Why Thomas Frank could be a perfect fit for Tottenham as Spurs face threat of angry player revolt | OneFootball

Charisma, communication skills and good record of developing players could be key to Brentford boss being a hit in north London

Pochettino spent only 18 months at Southampton before being snapped up by Spurs, whereas Frank has been at Brentford since 2016 and manager since 2018.

But the principle is the same: a charismatic head coach who has overperformed on a tight budget at an upwardly-mobile Premier League club constantly pillaged for its best players. For Pochettino and Southampton then, read Frank and Brentford now.

Frank has done an impressive job in seven years in charge at Brentford

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Frank, 51, has produced a remarkable body of work at Brentford, who he has hauled to new heights in leading them to and then establishing them in the Premier League.

Replacing Postecoglou will not be easy.

The Australian led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years and had a strong bond with the players, with many said to be unhappy about his brutal sacking two weeks after winning the Europa League.

Postecoglou’s successor will face a huge task to repair the dressing-room damage and Frank’s charisma could be key in getting the players onside early.

His demeanour at Brentford has shown him to be relaxed and well-humoured under the pressures of being a Premier League manager.

He is one of most emotionally intelligent head coaches around and has a demonstrated a track record of developing players, as Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, Ivan Toney and his two current stars Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa can attest.

Results will determine how quickly he wins over supporters but Frank has always got his message across well through the media at Brentford.

Frank’s track record at Brentford proves he deserves the chance to manage to a top club

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Frank, who was interviewed for the Chelsea job last summer, has previously worked with Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange.

He has shown he is tactically flexible, he is not wedded to one way of playing and takes a hands-on approach on the training pitch.

Brentford play high-energy, high-efficiency, data-driven football. In the metric of on-field performance relative to wages, Brentford have been top of the Premier League every single season since their 2021 promotion under Frank. He can turn little into a lot.

With more games per season and a new challenge of the Champions League to overcome, can Frank adapt to a grander stage? While he started slowly at both Brondby and Brentford, he has made a success of each and every career step so far.

The decision to make a fresh start under a new manager comes amid the biggest shake-up at Spurs in more than two decades under Enic ownership.

Major changes are being implemented behind the scenes, where a boardroom overhaul continued last week with the departure of Levy’s right-hand woman Donna Cullen.

Cullen had been on the Spurs board since 2006, had a prominent role at the stadium and at the training ground and was seen as Levy’s closest ally.

Yet she stepped down on Monday, the same day former Arsenal director Vinai Venkatesham started work as the club’s new chief executive.

Further changes are expected, with chief football officer Scott Munn’s future in doubt.

Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici has also been linked with a return to Spurs once his worldwide ban - for alleged financial irregularities dating back to his spell at Juventus - is lifted at the end of this month.

The boardroom shake-up is an attempt to place more football expertise closer to Levy, who has always been the club’s decision-maker on a day-to-day basis.

Levy will now have others alongside him with heavy involvement in football matters.

Such changes are with a view to greater success on the pitch amid the possibility of fresh investment, from Enic or elsewhere.

The most important determinant of which direction the club now heads in is who is appointed as head coach.

If hired and then properly backed, Frank could be a success story at Spurs.