Thomas Frank’s to-do list at Tottenham Hotspur | OneFootball

Thomas Frank is set to become the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, with the Brentford boss nearing a move across the capital.

The Dane has won plenty of admirers during his time at Brentford, consolidating the West Londoners in the Premier League on a comparatively modest budget. He will inherit a Tottenham team who endured their lowest league finish since 1977, but who simultaneously ended a 17-year trophy drought with Europa League success.

We’ve looked at five things in Thomas Frank’s in-tray at Tottenham.

Thomas Frank’s to-do list at Tottenham Hotspur

Sort recruitment focus – and quickly

The change of manager already leaves Spurs behind the eight ball in this summer’s window. The hesitancy to sack Ange Postecoglou following his European triumph means the North Londoners have lost ground on rival sides. In the mini-window opened ahead of the Club World Cup, Spurs failed to make a signing.

In contrast, Liam Delap (Chelsea), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders (all Manchester City) and Jeremie Frimpong (Liverpool) all moved to potential top-four rivals.

Spurs need to strengthen in key areas and Frank has minimal time to assess his squad and targets. The transfer window re-opens on June 16th.

Find solution to injury problems

Spurs’ season was decimated by injury problems last term, with only Brighton having more individual injuries (47) than the North Londoners (41). The Seagulls were also the only Premier League team to have a higher number of days lost to injuries (1,944 to 1,543).

Repetitive injuries plagued the club’s campaign and Frank will need to review their medical record. Was this just bad luck? Or were Spurs victims of Ange Postecoglou’s game plan? Can the club’s recovery and training be improved? There’s plenty to ponder.

Make tough decisions on waning stars

For all his critics, Ange Postecoglou has left Spurs in a good place for his successor.

The North Londoners had the third-youngest squad in the Premier League last season, with only Brighton and Chelsea less experienced. The likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall will have benefitted from a baptism of fire last season, while academy product Mikey Moore is one for the future.

Frank faces tough calls on those at the other end of the scale. Rodrigo Bentancur’s unavailability is a concern, while Son Heung-min has not looked the player of old. Many neutrals were happy to see Son finally get his hands on silverware, but could it be the ideal time to bow out? He scored just seven league goals last season and does not possess the same electricity as in previous years. Son is 33 next month and has spent a decade with Spurs. A call on the captain is a tough one.

Bring Brentford strengths to North London

Frank’s data-focused methodology has won admirers, with a recent insight into Brentford’s decisions in the final third fascinating. A clamp-down on speculative shooting and focus on probability helped Brentford become one of the most efficient teams in the league.

Elsewhere, set-pieces were a real strong point. Last season, just three teams conceded more goals from set-pieces than Spurs. Brentford boasted the best record in the entire Premier League on his metric, conceding just twice from such situations. A clear area of improvement to target.

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