Tottenham Hotspur could find their next Mauricio Pochettino in Thomas Frank…
Tottenham manager news – Is Thomas Frank in the running?
According to the Daily Record, the Brentford head coach is among the favourites to take over at Spurs in the summer, whilst reports from his home country claim the 49-year-old is set to move to a 'bigger club' ahead of next season.
Now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Paul Brown delivered his verdict. He said:
"If they were to go with someone who is not as high profile or hasn't won quite as much in the game as other managers then, I do think Thomas Frank deserves to be in the conversation.
"I think Thomas Frank is one of the best coaches in the Premier League and if you look at this as the first season for a while, where the table pretty much shows you who the best-coached teams are."
Could Frank be Pochettino 2.0 for Spurs?
Two of Tottenham's last three appointments have gone down a similar route, appointing illustrious and trophy-laden managers in the form of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. As we know now, neither went to plan and the north London outfit is the only place where both have failed to win silverware in their coaching careers.
Pochettino was the last person to bring relative success to the club, reaching a Champions League final in 2019 and he regularly had them competing at the highest level, having registered three successive top-three finishes in the Premier League.
It took just one season at Southampton – his first in England – for chairman Daniel Levy to pull the trigger on the Argentine.
Frank is similar in this regard, having caught the eye at a so-called 'lesser' side in the English top-flight, only he's done it across multiple seasons rather than just one. The Dane originally joined the Bees as an assistant coach in December 2016 but was appointed as first-team manager in October 2018 following the departure of Dean Smith.
Back-to-back third-placed finishes in the Championship was finally rewarded with promotion, via the playoffs, in 2021 and in their maiden Premier League campaign, he guided them to 13th. This term, Brentford are currently in ninth and have an outside chance of qualifying for one of UEFA's three European competitions.
During his time at the Gtech Community Stadium, Frank has shown tactical versatility and has made the most of the club's impressive recruitment. Whether it's a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3, the Bees have beaten both defending champions Manchester City, as well as Liverpool this season.
The counter-attacking 49-year-old coach would also drill in a ruthless edge into the side as his current side rank first for aerial duels and goals from set-pieces, as per FBref.
It's perhaps little surprise to have seen him subsequently lauded as "simply extraordinary" and "incredible" by journalist Ryan Taylor and as "special" by former Burnley defender Ben Mee.
In Frank, Levy and co could genuinely find their next Pochettino – someone who would bring an honest and exciting style of football, having impressed in the Premier League at a club outside the usual top six.