Ange Postecoglu was a big personality, however, according to one BBC pundit, he has seen a similar spikey edge to Thomas Frank already.
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It is another new era for Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou’s rein ended on a high but also with an acceptance that change was needed.
The Australian manager backed up his promise of winning a trophy in his second season, although a dismal league campaign made his position untenable. After inheriting a team without Harry Kane, he was always going to be up against it and failing to adapt or adjust his philosophy didn’t help either despite a lightning quick start that suggested success was on the cards.
It is never one reason though and a crippling injury list made it almost a miracle that he was able to deliver the Europa League, ironically, showing the sort of pragmatism that had been missing for his two years in charge.
Thomas Frank’s appointment is a sensible one, his Brentford team played good football and were well respected, but they could also adapt depending on the opposition. They weren’t a one-trick pony, which is why they were able to challenge for European places on a fraction of the budget of the teams around and above them. Spurs isn’t Brentford though and there are now expectations that need to be met above survival.
Behind the scenes sign that Thomas Frank has edge to be Spurs success
Speaking on the BBC Football Daily podcast, former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock was full of praise for the new Spurs boss and gave a fascinating behind the scenes assessment of how he operates:
“I was fortunate for a couple of years ago to go out to America and spend time with Thomas Frank, watch them train and he is a very, very likable guy. But what he does have is he has an edge to him as well on the training pitch, which is great to see. Because what you've got to have is you've got to have that likability that when you walk into the training grounds, you look forward to working with that manager.
“You want to run through a brick wall as the cliché goes or the saying goes. But also that technically he's got something about him, but also that he's got the ability to make big decisions. And I think we've seen that from him in the short space of time at Brentford.
“And he's going to have to make big decisions going into this season. And I think he's very capable.”
Does Levy miss the point as Spurs face transfer dilemma?
After marking his own homework in an interview on The Overlap, Daniel Levy now has to back his man. If Postecoglou’s work was made harder by inheriting a squad minus Kane, Frank’s is every bit as hard with the England skipper still not properly replaced and Son Heung-min bidding an emotional farewell too.
Two players who guaranteed goals, who were natural leaders and who could save or win points for the club out of nothing. Those players don’t grow on trees.
It doesn’t matter who the manager is, if they aren’t backed. The best example is Pep Guardiola. Yes, he’s as good a coach as there has ever been in the game, inspired by legends like Johan Cryuff, however, he has also spent over £2bn on players to implement his philosophy, considerably more than any other manager in history.
It’s not the reason why he has been so successful, it certainly helps his cause though. The same applies to Frank, Spurs have been linked with Rodrygo, which is exactly the standard of player that he needs to compete at the sharp end of the table. If a player wouldn’t get into Arsenal or Man City’s team, is there any point signing them? That should be the question being asked by Levy and the recruitment team.