Daniel Levy has put Thomas Frank under the cosh straight away by making his lofty Tottenham expectations public. The new manager has just been snapped up from Brentford, where mid-table Premier League finishes on a shoestring budget were applauded and he faced little in the way of speculation over his future.
Now, Levy has indirectly warned the Dane that Spurs will be an entirely different ball game. Ange Postecoglou was axed earlier this month despite leading the north Londoners to their first major trophy in 17 years. In a YouTube interview posted to Tottenham's official channel, chairman Levy has made it clear that one-off triumphs of that nature will not be sufficient to satisfy him.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
"We’ve won a European trophy, but it’s not enough," he said. "It’s what we haven’t done that’s more important. We need to win the league. We want to win the Premier League, we want to win the Champions League."
Although Spurs chiefs will not be expecting Frank to lift the domestic or European title in his first season, the gap he must close on the English top-flight's big guns is striking. Tottenham finished a dismal 17th under Postecoglou last season, 46 points behind champions Liverpool.
Despite that, Levy insists he maintains a healthy relationship with the Aussie that he and other senior Spurs figures sacked only two weeks ago. And in the same video, Levy shared what he told Postecoglou before sending him on his way.
"I’ve got an excellent relationship with him," he explained. "I told him, 'you’re always going to be a part of our history'. He and his family are always welcome back. It was a collective decision, it wasn’t my decision. Emotionally it was very difficult, but we believe we’ve made the right decision for the club."
Frank's chances of giving the Premier League's title contenders something to worry about may depend on the transfer business Levy oversees this summer.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Three permanent arrivals have already been completed, with Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso committing to long-term deals after spending the second part of last season on loan, and teenager Luka Vuskovic joining in a pre-agreed move from Hajduk Split.
Frank will inevitably be keen for new faces to join them. Bryan Mbeumo - scorer of 20 Premier League goals at Brentford last season - is one of the players on Tottenham's radar. And his attacking bite may be vital if Spurs lose captain Son Heung-min, who has once again attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League.