Latest news with #CutiRomero
Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Thomas Frank's Tottenham in-tray: Lift post-Ange mood and do not play his football
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new head coach, describing the Dane as 'one of the most progressive and innovative' managers within the game. Here, Telegraph Sport assesses Frank's top priorities before his first season in north London. Lift the post-Ange mood Within certain sections of the club and large chunks of the fanbase, there was genuine sadness at the departure of Ange Postecoglou. Many of the supporters wanted the Australian to stay after his Europa League triumph, while a series of key first-team players have made their own views clear following his exit. Micky van de Ven, for example, has said the decision to sack Postecoglou was 'strange'. Cristian Romero, meanwhile, posted a farewell message to Postecoglou less than an hour after Frank's appointment was confirmed. In his post, Romero wrote: 'Ange, thank you for these two incredible seasons. You're a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best. From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist.' Ange,thank you for these two incredible seasons. You're a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best. From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist. Beyond everything, we won a trophy and went down in… — Cuti Romero (@CutiRomero2) June 12, 2025 None of this makes the situation any easier for Frank. To some, he might feel like the new step-dad who is trying to replace the beloved father of the squad. A managerial change is normally made when a club is at a low ebb, and when there is real appetite for a new voice and a different direction. For Frank and Spurs, it is a totally different scenario. The Dane will need to play it extremely delicately and sensitively if he is to quickly win over the players and supporters. Resolve Son's future One of the most pressing concerns for Frank will be the future of club captain Son Heung-min. As revealed by Telegraph Sport earlier this month, there is a real possibility that the 32-year-old, who has one year remaining on his existing contract, might leave this summer. From a business perspective, this window represents an opportunity to generate a transfer fee that would help the club to reshape the team. But would the loss of Son be a major problem for Frank? As he looks to win over the Spurs squad, does he not need to bring the South Korean onside? An alternative argument is that this summer represents a fresh start for Spurs, and that the departure of Son could accelerate it. After all, what better way to signal a new era than to say farewell to the player who best represents the previous era? Either way, it will not suit Frank or Spurs to have this situation dragging on throughout the summer. A swift decision is required. Add tactical flexibility The most frequent criticism of Postecoglou was that he was simply too stubborn with his tactical approach, and too insistent on only playing a certain way (high energy, high defensive line, high risk). Was this a fair accusation? Overall, yes. Spurs were more rugged and defensive-minded on their way to Europa League glory but, looking at their Premier League performances under Postecoglou's management, there is no doubt that they were generally a tactically inflexible side. Frank, by contrast, is arguably the most adaptable coach in the Premier League. At Brentford he was able to shift the team's style between matches, conjuring different tactical plans for different opponents. Sometimes he would play with an aggressive, possession-based style. In other games he would deploy a back three and sit deep. The sooner Frank can introduce these different approaches to his new team, the better. Spurs need to be far less predictable and much more malleable. Unleash Solanke Of all the players in the Spurs squad, Dominic Solanke should perhaps be the most excited by the thought of working closely with Frank. The new Spurs head coach has a phenomenal track record of improving strikers. It was under Frank's guidance, for example, that Ollie Watkins became a prolific scorer in the Championship (which ultimately led to him transferring to Aston Villa). Frank also brought the best out of Ivan Toney, who joined Brentford from League One side Peterborough United and left them as an England international. It speaks volumes of Frank's coaching ability that three of his forwards reached double figures for Premier League goals last season. Bryan Mbeumo scored 20, Yoane Wissa scored 19 and Kevin Schade scored 11. Spurs spent an initial £55 million on Solanke last summer and he has since scored nine goals in 27 Premier League games. Frank will need more from his centre-forward, and history shows that he should know how to squeeze goals out of him. Manage the schedule None of Frank's plans will work if he suffers from the same injury problems that Postecoglou faced last season, and it will be fascinating to see how the new head coach handles the relentless schedule that faces teams in the Champions League. Frank does not have experience of juggling the demands of Premier League football with midweek European commitments. He will need to adapt his methods accordingly – he will have much less time on the training pitches, for example – and also find a solution to the fitness issues that derailed Spurs last season. For Frank, this scheduling issue represents the biggest step into the unknown. Fix the defence Perhaps the most obvious point of all: Frank must make Spurs a better defensive unit than they were under Postecoglou. Spurs conceded 65 goals in the Premier League last season, which was at least 20 more than each of the top four teams. Frank's tactical flexibility (see above) should help in this regard but it will be interesting to see whether he prioritises defensive solidity over attacking invention in his first few months in north London. It would be no surprise, given the weaknesses of the team he has inherited, if his early focus is on defensive shape and building more resilience at set-pieces. Do not expect Spurs to become boring and cagey all of a sudden, though. Indeed, Brentford were one of the most fun teams to watch in the division last season: there were 123 goals (66 scored, 57 conceded) in their 38 games, a total surpassed only by Liverpool and Brighton.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ange Postecoglou drops huge hint over Tottenham future with incredible mic-drop moment at Europa League parade
ANGE POSTECOGLOU has dropped a huge hint about his future as Tottenham manager. The Aussie manager was tipped to leave the North London side despite lifting the Europa League trophy. 8 8 8 8 Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought in Bilbao on Wednesday night against Manchester United. It sees the club qualify for the Champions League next season despite being set for a lowly finish in the Premier League table. Postcoglou, 59, has come under fire for the team's domestic efforts, leading to the belief he could leave at the end of the season. However, he has put an end to speculation during the club's trophy parade. Speaking on the stage to thousands of fans, Postecoglou announced: 'I told them and they laughed. 'I told them and they didn't believe. But here we are. 'And we're here because of this unbelievable group of people, players and staff, absolute heroes led by the legend Son Heung-min, Cuti Romero, James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario. 'All of them, heroes. And they did it all for you, because you deserve it. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'This club deserves it. And I'll tell you something, I'll leave you with this: all the best television series, season three is better than season two. Thank you.' James Maddison nearly FALLS OFF Tottenham bus as 'CEO of the afterparty' pays classy tribute to Son Heung-min 8 8 8 8 Fans have had a mixed reaction to the mic drop moment on social media. One posted: "Dude, it better be. We almost got relegated." A second wrote: "Levy needs to back him." A third commented: "I'm no longer Ange out! Bring on season 3." A fourth said: "He's dragged me back in." Postecoglou is also set for a stunning £2million bonus after winning the Europa League. Meanwhile, James Maddison also suffered a horror fall from the Tottenham bus during the parade. The injured midfielder lost his balance while being interviewed by club media but was able to balance himself. Tottenham ratings: Bissouma dominates Europa League final as occasion gets to Udogie BRENNAN JOHNSON was Tottenham's hero as they finally ended their 17-year trophy drought in the Europa League final. Despite being without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the clash in Bilbao, Spurs came up with a massive win against Manchester United. Johnson scored the goal as he helped bundle in from a corner in a tussle with Luke Shaw to send fans into dreamland. But Spurs also owe a huge thanks to Yves Bissouma who was totally dominant in midfield. At the other end, Destiny Udogie struggled to get up to the pace of the match as he was up against Manchester United's Amad Diallo. Spurs had just three shots, only 27 per cent of the ball, and completed a mere 115 passes over 90 minutes. But it didn't matter, as United never really looked like finding a leveller to take it to extra time.
