as a left-winger but roaming infield to play as a second attacking midfielder, with Keane Lewis-Potter providing the width. Using Lewis-Potter as a left-back empowered their wing-play because of his attacking profile. His ability to occupy the width on his own and knowledge of how to attack the space offered more solutions down the Brentford left, where he can momentarily exchange positions with Kevin Schade or allow their German left-winger to be closer to the goal. Advertisement In this example, against Leicester City in November, Damsgaard's positioning drags Wout Faes up the pitch, with James Justin and Conor Coady marking Lewis-Potter and Schade respectively. As Damsgaard plays the ball to left-side centre-back Ethan Pinnock… … Lewis-Potter and Schade start swapping positions and Damsgaard drops deeper still, with Faes unsure whether to follow him all that way. By taking Faes out of the equation, Lewis-Potter and Schade are left in a two-on-two scenario. Damsgaard is under no pressure. Lewis-Potter starts his run first to move Coady away from the touchline and isolate Schade against Justin, where the pace of the German gives him the upper hand. Damsgaard manages to find Schade's run behind the defence… … and the latter plays the ball across goal for Wissa, who scores. Those wide combinations were a staple of Brentford's possession game last season, and an important tool to help them play through the opponent's press. Mbeumo's first goal in their 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in April is one example of how Frank's side constantly wanted to tempt their opponents up the pitch, before cutting through them with quick passing. Brentford's passing combinations in wide areas were a variation on the swift build-ups which have been on the rise across the Premier League. These are defined as short goal-kick sequences that reach the height of the opponent's penalty area, or end in a shot, within 30 seconds. Looking at the rate of quick build-ups per 100 goal kicks in the Premier League, Brentford's rate of 4.6 last season was double that of their first year after promotion, showing how Frank has integrated this into the team after establishing them in the top flight. Another feature of Frank's team was their focus on shot location and 'making each chance bigger'. Across their four seasons in the Premier League, Brentford's average shot distance of 14.5 metres was the lowest in the division, while the average quality of their shots was its highest. Last season, Brentford's xG per non-penalty shot (0.13) was the best in the Premier League, leading to a conversion rate of 14 per cent. Wide combinations from quick-build-up situations was one way of regularly creating high-quality chances. But against deeper blocks, Frank's side focused on crosses and passing combinations to find third-man runs. In this example below, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in October, Christian Norgaard attacks the space vacated by Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mario Lemina, who are attracted to Mbeumo, and the Danish midfielder's off-ball movement allows Brentford to combine through the defence, before he slots a finish into the bottom corner. In another example, from the 4-3 victory against Manchester United in May, Brentford are attacking down the right side when Mbeumo dribbles infield in an attempt to break down the opponent's block. This movement creates space for Brentford's right-back, Michael Kayode, to attack, with the position Damsgaard takes up pinning United's left centre-back, Leny Yoro. Meanwhile, Wissa is positioned between United's right wing-back and centre-back, and Mathias Jensen is looking to attack the space behind midfielders Christian Eriksen and Manuel Ugarte… … who move up towards Mbeumo. The Cameroon forward then finds Jensen between the lines… … which forces Tyler Fredricson to move and leave Amad in a one-versus-two situation against Wissa and Lewis-Potter, who is playing as a left-winger here and arcs his run to attack the space created in United's defence. In an attempt to defend this move, Harry Maguire takes a couple of steps to the right to cover Wissa, but Jensen plays the ball through the gap between him and Yoro. Kayode's initial movement puts him in a position to run into the space behind the United defence from the blindside, and he connects with Jensen's pass… … before playing the ball across goal… … for Wissa to score into an empty net. It's details like Wissa's initial position between United's right wing-back and right centre-back that have distinguished Brentford under Frank. The centre-forward's awareness was the main driver in that example, but Brentford forwards positioning themselves in the correct spaces when attacking the opponents' defensive line has been a common trait. Advertisement 'We work a lot on making the chance big, but also work a lot on crosses and having enough players in the box,' Frank told Sky Sports in October. 'In the last four or five years, I have been big and big on crosses. I think that's such an important thing and we work on different ways to work it. 'We either create one-v-ones (down the wing) — classic (winger) going on the outside or inside cut and the in-swinging (cross) — give and go, or runs in the half-space (and) ball is played under. 'In the box, we need to hit the gaps — that's the biggest thing for me on the last line.' Schade's second goal of that victory against United is an example of how focused Brentford were on attacking crosses from the right positions and with the correct movement. Kayode's position puts Mbeumo in a one-versus-one against Harry Amass and moves Yoro away from defensive colleagues Maguire and Fredricson. Meanwhile, Wissa occupies United's right centre-back and enables the overload at the far post with Lewis-Potter supporting Schade. As Mbeumo crosses the ball towards the far post, Wissa fakes a run to that zone before attacking the near post. His movement prevents Fredricson from committing to the far post, which allows Schade and Lewis-Potter to attack that space freely, with Amad being late to arrive. Schade connects with the cross and puts the ball into the net, but note Brentford's left-back, Lewis-Potter, is also there to be a secondary option. In another example, from the 2-2 draw at home against Manchester City in January, Lewis-Potter is in a right-back role towards the end of the match and crosses the ball into the penalty area, where there's a four-versus-three situation with Rico Henry arriving late to the far post. Henry doesn't impact this attack, but it's the movement of Wissa and Schade in the centre which isolates Norgaard against Manuel Akanji. Wissa attacks the near post and Schade the far, attracting Nathan Ake and Matheus Nunes respectively… … and creating a bigger space in the middle of the penalty area, where Norgaard is in a one-v-one. The Denmark midfielder beats Akanji to the ball and heads it in for a stoppage-time equaliser. The ability to attack crosses in open play was complemented by Brentford's set-piece skill. The club had focused on set pieces long before Frank's arrival, when they were in the second-tier Championship in 2016, but the Danish head coach is an advocate of the dead balls and knows their importance. In 2024-25, Brentford's effectiveness from attacking corners took a hit — scoring only five times — but their clever throw-ins maintained their set-piece reputation, with six goals from long throws. Advertisement Looking at the rate of goals for and against per 100 set pieces — which creates a fair and level playing field across all 20 Premier League clubs, as one team might face or have more set-piece opportunities than another — Brentford's 4.0 goals per 100 sits in the middle of pack, but their xG-per-100-set-pieces rate (4.8) was fourth-best in the division last season. Defensively, Frank's team were by far the best set-piece side in the 2024-25 Premier League, conceding both its lowest xG (3.1) and goals (1.0) per 100 set pieces. Adding new layers didn't mean that Brentford neglected the strengths that had kept them in the Premier League in the first place. They were still able to set up in a strong defensive block, defending mainly in a 4-4-2 with Norgaard or Vitaly Janelt dropping to fill the gaps or make it a back five if needed. In terms of their high press, Brentford continued their approach of locking on man-to-man with their opponents, with initial positions and angles of the press differing from one match to another. In addition, there were instances last season when Frank's side took a more hybrid approach to their pressing. Brentford's aggressive nature without the ball meant that they won possession in the attacking third 190 times in the Premier League — behind only Manchester United and Bournemouth. The important question for new employers Tottenham is whether these ideas can translate to their squad and how the club want to play post-Postecoglou. Another issue is how Frank will adapt to a tighter schedule with less time on the training pitch, having not coached in a European competition apart from the preliminary qualifying rounds of the Europa League when he was with Brondby in his homeland more than a decade ago. On top of all that, the pressure to deliver at Spurs is much different from Brentford. These are valid concerns, but as Frank himself says: 'If you don't take a risk, you also take a risk.' There is no doubt about the 51-year-old's coaching ability, and his adaptability will be an important asset at Tottenham.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Tottenham confirm Thomas Frank as new head coach on three-year deal
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as head coach on a three-year contract through to 2028. Frank succeeds Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked by Spurs last Friday, and leaves Brentford after seven years in charge. Frank is the 13th permanent manager to work under Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and reunited with the club's technical director Johan Lange, a fellow Dane with whom he briefly worked at Danish outfit Lyngby Boldklub. Advertisement As reported by The Athletic earlier on Thursday, Frank will be assisted at Spurs by Justin Cochrane at Spurs, with the highly-rated 43-year-old one of three members of Brentford's backroom staff to follow the Dane across London – along with coach Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton. Andreas Georgson also joins as assistant head coach following his departure from Manchester United. A Spurs statement read: '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 emerged as the leading candidate to replace Postecoglou, who was sacked on June 6 despite leading the north London club to their first trophy in 17 years when they defeated Manchester United to win the Europa League 16 days earlier. Postecoglou oversaw Tottenham's worst Premier League campaign in their history, finishing 17th on 38 points and losing 22 of their 38 games. Frank joined Brentford in 2016, initially as an assistant coach, and was promoted to head coach in October 2018 when Dean Smith left for Aston Villa. He led the club to promotion to the Premier League in 2021 and has kept the Bees in mid-table and away from relegation, despite the departures of star players including forwards Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. Brentford finished 10th last season, nine points off the European places, and were twice beaten by Postecoglou's Spurs. Frank's first competitive fixture in charge of Tottenham will be the UEFA Super Cup, where Europa League champions take on Champions League-winners Paris Saint-Germain on August 13 at The Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy. Frank's representatives held talks with Manchester United and Chelsea in the summer of 2024, before he was again linked with the job at Old Trafford following the sacking of Erik ten Hag in October 2024. Frank lost eight of his first 10 games in charge of Brentford but managed to stabilise the team and they finished 11th in the Championship in 2018-19, his maiden season in charge. Brentford reached the Championship play-off final in Frank's first full campaign but they lost 2-1 to Fulham after extra-time. Brentford returned to Wembley the following year and beat Swansea City 2-0 to earn promotion to the Premier League. Advertisement They were widely expected to flirt with relegation, but memorably beat Arsenal on the opening day of the 2021-22 season and finished 13th. Frank's coaching helped his young squad, including Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and David Raya, to excel at a higher level, while he convinced Cristian Eriksen to join them on a short-term contract. Brentford's second season in the top-flight under Frank was phenomenal. They thrashed Manchester United 4-0 at home and were the only side to beat future champions Manchester City twice. Toney scored 20 goals in 33 appearances and became Brentford's first England international since Les Smith in 1939. Brentford's third year in the Premier League was disrupted by injuries but they bounced back stronger this season. They finished 10th and had three players reach double figures for goals (Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade). Frank's impact at Brentford has been huge and he will probably be recognised with a statue outside their stadium in the future. He has a fantastic connection with the fanbase, the players love him and he has a great relationship with the owner Matthew Benham, director of football Phil Giles and technical director Lee Dykes. Replacing Frank will be a difficult challenge for Brentford. Tottenham's transfer policy has changed since Johan Lange became their sporting director in November 2023 and now they mainly focus on signing players under the age of 23, including Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert. Frank has an excellent track record of developing talent, including Ollie Watkins, Toney and Mbeumo, which can be traced back to his time in charge of Denmark's youth-sides, so he would be a great fit for this young Spurs squad. Lange and Frank have previously worked together at Danish side Lygnby which will help. When Lange was Aston Villa's sporting director, he considered hiring Frank to replace Steven Gerrard before Unai Emery was appointed. Advertisement Frank prefers to use a 4-3-3 formation but is more flexible than Postecoglou. During Brentford's first two seasons in the Premier League, he regularly deployed a 3-5-2 formation against better-quality opposition and used long balls and set-pieces to good effect. Brentford have evolved and now mainly play out from the back and press opponents high up the pitch. A switch to a 4-2-3-1 system this season to extract the best out of attacking midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard highlighted Frank's willingness to make subtle tweaks for the benefit of the team. One of the biggest challenges for Frank would be adjusting to European competition. His only experience in UEFA competitions is reaching the preliminary rounds of the Europa League with Brondby, so it would be a steep learning curve jumping straight into the Champions League. ()
