Thomas Frank Facing Immediate Pressure to Make His Mark as Tottenham’s New Coach

On Thursday, Thomas Frank was appointed as the new manager of Tottenham, stepping into the challenging role of addressing the club’s notorious inconsistency.

Frank brings to north London a strong reputation for his tactical acumen and exceptional man-management, honed over a successful seven-year period at Brentford.

The 51-year-old will need all of those skills—and more—to rejuvenate a squad that, while securing the Europa League title under his predecessor Ange Postecoglou, also faced their worst top-flight campaign since 1976/77.

Here, AFP Sport examines three significant challenges facing Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:

Make an immediate impact

After much strife during his two-year tenure, Postecoglou left Tottenham with many fans lamenting his abrupt dismissal just 16 days after he led the team to victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

This triumph in Bilbao marked the end of a 17-year trophy drought for Tottenham, earning them their first major European trophy since 1984.

However, this was not enough for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who decisively removed the Australian following a woeful 17th-place finish in the Premier League, which included 22 losses out of 38 matches.

Postecoglou had publicly requested a third season in charge during the team’s trophy celebrations, receiving plenty of support from the club’s fanbase.

Against this backdrop, Frank will need to hit the ground running next season.

Having not participated in the Champions League since the 2022/23 season, returning to Europe’s top competition must be Frank’s primary target.

Frank is well aware that his previous two roles saw him off to slow starts, needing nine matches for his first win with Brondby and suffering eight losses in his opening ten while at Brentford.

If he manages to guide Tottenham to a UEFA Super Cup victory over reigning Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in his opening match on August 13, he will instantly earn credibility with both players and supporters.

Get recruitment right

In March, Levy made it clear that Tottenham “cannot spend what we do not have” amidst criticism regarding insufficient investment in new signings.

This statement was interpreted as a signal that player sales would be necessary to finance new acquisitions. However, Tottenham’s lucrative qualification for the Champions League through their Europa League victory significantly bolsters their recruitment prospects.

Securing the right mix of players for the talented yet underperforming squad will be vital for Frank.

A key decision will involve Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, who enters the final year of his contract amid interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

Additionally, Cristian Romero has attracted attention from several La Liga clubs, and he posted a cryptic message on Instagram following Frank’s appointment, showing loyalty to Postecoglou and hinting at possible issues off the pitch.

“Ange, thank you for these two incredible seasons. From day one you paved the way, despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist,” he expressed.

Frank can find reassurance in collaborating with Tottenham’s technical director Johan Lange, a former colleague from their tenure at Lyngby.

He also has the opportunity to develop young talents who showcased promise under Postecoglou, including Wilson Odobert, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Djed Spence, who all made their mark this season.

Take the next step

Frank successfully established Brentford as a regular in the Premier League despite operating on one of the smaller budgets in the division, but now he must prove himself capable of navigating a larger stage under intense scrutiny.

In the 2024/25 season, Brentford achieved their highest number of league wins (16) and goals (66), finishing in tenth place.

The departure of England striker Ivan Toney to Al Ahli last year didn’t slow Brentford’s progress.

Frank has consistently demonstrated adaptability, securing promotion with a play-off final win in 2021, even after losing key players Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

While these accomplishments are commendable, numerous managers with more distinguished records, including renowned winners like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, have struggled to thrive at Tottenham.

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola remarked it was “just a matter of time” before Frank was appointed by a top club.

Now, the Dane has the chance to demonstrate that he is ready to elevate his career to the next level.