Thomas Frank's Tottenham in-tray: Lift post-Ange mood and do not play his football

Telegraph

13-06-2025

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… pic.twitter.com/q0FiPWc3c0
— 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.