Football London

Tottenham will have a new look about them come the start of the 2025/26 season following Ange Postecoglou's dismissal as head coach. On the second anniversary of taking on the Spurs hotseat, the Australian was sacked despite leading the club to Europa League glory just over a fortnight earlier.

Linked with a handful of managers in recent months as Postecoglou's future had been a talking point for quite some time, it is Thomas Frank of Brentford who looks set to replace him at the helm. The 51-year-old has come to the attention of many in recent years after establishing the Bees as a Premier League outfit following their promotion from the Championship in 2021.

Frank is highly regarded by his fellow managers and a step up to one of the Premier League's biggest teams was perhaps always a matter of time. Whereas Postecoglou arrives at clubs on his own and then finalises his coaching team once in position, Frank may well travel across the capital with his backroom staff if he is to sign on the dotted line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

So who is he currently working with at Brentford? football.london takes a look below.

Kevin O'Connor - First team assistant coach

Kevin O'Connor is a name synonymous with Brentford after making 501 appearances for them as a player between 1999 and 2015. After retiring from the game, the 43-year-old took up a coaching position with Brentford's development squad before stepping up to become first team assistant coach to Frank in December 2018.

O'Connor is known to assist fellow assistant head coach Claus Norgaard with defensive training and he also helps out set-piece coach Keith Andrews with training drills.

Speaking to Hounslow Herald about working with Frank, he said: “He [Frank] has taught me so much about the game. I look at the game differently now. He's so into his fine details and structures and principles, and it's just opened my eyes up even more.

“I love working with him every day and his man-management. As a person, he's exactly as you see on the TV. There's no fakeness with him. He's straight. He's a family guy. If you need anything, he's there.”

Justin Cochrane - First team assistant coach

Frank taking on the Tottenham hotseat could potentially see Justin Cochrane return to N17 if he is to follow the Dane. However, the highly-rated coach may well stay in west London as he is currently odds-on with the bookmakers to replace Frank as Brentford boss.

Cochrane was previously a youth team coach at Tottenham for a number of years and held positions with the Under-11s, U12s, U14s, U16s and then the U23s. He was offered the chance to work with England in 2018, working as head coach of the U15s, U16s and U17s sides.

After spells with AFC Wimbledon and Manchester United, where he was head of player development and coaching for one year, he made the move to Brentford as first team assistant coach in the summer of 2022. In February 2025, the 43-year-old joined Thomas Tuchel's England coaching staff in an additional role to his position at Brentford.

Claus Norgaard - First team assistant coach

Norgaard has a long association with Frank, with his position at Brentford the third time he has worked as assistant to his fellow countryman. Prior to making the move to west London in December 2022 following Brien Riemer's switch to become Anderlecht head coach, Norgaard had worked at Brondby and with Denmark's U16s, U18s and U20s before taking on a couple of other positions.

Speaking to Brentford's matchday programme in April 2023, he outlined his work under Frank at the Gtech Community Stadium.

"I'm in pretty much the same role as Brian [Riemer],” he explained. "Me and Kevin [O'Connor] are more in charge of the defensive work, defensive set-pieces; Justin [Cochrane] and Thomas are more aware of the offensive part.

"And then we of course have Bernardo [Cueva] on the offensive set-pieces, which is a very important role as well. But it's not like I only have the defensive side and then the other guys don't look at that - Thomas has his hands on everything.

"It’s not like we are just sitting in each corner of the room! We are together, everybody is bringing ideas. If Justin has something on the defensive side, he’ll bring it to the table, and we’ll discuss it.

"But in the training and in the video talks and in the meetings, I'm responsible for making sure all the details are how we want them, and the focus is how we want it.

"In general, as a person, I'm a little bit more defensive-minded than Thomas is. So, if we have a drill on the pitch and we play nine v nine, me and Kevin are more focused on the defensive side and Justin and Thomas are more on the offensive side."

Manu Sotelo - First team goalkeeping coach

Manu Sotelo is the first team goalkeeping coach for Brentford. Joining the Bees in August 2020, the Spaniard has worked with the likes of David Raya, Mark Flekken and Thomas Strakosha during his time at the club.

Keith Andrews - Set-piece coach

Andrews may be a familiar figure to some Tottenham fans due to his football career and work as a Sky Sports pundit. The former midfielder joined the Bees last summer as set-piece coach following his previous role on Sheffield United's coaching staff.

Brentford did catch the headlines in the opening months of last season by scoring inside the opening 40 seconds of three successive Premier League games, one of which came against Tottenham. Brentford's fast starts all came from Andrews' work, which duly saw him praised by Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher.

The Bees were a real threat from set-pieces in the 2024/25 campaign - scoring 13 times - and Andrews was hailed by his boss after their 2-1 win at Bournemouth in March.

"Keith is doing a very good job, the players are doing a very good job and the coaching is very good. Set-pieces are crucial and they won us the game today," Frank told Sky Sports (via beIN SPORTS).

Tottenham themselves were causing huge issues from set-pieces when Gianni Vio was working for the club and the same may apply again if Frank is appointed as boss and Andrews makes the journey across the capital with him.

Chris Haslam - Head of athletic performance

Chris Haslam has been with Brentford for a period of time across two separate spells. Previously working as head of conditioning with the club's youngsters up until his departure in 2014, he returned in the 2015/16 season and worked with the U21s before stepping up to his current role of head of athletic performance.

He is responsible for all aspects of physical performance, sports science and the integration of the club's specialists. Haslam does not only work with the first team as his position also covers work with the B team as well.

Off the pitch, Tottenham Hotspur have been one of Europe’s best when it comes to business strategy in recent years.

The move to a new stadium in 2019 might have come with a £1.2bn build cost and lumbered them with some £850m-plus worth of debt, but it is an asset that will pay dividends for the club each year through additional matchday and commercial revenue, as well as the ability to generate huge sums from hosting the likes of the NFL each season and some of the biggest acts in music and sport.

They are well positioned to be able to invest in the playing side of the club for the long term and have little concerns when it comes to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). They have the lowest wages to revenue ratio in the Premier League and are in a strong position to withstand any decline in broadcast revenues that may come over the next decade, with clubs knowing that they have to reduce their reliance on that particular revenue pillar in light of some challenging times ahead on that front as traditional broadcasters battle with dwindling subscribers and upstart streamers.

All well and good. But one area where the club have been profligate and fallen well below many of their rivals is that of getting strategy right when it comes to the man at the helm of football operations, the manager/head coach.

Ange Postecoglou may have won the Europa League last month and, with it, booked Champions League football for next season for Spurs, but the dismal Premier League performance of last season, where the club finished 17th having lost 22 games, meant that the Aussie paid the price and was sacked last week.

It was a decision that had been expected, even with the trophy success, but it requires more money to be shelled out by Spurs for what will be perceived as a failed appointment, with Postecoglou set to receive a settlement around £4m.

That sum follows the £4m sum that was paid out to Antonio Conte, Postecoglou’s predecessor, in 2023, with major payouts received by Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo before him. There have been plenty of expensive mistakes made by chairman Daniel Levy and the decision makers at the club that have eaten into the Spurs bottom line since Pochettino’s departure in 2019.

The exit of Postecoglou before the end of his contract takes Spurs’ spending on sacking managers to just over £50m in the last six years. That is the price for failure, and also the price for a lack of strategy and continuity.

It makes sense, then, that Spurs have looked towards Thomas Frank at Brentford, a manager who has been at the helm of the Bees since 2018, lasting through the tenures of Pochettino, Mourinho, Nuno, Conte and Postecoglou at Spurs.

Brentford, like teams like Brighton & Hove Albion, have been lauded for their football strategy, and Frank has been a big part of that. The Bees finding the right man for the strategy as opposed to jumping from one kind of manager to another has meant that they have avoided taking a major bath financially when it comes to severance payments. The same could be said for the likes of Liverpool, who haven’t had to pay to sack a manager since Brendan Rodgers in 2016. That comes with knowing the identity of the team and its structure, not finding a quick route to success.

Maybe Frank provides that, if, indeed, he does end up being the man for the club long term. But they will need to learn lessons from their £50m headache, and from a manager who allowed his current employers to avoid such financial pain.

Tottenham are closing in on appointing Thomas Frank as their new head coach. Spurs have been looking for a successor to Ange Postecoglou after the Aussie was sacked on Friday.

The north London club confirmed in a statement that Postecoglou had been relieved of his duties "following a review of performances and after significant reflection".

They added: "It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond."

Postecoglou's dismissal came just 16 days after he guided Tottenham to their first major piece of silverware in 17 years. Spurs beat Manchester United to win the Europa League.

However, Tottenham's form in the Premier League flattered to deceive. In fact, Spurs finished 17th in the top flight, their lowest finish since 1976/77, after losing 22 of their 38 fixtures.

Brentford manager Frank has emerged as the leading contender to replace Postecoglou and a deal is said to be close. So, with this in mind, football.london has taken a look at the latest regarding a move to appoint Frank as Tottenham's new head coach ahead of the 2025/26 season...

Verbal agreement

According to talkSPORT, Thomas Frank has 'verbally agreed terms' with Tottenham. The 51-year-old has made his decision to leave Brentford after seven years and make the move across London to Spurs.

But a deal is subject to his release clause being triggered. Frank has a £10million exit fee inserted into his Brentford contract and that is the amount it's going to take to get him from the Bees this summer.

Deal close

The Telegraph have reported that progress has been made in the last 24 hours over Tottenham's proposed deal to appoint Thomas Frank as their new head coach.

There is now 'positivity and optimism' at Spurs that a move for Frank, who is believed to want take a number of his Brentford backroom team with him, can be struck.

Tottenham technical director Johan Lange is said to be close to Frank, having shared shared an office with him at Danish club Lyngby, and is spearheading the club's bid to replace Postecoglou.

It's added that Tottenham are now on the verge to securing Frank's services and getting him in place for pre-season and their return to the Champions League.

£10m release clause

Tottenham believe that paying £10m to get Thomas Frank from Brentford is going to be worth it, according to Football Insider. Spurs are confident he is the man to take them to that next level.

There was fear that Frank's release clause could become a sticking point but Tottenham are not concerned about the figure they are having to stump for the Danish coach.

Thomas Frank has made quite the name for himself since taking on the Brentford hotseat back in October 2018. Securing promotion to the Premier League just under three years later following a Championship play-off final victory over Swansea City, the Dane has established the Bees as a Premier League club.

Brentford have never looked in any danger of losing their top-flight status in their four seasons in the Premier League, with Frank guiding them to tenth place in the 2024/25 campaign. In a year where there was so much talk about how they would cope following Ivan Toney's exit, there was barely a mention of the England striker during the season due to their sparkling form and the goals Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa were plundering for fun.

Frank is rated extremely highly in the game and he may now in fact be set to depart Brentford for Tottenham following Ange Postecoglou's exit. The 51-year-old is the firm favourite to take on the hotseat and Daniel Levy and Spurs would no doubt like to make a quick appointment so they can start planning for the 2025/26 season.

Back in September, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola stated Frank taking on one of European football's biggest jobs "is just a question of time" and it "is going to happen". So what exactly have his other managerial counterparts said about him during his four years in the Premier League? football.london takes a look below.

Jurgen Klopp

“[They make] very smart transfer business and Thomas is adapting with style," said the German. “He plays against possession teams one way and plays against other teams when all of a sudden they are a possession team themselves. It’s really interesting. He’s doing a brilliant job. He seems to be very happy there.

“He’s a cool guy. I respect him a lot. They are doing really well and [he’s] really smart.”

He added: "Absolutely great. I watched the press conference of Thomas Frank and it was one of the most entertaining things I've watched in the last few years.

"It was half an hour talking about all the different players. It was really good. We have to start with that. The football they play is incredible. The organisation they have as well is incredible. Thomas is obviously doing a brilliant job.

"Brentford are doing a brilliant job. How they recruit, how different they are, how much they show that even with less money, it's really possible to create something really special."

Roy Hodgson

"As far as their [Brentford's owners'] trump card was to find Thomas Frank and to get behind him, they have showed their faith in him and believed in what he does," said the former Crystal Palace boss.

"And to give him the chance to put this team together and give him the type of players he's asked for, to be able to play the type of football they want to play.

"They've reaped a very big reward for it, because not only did they get back into the Premier League, they've got into the top 10 of the Premier League already."

Mikel Arteta

“A lot. More than respect, probably it’s admiration," said Arteta when asked about how much he respects the work Frank has done across the capital. "He's done it with a football club where everybody shares the vision, they have a very clear identity.

“It's a club, a team that we can learn a lot from because the way they did it is very, very clever, in my opinion, and then the way the model has sustained and evolved as well is really well timed. Look at the results that they had away from home in the last six matches as well, we know what it's going to require from us to beat them.

“They have many [threats]. They are really aggressive in the high press. If they turn the ball over in transition, they are really good, really well organised. When they go really deep, they have runners from deep as well to help you in that situation. Any restart of play can become a set-piece and they play from that and create a lot of chaos, so you have to be very well prepared.”

Unai Emery

"Of course, very difficult. It’s a very tough match for different reasons," explained Emery on coming up against Frank's Brentford. "Of course, because they are performing very well, because they are competing fantastic always with Thomas [Frank] achieving success the years he is a manager at Brentford.

"Every year, something different, even tactically, improving, getting better. I respect them a lot. I respect the manager, I respect the club, I respect the players.

"They have very good players with very good numbers. The strikers, the wingers, the midfielders, they have very good numbers, scoring goals, assists, the players they have.

"And of course tomorrow, we will play performing very good in case we want to win, and we want to compete getting points there."

Enzo Maresca

"I don’t know [Thomas Frank] personally but I've known about him and his team for many years," revealed Maresca. "He is doing a fantastic job, the way they achieve points, the way they play, the style they have, it is top, fantastic.

"The good thing about Brentford is they can play in many different styles, they don’t have one way to play. They can play with a back four, a back five, or a back four making a back five with one of the wingers. So it’s quite complicated and we will have to try to do our best [to win]."

Arne Slot

“His opinion means definitely something to me because he's shown at Brentford how well he's done so many years for this club and without spending a crazy amount of money, just every time he's able to perform with his teams very good in the Premier League and make it so hard for every top five, top six team to play against him, so his opinion definitely means something to me," said the Dutchman after Frank had called Liverpool the best team in the Premier League and the world.

Graham Potter

"I rate Thomas very highly," said Potter during his time as Chelsea boss. "I’ve followed his career since I came back to the UK and I knew him when I was in Sweden as well, so I know him well. I like him as a person, I think we have similar thoughts around the game and life in general.

"I think a coach is judged on how much he gets out of the players, how much he organises the team, how the results are in comparison to the expectation of those results and he does a fantastic job.

"I think Brentford are really good at what they do. Thomas has done a fantastic job there, they use the quality of their players well. They have limited resources if you compare everybody in the Premier League, but they’ve made the most out of what they have and that’s a credit to Thomas and his staff and all the players there at Brentford."

Yves Bissouma has thanked Ange Postecoglou for everything he did for him both on and off the pitch during their two years together at Tottenham. The Australian's Spurs tenure came to an end on Friday after Daniel Levy and the club's board elected to part with him.

It means the north London club are once again on the lookout for a new head coach, with Brentford's Thomas Frank the odds-on favourite to replace Postecoglou in the Tottenham dugout. Following the 59-year-old's sacking, a number of his Spurs team paid tribute with emotional posts on their social media accounts.

Pedro Porro was the first to do so and players such as Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison later followed suit. Captain Son Heung-min then did likewise on Saturday morning, hailing Postecoglou for "changing the trajectory of the club" and making him "a better player and better person" following their time together.

Following the heartfelt tributes from a number of his teammates, Bissouma took to his Instagram account on Sunday evening to praise Postecoglou. Thanking him and his coaching staff for their work, the midfielder then signed off by stating he will "always remember the last conversation we had that changed a lot of things".

"Gaffer, I even don’t know where and how to start," penned Bissouma. "I got a lot to say about how good you are as a human but I just wanna say thank you for everything from day one to the last one, you did a lot in my life on and off the pitch.

"I’ll never forgot the energy you shared with us. Your mindset make us European champions and legends of this wonderful club. Today you leave like a great and it will remain forever engraved in the history of the club.

"Thank you for everything boss, and thank you to all the staff for everything you’ve done for me — on and off the pitch. You believed in me, pushed me, and helped me become better every day, I’ll always be grateful.

"Wishing you nothing but success in your next chapter. I’ll always remember the last conversation we had that changed a lot of things. Thanks #BigAnge."

Roy Keane has given his verdict on Tottenham's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian was relieved of his duties on Friday despite leading the club to Europa League glory two weeks prior. Ultimately, it was Spurs' Premier League form which cost the former Celtic man his job, with the north Londoners finishing just one place above the relegation zone.

"The board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place," Tottenham said in a statement. "Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games.

"This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph."

Following the decision, former Manchester United captain Keane backed Postecoglou to return to work quickly after he helped Tottenham win their first trophy in 17 years. Speaking on ITV, Keane said: "Winning a trophy for the club was a great day for the club and obviously the big plus was getting back in the Champions League. But they’ve felt the league form, not just this season but at the end of last season wasn’t good enough.

"It’s always sad to see a manager losing his job but you’d like to think Ange will be fixed up pretty quickly because he won a trophy. The league form hasn’t been good enough but you’d think the trophy would have given him an opportunity to stay a bit longer."

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite for the vacancy, while Marco Silva and Xavi are also potential candidates. Mauricio Pochettino ruled out a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, admitting it is "not realistic".

Speaking after his side’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Turkey in Connecticut, Pochettino told reporters: “After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list.

“If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don’t be worried about that. If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it’s not real. It’s not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newells or Espanyol.”

Mauricio Pochettino has ruled himself out of returning to Tottenham Hotspur to replace Ange Postecoglou, describing it as "not realistic".

Spurs sacked Postecoglou just 16 days after leading the club to Europa League glory, their first trophy in 17 years. Pochettino, who is now the United States head coach, left Spurs in November 2019 after spending five years at the club, with the Argentine leading the Lilywhites to the Champions League final that same year.

Pochettino signed a two-year contract to become US head coach last September and is expected to lead the team into next year’s home World Cup. Speaking after his side’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Turkey in Connecticut, Pochettino told reporters: “After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list.

“If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don’t be worried about that.

“If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it’s not real. It’s not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newells or Espanyol.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite for the vacancy, while Marco Silva and Xavi are also potential candidates. Tottenham said in a statement on Friday that Postecoglou was sacked because "the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place".

The statement added: "It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

"We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home. News on the appointment of a new head coach will be announced in due course."

When Ange Postecoglou was praising Thomas Frank at the end of January he probably didn't expect to be replaced at the Tottenham helm by the Dane just over four months later. That is what may happen over the coming days if Daniel Levy chooses to appoint Frank as Postecoglou's successor.

On Friday evening, the Australian's Tottenham departure was confirmed following much speculation. Even guiding Spurs to the Europa League trophy wasn't enough for the Australian after they finished 17th in what was a dire Premier League campaign.

Rewind the clock to late January and the pressure was already building on Postecoglou following a run of eight defeats in 10 Premier League games. Heading to Brentford for their next encounter, the 59-year-old was asked in his pre-match press conference about the job Frank had done during his time in west London.

Postecoglou was very complimentary and hailed Brentford for having "a clear idea about what they want to do" and then mentioned that they understand the importance of having a plan as "you stay the course". Following his appointment as Spurs boss in June 2023, Postecoglou himself had a clear plan in place in his quest to win silverware and ensure that Tottenham's days of hiring and firing managers would come to an end for good as they targeted sustained long-term success.

Unfortunately that has not happened at Spurs as Levy has elected against sticking by their plan following an incredibly mixed season and instead looked to make a managerial change once again. Ironically, Frank could now be the boss Levy and the board want to "stay the course" after opting to part with Postecoglou rather than looking to push on with him as head coach.

"People forget, it wasn't that long ago that to have Brentford as a Premier League outfit would have been unheard of, but I think the whole club deserves credit, definitely Thomas, but the whole club," explained Postecoglou at the end of January. "It's a well-run club, they've got a clear identity, they've got a clear idea about what they want to do and who they are and the way they do their business.

"I think there's a few clubs now who are understanding that that's the way forward. You set yourself up with a plan, you find the individuals that will drive that and you stay the course."

Speaking in April the day after the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea, Postecoglou again outlined the importance of Tottenham needing to "stick to something" and keeping faith rather than constantly chopping and changing managers.

"I just don’t think it’s about the managers themselves," he said. "I’ve almost lasted two years. It’s pretty good for Tottenham! At some point, the club needs to stick to something.

"If I say it now it sounds self-serving and defeats the purpose, so maybe not now … but I think that if you want to change the course of your events, you need to change materially a lot of things in terms of the way your outlook is as a club.

"It’s fair to say this year hasn’t worked out but that’s the other thing. We finished fifth last year. In another year, that would have been a Champions League spot. With people, it just doesn’t register.

"If you have five years at a club and you have maybe one or two disappointing years but you have three really strong years you’d say: ‘I’ll take that.’ But it seems like [at Spurs], you have one good year, you have one poor year and then that’s it. Let’s move on to the next.

"That’s what I accepted so I can’t sit here and say: ‘Woe is me.’ It’s fair to say at the moment I’m not doing a good job of turning that mind-shift around. But I am a fighter. I will continue fighting until told otherwise. As has been rightly pointed out, there’s life after this for everybody, including Tottenham and including me."

It will once again be a summer of change at Tottenham Hotspur following the decision to part with Ange Postecoglou. Confirmation of the Australian's exit finally arrived on Friday evening, putting to an end months of speculation regarding the head coach.

Not even winning the Europa League was deemed enough by Daniel Levy and the club's board as they made the decision to once again turn to a new manager. Thomas Frank is currently odds-on to replace the 59-year-old in the hotseat after doing a wonderful job at Brentford since taking charge back in 2018.

Frank has come in for plaudits aplenty during his time in west London but it will be a different job altogether if he is to move across the capital over the coming days. The Dane will want to stamp his own mark on the team and ensure that Tottenham put things right in the Premier League after finishing 17th in 2024/25 under Postecoglou.

Frank, if he is to take charge, will also have Champions League football to look forward to as a result of Postecoglou guiding his players to European glory in Bilbao back in May. Transfer incomings are going to be vitally important to Spurs making big strides as they will once again have a packed schedule to contend with as they compete in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

A move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will in fact see the 51-year-old link up with two players he almost got to work with at Brentford. The first of those is Brennan Johnson.

The Bees had a long-held interest in the Wales international, repeatedly failing with multiple bids to land him in the January window of 2022 at a time when Johnson was still in the Championship with Nottingham Forest. Prior to the winger signing for Tottenham 18 months later, Brentford pushed hard for Johnson's signature and had a couple more bids, including one that was worth £40million, knocked back by Forest as they valued their star man close to £50million.

Spurs eventually won the race for Johnson after paying £47.5million to the East Midlands club just prior to the summer deadline. The Lilywhites were once again to get one over Brentford last summer after luring Archie Gray from Championship side Leeds United.

The versatile player was on the verge of joining the Bees in a £40million move before the plug was pulled as Leeds were unhappy with the structure of the deal Brentford were offering. That decision opened the door for Tottenham to come in and steal Gray from under Frank's nose.

The 19-year-old did go on to feature heavily in the 2024/25 season after making 46 appearances in all competitions, the vast majority of those outings coming at centre-back. Gray will be looking to kick on even more from August, with Frank the head coach who may now become the one in charge of his development 12 months on from missing out on him.

If Frank is to sign on as Postecoglou's successor, both Johnson and Gray could become key figures in his Tottenham masterplan.

A number of Tottenham players have penned emotional messages following Ange Postecoglou's dismissal. Amid so much speculation regarding his future since lifting the Europa League trophy last month, Spurs confirmed the Australian's exit in a statement on Friday evening.

As expected, the decision from the club divided the opinion of the fanbase as many believed he should have remained in charge and others felt it was the right decision after finishing 17th in the Premier League table. Pedro Porro was the first player to react to the news as he thanked the 59-year-old for their time together and also helping the team achieve their goal of winning the Europa League.

Players such as Richarlison, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall, Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr also did likewise. Son Heung-min then uploaded a lengthy statement to his Instagram account on Saturday morning, stating that Postecoglou has "changed the trajectory" of the club and that he is now a "better player and a better person" due to his time with the Australian.

Following Postecoglou's exit, Thomas Frank is the red-hot favourite to take on the hotseat after making a huge name for himself at Brentford in recent years. Like Postecoglou, the Dane has proved to be a very popular figure with his players and their verdicts are very telling indeed.

So what exactly can Tottenham players expect from Frank if he is to sign on the dotted line in north London? football.london takes a look below at what Brentford players new and old have said about Frank:

Yoane Wissa

"A lot of meetings, a lot of meetings," said the striker in a club interview when asked about working under Frank. "The problem with Thomas is sometimes you feel like you're in good form but he always finds something to improve you. He's always challenging me, that's why I like it.

"At the beginning he said I'm offside too much and I was working hard to get onside every time. After that it was the pressing, after that it was the reaction, after the reaction it's something else.

"Of course he wants me to score a lot of goals but he also want me to help the team at a high level. I think that's why he puts me in situations where I can of course score some goals but also help the team. That's why I'm pleased with that because I feel like I have improved a lot since joining Brentford."

Mikkel Damsgaard

"A lot of coaches wouldn't give you as much time as Thomas Frank has with me," the Dane told Sky Sports. "It's hard to say exactly what would have happened but I definitely appreciate the confidence to come back in and perform.

"He has shown a lot of faith in me and believed in me. He's given me those chances this season, and I've definitely had to work for it and show I was ready, but he kept believing all the way through.

"There's a lot of periods where he wanted more from me, and that's helped me build on what I needed to do."

Ivan Toney

"He brings us strength and the love. Like when a player plays for somebody, they want to be loved and feel loved. I think Thomas Frank definitely does that with all the players," said Toney in an interview with Sky Sports.

"Whether you're starting, whether you come off the bench, whether you're not even in the squad, he makes all the players feel loved and special. That's the qualities he has and I think he's one of the best managers I've played under. He know I'll give my heart for him and put my body on the line for him."

Christian Norgaard

"Thomas is very personal with the players," said the midfielder in a club interview. "He cares a lot about how we are and how we feel. It’s a very important quality for a manager to have.

“Not every manager has it, and the ones that do seem to have more success. He’s definitely a leader and someone who guides us. He’s done a fantastic job in the years that I’ve worked with him at Brentford."

Kristoffer Ajer

"Thomas was very determined to bring me here," revealed the defender in an interview with The Times. "He had a PowerPoint with so much analysis. They’d recorded more than 100 Celtic games, and I’d only played 180, so that said a lot.

"They gave me feedback on every game and pointed out attributes that they liked, and other parts where they wanted to develop. I really liked their honesty. Other clubs were very positive in their approaches, but Brentford were different in pointing out my flaws they thought they could work on and eradicate.

"I’m from a country where the Premier League is everything. It was a no-brainer leaving Celtic and European football to come here. The project was so interesting, I couldn’t turn it down."

He added: "Thomas is a man of his word, doing everything he can to improve you. He’s also an extremely good man manager. Once a week he’ll always start a team meeting in Danish before remembering that he’s in England. That’s always one of my highlights of the week."