What can Spurs expect from Thomas Frank? | OneFootball

Despite leading Tottenham Hotspur to their first major trophy in 17 years last month, Ange Postecoglou was replaced this summer by Thomas Frank, who moved across London from Brentford.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reportedly paid around £10m in compensation for Frank, who earned a reputation as one of the brightest managerial talents in English football during his time with the Bees.

Buoyed by victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final last month, Tottenham will task their new head coach with addressing their woeful league form in the 2024/25 season - when they finished 17th - and implementing a savvy brand of football that can help Spurs target further trophies next season.

So, what kind of manager have Tottenham landed? And what do Frank's stats with Brentford reveal about his style of play and footballing philosophy?

Here are five qualities Frank will bring, based on statistics from his Brentford side.

Set-piece expertise: Since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League, the Bees have established themselves as one of the smartest operators in the game. Under Frank’s guidance, the west London club made no secret of their focus on dead-ball excellence. Last season, Brentford ranked fifth for goals scored from set-pieces, with 13, trailing only Nottingham Forest (17), Crystal Palace (16), Aston Villa (16), and Arsenal (15). Spurs (10) hit double figures for set-piece goals last season, but Frank’s impact may be felt most keenly at the defensive end of the pitch - Brentford conceded just two goals from corners, set-pieces, and throw-ins in 2024/25, three fewer than any other team in the division.

Pragmatism: One of the main criticisms of Postecoglou was his unwavering tactical approach and reluctance to adjust. In Frank, Tottenham have acquired the opposite - a Dane with a proven ability to regularly mix up tactics and keep opponents guessing. Brentford frequently switched between a back four and back five under Frank, although the Bees favored a 4-2-3-1 formation for most of last season. When injuries hit in 2023/24 (much like Spurs faced last season), Frank spoke about returning to ‘base camp’ to secure Brentford's top-flight status. His willingness to adapt is arguably one of his greatest strengths.

A focus on quality, not quantity: There’s a YouTube clip of Frank explaining some of his footballing principles to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, where his aversion to wasted opportunities in attack is palpable. Known for his data-led approach, Frank urged his Brentford side to take shots with the highest possible probability of success. The Bees practised what their former manager preached and topped the Premier League last season for shooting accuracy, with an impressive shots-on-target percentage of 40%. Part of Brentford’s success came from targeting opponents in their own six-yard box - 17 of the Bees’ 66 Premier League goals were scored from close range last term.

Strong discipline: Brentford under Frank were not in the habit of giving opponents any help, and Tottenham fans can expect the Dane to instill discipline in his new side. Only Manchester City (57) picked up fewer bookings than Brentford (62) last season, and the Bees conceded the second fewest free-kicks in the top tier (320), thereby denying opponents set-piece opportunities.

Direct football with risk: Frank consistently spoke about adding control to Brentford’s game. The Bees averaged more possession last season than in any previous top-flight campaign, but their success was built on direct, effective football that troubled opponents. Both of Brentford’s former goalkeepers, David Raya and Mark Flekken, topped the charts for accurate long balls, and Frank is likely to use his number one - be it Guglielmo Vicario or another stopper—to launch plenty of attacks. It is also worth noting that Arsenal (129) were the only team to win more tackles in their attacking third than Brentford (121) in 2024/25. Tottenham fans can expect their new manager to encourage his team to hunt in packs high up the pitch to win the ball in dangerous areas.

On paper, Frank’s appointment ticks many boxes: he is smart, pragmatic, and has shown he can develop players like Raya, Ivan Toney, and Bryan Mbeumo, just to name a few.

The big unknown remains whether Frank can instill the winning mentality that, ironically, defined his predecessor Postecoglou.