Football London

This has been a summer like no other for Thomas Frank as his family road trip across Europe and a huge party were interrupted by a certain club from north London looking to hire him as their new head coach.

The 51-year-old Dane has enjoyed a settled existence in the past eight-and-a-half years, knowing only life at Brentford and enjoying his social life with his family and friends. Enter Tottenham Hotspur this summer to lob a cockerel-sized grenade into those best laid-plans and change everything for Frank and his family.

Contact came in the days after the final games of the Premier League season, when Brentford drew 1-1 at Wolves and a parade-weary Tottenham lost 4-1 at home against Brighton.

Spurs were deciding whether to push through with plans to sack Ange Postecoglou despite the Europa League triumph because of that 17th-place finish in the league. Frank was the man who was top of their shortlist of candidates to replace the Australian if they were to make the change.

"So between May 27th and June 12th, without going into details, that was contact from Spurs, but when that started from that moment, I am in work mode, instead of downtime mode," admitted Frank. "I did the last game of the season and had two or three days in London.

"Then I went to Denmark for five days on my own, to see a few friends and family, and then I flew to Spain with my mum and sister. We have a house in Spain. Then my wife flew from London and then we had a week down there, before going back to London and then we drove to Copenhagen, because we had to bring the dog home for three weeks in Denmark."

Now that all sounds straight forward enough but it's when you fill in the gaps in between that you get a sense of not only the man Frank is but just how different his life will become as his Tottenham tenure pushes him into the limelight and in front of the cameras.

That time in Spain before it all went truly made was a special kind of family time for the Franks.

"I tried to escape, of course. I lost my dad a year ago, so I brought my mum and sister to Spain. They were there for the first four or five days. Then they went home and Nanna and I were on our own. She took me to Marbella to some interior design shops and I had to go through a few kitchen shops as well… so it was relaxing, but a little bit of work I would say!" the Dane said with a chuckle.

His days were spent trying to relax in the little pockets of time around everything that was going on in the background.

"I love to go for a morning run and love to go for a swim. I love the mornings. So we sit in the rooftop terrace with a coffee and talk about life and enjoying it. Then, when I have my time, I read, a lot of fiction," he explained. "This summer I read Jan Guillou, the Swedish author. He's had a new series of how they described the century from 1900 to 2000 following a family. I’m on book four now. So I take my head a little bit down. I've read a lot of leadership groups and all that, but then my brain stopped working! So I need to try to stop."

Now let's go inside that car journey, with Frank's poor wife Nanna's road trip dominated by talk of football and a certain club in white in north London.

"‘We left at 6.30am from where we live and then drove down to Folkestone and took the Euro train under, and then we had about nine-and-a-half hours to Puttgarden in Germany, and we were meant to take the ferry from there," recounted Frank while sat on the rooftop of a bar in South Korea. "But that’s it - I’m head down, boopmh, go!

"I'm only stopping for a quick toilet, water, espresso, Red Bull, and then go! I'm driving and then on the phone basically. We did check the GPS because there were queues and all that. So we skipped the ferry and went through Jutland to arrive in Copenhagen at 11pm in the evening."

Frank was fully in Tottenham mode during that long car journey,

"I was on the phone a lot, put it that way!" said the Dane. "I was not that fun to drive with. I had to use the Airpods, because Nanna said, 'I don't want to hear anything, I want to do my own stuff!'.

"So it was mainly phone calls and we had a little bit of podcast time. We listen to a Danish podcast speaking about tricky situations in life. Four or five famous people meet and they talk about the people calling in… “OK, my wife wants to get divorced, what should I do?”."

"And then when we got there, we had three weeks in Denmark where after the announcement on the 12th, I had a couple of days, I think two days in London the week after and then one day in London the week after that. Then, when it was all signed, from the 12th to July 5th, I think I twice had one-and-a-half hours to myself in the summer house! I sat on my own, read half an hour, napped, read for half an hour, that is it!

"The rest was work, planning. Of course we saw friends and family in the evening, so I didn't work from six to six! But on the phone, laptop, online meetings… but it's good. I think it's positive because that's an opportunity to plan. I imagine coming in the middle of the season, it must be a nightmare. So now we had to get on top of everything."

The Franks are a social family, with Thomas, Nanna and their two daughters, Freja and Alba as well as a son Bertram.

"We love to go out with friends and all our children. My three children are 18, 21 and 23. So we have a good thing of going to a nice restaurant and, they get it from their mom, they're very good at talking!" said the Spurs boss. "I'm actually an OK talker, but I'm definitely maximum number four or maybe five in the family.

"‘They really talk! We'll go into a restaurant, let's say at 6pm, and basically they always close at around 1am and they have to tell us “OK, now you need to leave”, because we just talk."

What did Nanna make of the high profile move to Tottenham?

"I think if if she could, if she could choose, she’d probably just say 'stay at Brentford or a little bit more low key job!'. She's not into football and everything, but of course she is also proud and happy for me and she knows it's something I want, so she supports me," said Frank. "You know, I could never, ever, ever, ever have come so far or be in this job without her, impossible. So she's my biggest support."

You might have wondered why after Tottenham announced that Frank would become their new head coach there wasn't a big fanfare around it immediately with photos and quotes from the new man. All of that came much later. That's because it was announced when he had a huge special pre-planned event back in his homeland and was in the midst of getting that ready in a hotel in Vejle.

"It was announced on Thursday 12th and from the 13th to 15th, we had a party for the closest of our friends. So there were 90 people, 90 over a weekend in a nice hotel in Denmark. It was just basically celebrating life. Not 50, or anything. We just basically partied from Friday to Sunday, full on," said Frank with a glint in his eye at the memories.

"We had talked about doing that for seven years. My wife and I, and we have never really done it. Then we planned to do it a year ago. So this year, 'OK, no Euros', because we have a few football people as well. 'OK, no problem, let’s do it', and then this [insert swear word] show started!

"I just signed literally the day before, on the day we came to the hotel to make sure everything was in place. The next day I went for a run and a morning swim. Then did the last bits of talking and getting [the Spurs move] sorted. I put the phone down, quick shower, and at 3pm people came and then we basically just partied over the weekend.

"It was friends and family, sports school friends - yeah, yeah, I went to a sports school - university, old football friends. Family, our children's friends."

Frank enjoys a chance to let his hair down and those days with friends, family, song, buffet and barbecue food were the perfect way to relax ahead of the challenge that lay ahead.

"I'm very good at partying! That's the one thing my three children got from me! The good looks, the children and everything else, they got from their mom!" he said. "We had a top party. There was just a fantastic vibe around it. Of course I'm still young, but when you are 50, you normally don't go to a big party like that. Everyone was staying overnight, everyone was all in.

"So the first night was supposed to be a little bit quiet. But you know, a little bit of champagne and a few beers first, the dinner, just a couple of hours. Then, it just went from here, whoa! It got a bit lively. Singing along like a band - 10 minutes went into like four hours! We went to bed at around 2.30am.

"Then there was a morning dip at 8:30 in the morning. There was spa, small activities, volleyball, competitive football, of course! Spike ball, lunch. Then we had two gospel choirs and a famous Danish lady talking about life, in a very funny way. Then we dressed up for the dinner… and we partied until 5am!

"Our children were there, so it was our age and our three children with some of the friends, so those young people also generate that energy. It ended with all of the go-to guys in the spa with a bottle of champagne at five o'clock in the morning! Yes, that night we went to the next level!"

Once the partying was done, it was time to switch that focus to a new challenge at Tottenham and taking over from Postecoglou, a popular figure with the squad he was about to take over.

"I think there were a lot of good things from Ange. There's a team that are very brave. They have the ability to play with high intensity. The training intensity is very high, and that's a good foundation to go into," he said.

"I think it's fair to say that set-pieces is an area that I'm a big believer in and I think it's a hugely important part of it - that was not as highlighted before, looking from the outside. Then I think there's something on the defensive side where we need to be more balanced from defensive parts - low, middle, and high. They were very good at high pressing last year. So those were the two big areas."

Frank was also set to be working at a club with a chairman in Daniel Levy that has a reputation for changing managers like the bedsheets, with the average tenure of a Tottenham head coach resting around the 18-month to two year mark and Mauricio Pochettino's five-and-a-half years at the helm from 2014 to 2019 an aberration rather than the norm.

"I of course did what I could to do my due diligence about the club and the people that were involved in it, but I also would say with the small knowledge I have of Daniel - I guess that’s the reason why you ask, because there’s some that don't think he's got the best reputation - but for me, he's been very good.," said Frank.

"He’s had a very good approach with everything, very, very transparent. Sometimes there can be a reputation that's very difficult to get away from. So far, things have been very good."

Has Frank spoken yet to Postecoglou since replacing the Australian at the helm?

"I haven’t. I don't think I will, and there's nothing to do with respect. I don't know him, so it will feel a little bit odd," he admitted. "If I meet him, I'll go across to speak to him. He always came across as very open-minded, like a very good person."

The new Tottenham head coach has certainly noticed the difference between life at Brentford and his new job across the capital.

"When we arrived to Hong Kong, the fans outside the hotel, that's probably [the thing to notice] the biggest in terms of the attention," he said. "And then you can say of course the training ground. At Brentford, we had a very good and functional training ground. Tottenham is a full state-of-the-art complex.

"Then, of course, the third thing is probably the ability to spend more money, but it's equally as difficult! It's just the same. Whether 10 million or 20 or 30 or 40 or whatever, you're still competing and trying to convince the players to come."

Now the challenge that lies ahead for Frank also involves getting the processes as streamlined and effective as he got them at the Bees over the years.

"From the beginning there would be more hours available, just simple processes that were in place in Brentford. Everyone knew what to do, everything, so I had a well-oiled coaching machine," he said. "I have a very good coaching staff now, and I think it will be very good. I think it would be on the top level. I'm very happy and I think there are top coaches, but obviously we don't know each other.

"It's a big advantage that Chris [Haslam], Justin [Cochrane] and I have been running the main bit in Brentford, but hey, we can't run it on our own. We need to get everyone with us, and we need to create a super strong unit. So to get everyone on board with the principles, for example, the coaching meetings in the morning, in the afternoon, now it's an hour and an hour, before [at Brentford] was 10-15 and 10-15. So that's just an example of that.

"Then I need to know all the people at the training ground, get to know the players better, invest even more in watching training games and obviously also we are signing players here where the processes in Brentford, I'm not saying they were better, I think they're very good.

"I think that Johan [Lange] and his team is doing a top job, top, but just for them to understand what I'm looking for, so that needs to be aligned. At Brentford aligned (clicks fingers). I want that. OK, fine, we look at it boom and now I need to use more time with Johan and Rob [Mackenzie] and these guys and then we make presentations. 'No, no, no, I need that instead', so all that is just extra hours every day."

Next week brings a huge first competitive match for Frank with the UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG and the Dane told football.london that he is looking forward to what is to come during his tenure.

"I'm super excited. I'm really ready for the challenge. I loved Brentford. It was a top job in every aspect. It was only an opportunity like this I wanted, because I think this, this can be fantastic," he said before admitting: "It can maybe also be not so good, who knows…

"But I think the opportunity to make a difference here is massive. I’m really looking forward to it. Who knows how it goes. I'll go in, I'll be brave, I'll be myself."

And what would Frank's father Preben, who passed away towards the end of the season in 2024, have made of his son taking on a job at one of the Premier League's historically big sides?

"My dad, he will of course be very proud, no doubt about that. He was not into football in that way. It never came from him, my passion for it, but of course, like an parent, when your children are doing something you support them. He watched all the games. He would be proud."

Lucas Bergvall hopes he has some of that "magic" needed to be the number 10 in Thomas Frank's Tottenham system and admitted that the players "kind of knew" that Son Heung-min would be leaving.

It is a time of change at Spurs with a new head coach in Frank, captain Son departing for LAFC after 10 years at the north London club, a couple of new faces joining and now James Maddison suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out of action for most of the coming season.

With Dejan Kulusevski set for a long road back from his patella surgery and a failed attempt to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, Frank has a vacancy in the number 10 role while the club attempts to sign a new recruit.

Both Pape Matar Sarr and Bergvall, more naturally central midfielders, have been playing in the role during pre-season and both got a half each in the position during Thursday's disappointing pre-season finale at Bayern Munich as Frank's side were comfortably beaten 4-0 by Harry Kane & Co.

"It was tough. We were not good enough today," Bergvall told football.london after the game at the Allianz Arena. "We need to go home and work, we have an important day next week in the Super Cup final. We need to do a lot better and go there and try to win the game."

The 19-year-old admitted that Maddison's injury was a tough one to take and that the England international was devastated in the dressing room after the draw with Newcastle in South Korea.

"It’s just so, so unlucky. He’s been working so hard to get back and then in his second game back that happens. Football can be brutal sometimes. We need to support him and for him to get back even stronger," said the Swede. "Yeah [he was inconsolable], especially as it was supposed to be a beautiful ending for Sonny as well, then it was just so brutal for Madders. Of course everyone at the club was upset about that. He’s an unbelievable player."

So is Bergvall ready to step up into a position he would play in on occasions for former club Djurgarden but on a Premier League and Champions League level?

"I’m just going to play in whatever position Thomas wants me to play, doesn’t matter if it’s six, eight or a ten. I’ll play there and do my best," he said.

"Of course there’s a difference [between the roles]. You’re further up the pitch. When you’re a six, you have to come out to get the ball more, be more in the build-up. When you’re a ten you need to have some magic and come into the box and score goals and assist."

So does the Swede have that magic in his boots?

"I don’t know, we’ll see!" the teenager said with a grin. "I feel like I can do a good job there. Maybe I’m not a typical ten but with Madders and Kulu injured, maybe I need to step up. Pape played there today so we’ll see. I’ll just play wherever he wants me."

Bergvall told football.london that Frank's training sessions are "a lot about pressing and clean sheets and mentality" and admitted that the pain of missing out on the Europa League final through injury was something that would motivate him to push on this campaign after being voted Spurs' player of the season in his debut year at the club.

“Of course I want to keep going. It’s really tough to get injured before the final. I needed to accept it and support the team," he said. "Now I’m fully back, I’m getting better every day, just training, I want to keep going, I want to win things, we have five or six things to win this year. I want to go for everything. I feel like of course I was a part of it but I didn’t play in the final, I still want to do that."

The man who lifted that trophy in Bilbao has now gone, with Son completing a MLS-record move to Los Angeles that will be worth more than £20milliion to Spurs. Bergvall admits it has already taken some getting use to with the popular South Korean not around the squad any more.

"He’s a legend at the club and probably the best player in the club’s history. So it’s a bit strange because he’s always been there. I don’t think we have fully realised yet but we probably will," he said.

"We kind of knew [he was going]. Of course everybody saw the conference before the game. We [officially found out] just before that.

"Everybody talked to him after the game and everybody was taking pictures and wishing him the best. He will probably come back to the stadium and see everybody."

Bergvall believes the other leaders have been looking to step up in Son's absence, with Frank set to make his captaincy decision in the coming days.

"Yeah, of course [they have]. We have a lot of good people in Cuti, Vicario, a lot of good people with good mentality," he said before expanding on Romero's style of leadership. "He’s got a strong mentality, you always need to work hard, to do your best, work as a team. Yeah, a really good player.”

Another experienced player has joined the club this week in 30-year-old Joao Palhinha, who played his first minutes in a while in the first half of the game in Munich after joining on loan from Bayern with an option for Tottenham to sign him permanently.

"Of course he’s played at a top level for years," said Bergvall. "So it’s good to have that knowledge come into the team and help us younger people in the side and be a part of the team. It’s really important."

Alfie Devine has signed a new contract with Tottenham and joined Championship side Preston North End on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Belgian Pro League side Westerlo, where he scored six goals in 32 appearances in all competitions and was a team-mate of Luka Vuskovic. He featured in a couple of pre-season fixtures this summer under new boss Thomas Frank but it quickly became apparent that he would be sent out on loan.

According to Preston's official website, the loan includes an option to buy in the deal. “I’m buzzing," Devine said. "When this opportunity came about, I was excited when I first heard about it. I’m happy to be here and happy to get it done. I can’t wait to get going tomorrow.

“I like to make people excited. I like to get on the ball. I like to always be involved in it and get people off their seats.”

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom added: “Alfie’s a talented player who can play in a number of positions. He can play as an attacking midfielder, he can play deep and he’s played box-to-box, so he’s got that flexibility which is great for us.

“I really liked his loan move in Belgium last year where he showed really good energy and appetite off the ball, which is what we demand. He showed his technique and quality in the final third to get goals and help assist others as well.”

Devine is now in contention to feature in Preston's season opener against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The England youth international can operate in a number of different midfield roles and will wear the No.21 shirt during his time at Deepdale.

Devine joined the Tottenham academy from Wigan in 2020 and became the club's youngest ever first team goalscorer after netting on his debut against Marine in the FA Cup in January the following year.

He spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle and on the international stage was part of the young England side that won the European Under-19 Championships in 2022.

Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok has joined Championship side Portsmouth on loan for the 2025/26 campaign. The South Korean's move to Fratton Park comes after he spent the second half of last term on loan at QPR.

As part of the changes taking place at Tottenham this summer with Thomas Frank the new man at the helm, a number of youngsters have been given the green light to depart on loan to help get some more first-team experience under their belt. Yang falls into that category, with a move to the south coast finalised ahead of Pompey's Championship opener against Oxford United.

If Yang isn't to feature in Saturday's match at the Kassam Stadium then he could potentially make his Portsmouth debut in their Carabao Cup fixture at home to Reading on Tuesday evening. Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is very happy to have added Yang to his squad and he mentioned his performance for QPR in a 4-0 win over Derby last season where he really caught his eye.

"Yang was an extremely highly rated player when he first came over to join Spurs in January," he said when speaking to Portsmouth's official website. “He then went straight out on loan to QPR and enjoyed a really strong impact with them in the Championship.

“I remember having the privilege of watching him live in a Friday night game against Derby when he performed so well in a 4-0 victory before coming down to Fratton Park a week later. It’s been a whirlwind few months for Yang since he arrived in England and we’re excited to have him at Pompey.

“We believe he’s a real prospect and know that Tottenham think highly of him, so this is the next part of his development. He’s direct and exciting in the way that he plays and can really help us achieve what we’re looking for this season.”

For Tottenham Hotspur fans, there is renewed hope and optimism heading into the new Premier League season.

After the dismal campaign that was 2024/25, where former manager Ange Postecoglou's side finished one place above the drop zone, domestically, something had to be done.

Postecoglou's legacy was leaving Champions League football for new manager, Thomas Frank - through winning the Europa League last season - while the revenues that will come into the club owing to that will be significantly impactful for what Spurs do during this summer transfer window.

Even conservatively, Spurs could expect £60m plus from very average foray in European football's top knockout club competition this coming season, and with the money spent dwarfing the money coming into the club so far this summer, it is a welcome boost.

But where exactly do Spurs stand with their current acquisitions and their position when it comes to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR)?

When it comes to losses, Spurs have racked up plenty in recent years. For the three-year assessment period for PSR, which allows clubs to lose up to £105m over three years minus allowable deductions for such things as asset depreciation, investment in infrastructure, the women's team, the academy and community initiatives, Spurs lost £182m between 2021/22 and 2023/24. That was made up of £61m in 2021/22, £95m in 2022/23, and £26m in 2023/24.

But Spurs haven't been in any danger of breaching PSR, and the club have gone out this summer and spent some €146m (£126m) bringing in the likes of Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Mohammed Kudus, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai and the loan of Joao Palhinha, which incurs a loan fee.

All told, the cost of adding those players to the club's amortisation costs - which stood at £136m for 2023/24 - will be around the £25m mark per-year, although the rise will be offset in some degree by the book value of big money signings decreasing by another year.

The sales the club made won't impact amortisation too much, with Son Heung-min's £19.5m exit to Los Angeles FC making 'pure profit' in the club's books as his book value has long since been amortised. Similarly, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's exit to Marseille for a fee just short of £12m guaranteed represents pretty much pure profit. That's £31.5m coming in, compared to an annual outlay of £25m so far in terms of additional amortisation costs.

There are wages to factor in, of course, but Son's large salary, and Hojbjerg's considerable one, mean that the club will have created some space to absorb new additions. They have the ability to do more. The exits of other players, such as Fraser Forster and Sergio Reguilon, have also cleared some more headroom.

But in terms of PSR, the three-year cycle up to 2023/24, where Spurs lost that £182m, never saw them fall foul of the rules because their allowable deductions were £93m per year across the period, largely due to stadium-linked depreciation.

That meant the club had two years of being net positive for PSR and even the heavy £95m loss only resulted in a £1m negative net PSR position due to £94m of allowable deductions that year. The upshot of that was Spurs were net PSR positive to the tune of just shy of £100m, and when adding on the allowed £105m, they had PSR headroom of more than £200m.

We are now into a new cycle with the ticking over of the new financial year for clubs this summer, with clubs now operating in the 2025/26 financial year.

For the cycle up to 2024/25, which will be assessed by the Premier League before the end of the year, the £61m loss from 2021/22 drops off and, assuming the same amount of allowable deductions at £93m, Spurs will have absolutely no issues with PSR. In fact, the club's PSR position will become even healthier if they come under the £61m loss threshold, which they will likely do.

But the focus now, and for those players signing now, is the 2025/26 season and that cycle. That includes 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26, a season where Spurs have Champions League football to lean on that will yield large revenues. It also means that the £95m loss from 2022/23 falls off in this current cycle and is replaced by a season where the club stand a good chance of getting back into the black if they go on a deep run in the competition.

The headroom the club has could well push past the £350m mark for the current cycle and, while that suggests that it should be 'open wallet time' at Tottenham, the big thing is making sure that the club can cashflow new additions, and improving their player trading in terms of outgoings, with it being one of the areas where many of their rivals outperform them.

But at a time when the club has optimism about a new era under Frank, and with a world-class stadium which allows for revenues to remain high and reliable, each year, the club has the ability to move in the market in the coming seasons and not run the risk of falling foul of regulation, either the Premier League's or UEFA's.

They have the set-up to invest in more success, but the likelihood is that it will be on a piecemeal basis, and what happens this season will determine greatly how big the club chooses to go in the transfer market next summer.

A former Tottenham Hotspur hooligan has named the best firm in the country, admitting that their top rivals had a "psychological edge". Frank Portinari, who later became embroiled with the loyalist paramilitaries of the London Ulster Defence Association and was convicted for gun smuggling, reminisced about his days as a Spurs hooligan on the Criminal Connection podcast.

Before his involvement with the paramilitary group in Belfast, he was a fervent football fan from North London, following Spurs through the 70s and 80s and engaging in fights with opposing supporters.

During the podcast, he praised the northern firms as "tough blokes" from large industrial towns, describing those perilous away games as akin to "taking your life in your hands".

Yet, when it came to the most malicious mobs, he pointed to those closer to home. When pressed to identify the best firms, he acknowledged several adversaries.

He remarked: "If I focus on London, I am honest enough to say this now that the late 60s, early 70s, I don't think people gave them credit, Arsenal had a naughty mob of fellas. And it changed because I remember when Tottenham eclipsed Arsenal so to speak and we would regularly go their end of the ground and take the p*** really to be honest."

But for the top spot, he conceded: "Probably West Ham. I think West Ham because what they are always attributed with is being organised and they did seem to always be organised."

Apart from the Hammers, he insisted Millwall always warranted recognition, though he qualified this by noting that Spurs rarely faced them due to being in separate divisions.

However, there was one memorable encounter on Boxing Day in 1977, when Millwall hosted Spurs at the notorious Den. Recalling the events, Frank stated: "That is some of the worst violence I ever seen. Probably the worst violence in England that I have seen.

"There had been a documentary before (BBC Panorama) and it kind of built it all up. After the game it was crazy. I seen a fella put a screwdriver through someone's cheek and they were kicking down walls, throwing bricks at each other, and wooden fencing. And there were even railings and they got the rails and the frames of like spears.

"I will make no bones about it. I think we gave a really good account of ourselves but I was glad to get back home and get in the local pub to be honest.

"It is the worst, definitely the worst, and I have seen some mad ones over the years, but how somebody didn't die that day, I am genuinely shocked they didn't."

Returning to the initial query, he concluded: "But no, I would have to say West Ham. They always kind of had it over us psychologically."

Frank, author of Loyalist Paramilitary Gunrunner, added: "We have had our times with West Ham but consistently over the years, I will probably have to credit West Ham.

"But you could say Manchester United, they had thousands of supporters, they weren't called the Red Army for nothing. They had fans all over."

Tottenham lost 4-0 at Bayern Munich in their final pre-season match of the summer on Thursday and here are our player ratings from the match in Germany.

Bayern's two newly-announced Ballon d'Or nominees Harry Kane and Michael Olise combined for the first half's only goal as Kane opened the scoring just 11 minutes in, taking down a ball over the top from Olise and firing home inside the left-hand post amid suggestions that the England captain was a yard offside.

The former Spurs man slipped and sent a penalty over the crossbar minutes later after Josip Stanisic went down in the box under little to no contact from Tottenham's new signing and technically a Bayern player in Joao Palhinha making his debut.

Bayern had further chances either side of the break and they scored a second before the hour mark. Djed Spence lost the ball down the right and Konrad Laimer played in Kingsley Coman who cut inside and curled a shot past Guglielmo Vicario.

A third goal for the by then much-changed home side came when 17-year-old substitute Lennart Karl curled home a first-time effort. Then an 18-year-old, Jonah Kusi-Asare curled in another spectacular goal from out wide to complete the rout.

Here are our Spurs player ratings:

Guglielmo Vicario

Couldn't do much about Kane's clinical strike, amid suggestions the striker was offside. Did save low down from Goretzka. Saved bravely at the feet of Diaz late in the half. Made a good second half save early on from Olise before an even better one to deny Kane in front of goal. Couldn't do much about Coman, Karl and Kusi-Asare's spectacular finishes. 7

Pedro Porro

Did well with a number of last gasp interceptions in the Spurs box but was constantly kept busy by the Bayern attack. Picked out Richarlison with a good second half cross but was part of the defence that struggled with the onslaught from both senior and junior Bayern sides. 5

Cristian Romero

Wiped out Kane with one challenge and then got the ball well before Olise with another crunching tackle. Picked up a booking for pulling back Kane late in the half. Wiped out Kane again in the second half on the edge of the box. Always looked a half-step behind the game. 4

Micky van de Ven

Made some good challenges and one run up the pitch but was caught ball watching a few times. Looked bewildered at times by the speed of Bayern's attacks. 4

Djed Spence

Brought down in the Bayern box but nothing given. Had to contend with Coman and Olise at times and it was understandably a lot to deal with. Gave away the ball in the build-up to Bayern's second goal with some loose play. 4

Joao Palhinha

Appeared to be harshly adjudged to have brought down Stanisic for the penalty Kane missed. Probably not the best game to judge him on after so little game time over recent months and he sometimes looked off the pace. Came off at the break. 4

Rodrigo Bentancur

One player who wasn't panicking under Bayern pressure. Found Richarlison for a chance on 34 minutes with a quick through ball. Spurs' best player in the first half but could only watch on as Bayern swept past the visitors time and time again in the second period. 6

Mohammed Kudus

Some promising moments without particularly threatening down the right. Spurs' only real outlet for much of the game and had to do too much on his own. 5

Pape Matar Sarr

A couple of nice touches and turns but spent most of the first half having to defend. Switched to a deeper role after the break and didn't offer much. 4

Brennan Johnson

Started on the left, made one very good sliding tackle and mostly was having to get back to help Spence when he could. Didn't pass his audition to fill the Son-shaped hole on the left as he had little attacking threat at all. 4

Richarlison

Got into the game more as the half wore on and one nice touch gave him space from Bentancur's pass but Neuer saved his low curling shot. Had another nice late run that he took too many touches with in the first half. Sent a header wide from Porro's cross before coming off after the break. 5

Subs

Lucas Bergvall

Tried to offer something as the number 10 in the second half but it's glaring that Spurs need someone who is experienced in that role. 5

Wilson Odobert

A couple of good runs but with nothing on the end of it from the left. 5

Ben Davies

Run ragged by Bayern's youngsters in the second half. 4

Mathys Tel

Tried to impress in front of his old club and fan and was reasonably bright, sending a late shot at Neuer. 6

Archie Gray

Came on and offered at least something with his movement and touches. N/A

Yves Bissouma

Tottenham took on Bayern Munich in their final pre-season match of the summer on Thursday and here are our first half player ratings.

Bayern boasted two just announced Ballon d'Or nominees in Spurs' record goalscorer Harry Kane and former Crystal Palace man Michael Olise. Tottenham featured new signing in Bayern midfielder Joao Palhinha, who had joined on loan from the Bavarian giants with an option to buy. The 30-year-old Portuguese got his work permit in order to play against his current employers.

Kane opened the scoring just 11 minutes in, taking down a ball over the top from Olise and firing home inside the left-hand post amid suggestions that the England captain was offside. The former Spurs man slipped and sent a penalty over the crossbar minutes later after Josip Stanisic went down in the box.

Bayern had further chances without getting the ball on target before Richarlison had an effort saved at the other end. Romero left the pitch complaining in an animated fashion to the officials about some of their key decisions.

Here are our first half Tottenham player ratings:

Guglielmo Vicario

Couldn't do much about Kane's finish, amid suggestions the striker was offside. Did save low down from Goretzka. Saved bravely at the feet of Diaz late in the half. 6

Pedro Porro

Did well with a number of last gasp interceptions in the Spurs box but was constantly kept busy by the Bayern attack. 6

Cristian Romero

Wiped out Kane with one challenge and then got the ball well before Olise with another crunching tackle. Picked up a booking for pulling back Kane late in the half. 5

Micky van de Ven

Made some good challenges and one run up the pitch but was caught ball watching a few times. 5

Djed Spence

Brought down in the Bayern box but nothing given. Had to contend with Coman and Olise at times and it was understandably a lot to deal with. 5

Joao Palhinha

Appeared to be harshly adjudged to have brought down Stanisic for the penalty Kane missed. Probably not the best game to judge him on after so little game time over recent months and he sometimes looked off the pace. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur

One player who wasn't panicking under Bayern pressure. Found Richarlison for a chance on 34 minutes with a quick through ball. Spurs' best player in the first half. 7

Mohammed Kudus

Some promising moments without particularly threatening down the right. Spurs' only real outlet. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

A couple of nice touches and turns but spent most of the half having to defend. 5

Brennan Johnson

Started on the left, made one very good sliding tackle and mostly was having to get back to help Spence when he could. 5

Richarlison

Tottenham's need to sign at least one, if not two, attacking midfielders has increased now the club have confirmed that James Maddison has torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

Maddison, 28, had to be stretchered off after going down in an off the ball incident during Spurs' pre-season fixture against Newcastle United on Sunday. Thomas Frank delivered a concerning update in a post-match interview, admitting he is worried that the midfielder has suffered a "bad injury".

Frank's worst fears have since come true, with Spurs announcing on Thursday morning that Maddison is set to undergo surgery for a ruptured ACL in his right knee - the same one he injured at the end of last season.

While losing Maddison is no doubt a major blow for Tottenham and Frank, the club cannot rest on their laurels and have got to act fast to bring in a replacement before the end of the summer.

Even before Maddison's latest setback, Spurs wanted to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and activated his £60million Nottingham Forest release clause before he opted to remain in the East Midlands.

Indeed, with Maddison joining Dejan Kulusevski out injured, there is a distinct chance that Tottenham sign two attacking midfielders in the remaining three-and-a-half weeks of the transfer window.

Spurs have got to sign one cost-effective option and another blockbuster addition, following the £55m arrival of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham last month.

Looking at a direct replacement for Maddison, first, Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss would be the perfect addition to Frank's squad. Although some Tottenham fans have shut down the prospect of the Morocco international moving to north London, he would be an excellent signing.

El Khannouss, 21, may have scored just three times and added six assists in 36 appearances for Leicester following his £21m move from Genk last summer, but that doesn't tell the full story.

For a team that often didn't have much of the ball, El Khannouss managed to create 42 chances in the Premier League season, working out to around 1.7 per-90. That is, indeed, more than Maddison (41), West Ham's Lucas Paqueta (36), Chelsea's Joao Pedro (30) and several other attacking midfielders.

El Khannouss' creative numbers for last season is about on par with Manchester City's Phil Foden and Gibbs-White, though both of them managed to end up with more direct goal contributions.

Granted, El Khannouss was part of a dire Leicester side, who at one point went nine straight home Premier League matches without scoring a single goal. So, if he was playing with better players, could he have had conjured-up more in terms of goals and assists? That is a no brainer.

Also, Tottenham fans have seen the potential El Khannouss has in the flesh. Indeed, the former Genk man was outstanding at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in January, as he scored during Leicester's shock 2-1 win.

With El Khannouss said to have a £24.5m relegation clause in his Leicester contract, it's a deal that Tottenham should be wrapping up. For that price, Spurs won't be able to get much better.

At just 21, El Khannouss has a season of experience in the Premier League under his belt and has so much talent and potential at his disposal. He would strengthen Tottenham's squad straight from the bat.

On the ball, El Khannouss is fantastic. He often operates in the No.10 role but can drift out to the left-hand side to pick up the ball and make things happen. A terrific ball-carrier, El Khannouss' best asset is his eye for a defence-splitting pass and ability to pick out a man when not many expect him to.

While he isn't the strongest from a defensive point of view and must improve his physical aspect to make it right to the top, he has the work-rate to achieve it, that's for sure.

He would be the cost-effective option for Tottenham in the attacking midfield area, with Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace coming in as the more expensive signing. The 27-year-old doesn't need much introduction to the Spurs faithful following his performances for Palace over recent years.

Eze scored 14 times and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances for Palace last season, helping the club win the FA Cup in the process. He is a full England international and is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

The ex-Queens Park Rangers man has a £68m release clause in his contract, and while that might feel a sizeable amount, Spurs should trigger it and bring Eze, alongside El Khannous to the club.

Tottenham Hotspur play their final pre-season friendly of the summer as they take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Thursday night.

They will do so without Son Heung-min with their former captain having completed his move to LAFC in a MLS record deal worth more than £20million. Spurs will face another former player in the shape of club record goalscorer Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga last season with the Bavarian giants.

Thomas Frank will also be missing James Maddison for much of this coming season after Tottenham confirmed the midfielder will undergo surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee following a non-contact injury late on in the 1-1 pre-season draw against Newcastle United in Seoul.

Tottenham have their own Bayern player now in Joao Palhinha, who has joined on loan with an option for the north London club to buy the 30-year-old former Fulham midfielder for 30million euros. There is also another former Bayern man returning to Munich on Thursday as Mathys Tel will return hoping to show what his old team has lost.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is at the game in Munich. Scroll down for his live updates from the Allianz Arena.