'Opposite of Postecoglou' - what could Spurs expect from 'chef' Frank?

"I astir apt won't beryllium astatine Brentford forever," Thomas Frank told BBC Sport successful January erstwhile asked astir his ambitions. "I will possibly locomotion into different club."

That nine could beryllium Tottenham Hotspur, who vanished 17th successful nan Premier League array - 7 places beneath Brentford - but will play successful nan Champions League adjacent play aft winning nan Europa League.

Spurs person closed nan doorway connected nan Ange Postecoglou era and are bidding to switch him pinch nan Dane who established Brentford successful nan Premier League aft winning promotion from nan Championship successful 2021.

Frank, 51, is nan second-longest-serving existent head successful English football's top-flight down Manchester City's Pep Guardiola.

"It is conscionable a mobility of time," said six-time Premier League-winning leader Guardiola past September, erstwhile asked if he was amazed Frank, appointed by Brentford successful 2018, had not been offered a bigger job.

Frank did not play shot professionally, external but has overseen 152 Premier League games - winning 54, losing 60 and taking 200 points from a imaginable 456.

Of nan 54 managers to return complaint of 150-plus games successful nan Premier League era, Frank ranks 29th for points per crippled (1.32).

During his Brentford reign, Frank has spent £254m connected players and received £183m successful income - a nett walk of £71m. Tottenham person spent £961m connected transfers since 2016-17, according to FootballTransfer.com data., external

Frank, who has been described arsenic nan other of Postecoglou for his adaptability, would beryllium Tottenham's 4th imperishable head since 30 June 2021.

Nuno Espirito Santo lasted conscionable 4 months, Antonio Conte 16 months and Postecoglou, contempt ending nan club's 17-year hold for a awesome trophy, has been sent packing aft 2 years.

"There's overmuch much unit astatine Tottenham than location is astatine Brentford, because of nan anticipation - and nan head has to grip that expectation," Chris Sutton, a Premier League victor pinch Blackburn Rovers successful 1994-95, told BBC Sport.

Frank's boundless power and motivational skills person sewage nan very champion retired of Brentford, who are readying for a 5th consecutive play successful nan Premier League contempt 1 of nan smallest budgets.

He has built a estimation for producing teams afloat of beardown characters pinch nary egos, and has helped nan likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa go amended players - arsenic good arsenic galore others.

Often described arsenic a 'great human', Frank built beardown relationships and socialised pinch his players and unit - sharing his emotion of padel - and has been praised regularly for his motivational skills.

Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Thomas is very individual pinch nan players.

"He cares a batch astir really we are and really we feel. It's a very important value for a head to have.

"Not each head has it, and nan ones that do look to person much success. He's decidedly a leader and personification who guides us. He's done a awesome occupation successful nan years that I've worked pinch him astatine Brentford."

Managing Brentford feels a very different proposition to managing Spurs though - moving from a nine pinch consistently 1 of nan lowest budgets successful nan division, to 1 afloat of high-paid, high-profile players.

Sutton described Tottenham's determination to portion ways pinch Postecoglou arsenic "madness", and added: "That is really things activity astatine nan nine that Frank is stepping into."

He besides also believes Spurs are taking a bet connected a head who has nary acquisition successful nan Champions League.

"Thomas Frank has done a superb occupation astatine Brentford, but this is simply a full different kettle of fish," said Sutton.

"Because of nan anticipation astatine Tottenham, Frank won't get clip to get his feet nether nan table. He will beryllium nether unit from nan off.

"Postecoglou has conscionable won them their first awesome European trophy for 41 years and has gone. So already you person to wonderment what does Frank request to do this play to support his job?

"The purpose for Frank will beryllium to support them successful nan Champions League, and whether that is by making nan apical 4 aliases five, that is not going to beryllium easy.

"That is simply a large inquire for this squad, to compete connected some fronts. We cognize this Tottenham squad is amended than 17th place, because they vanished 5th successful Postecoglou's first year, but different Premier League teams person improved since then."

Brentford vanished 2024-25 pinch much points than Tottenham (56 compared pinch 38), much goals (66-64) and less goals conceded (57-65).

In addition, Mbeumo (20), Wissa (19) and Kevin Schade (11) scored 50 goals betwixt them aft Frank was forced to accommodate pursuing nan departure of Toney - 36 goals successful 83 top-flight appearances for nan Bees - to Saudi Pro League nine Al-Ahli.

There person been galore different versions of Brentford though since Frank first took charge. High-possession football, much counter-attacks, much percent shot - Frank has played them all, starring to galore seeing him arsenic 1 of nan game's much elastic coaches.

From attacking flair and bravery, to astatine times being much pragmatic, what would Spurs look for illustration nether Frank?

"It's a amazingly difficult mobility to reply because he's a really elastic manager," said shot strategies writer Alex Keble.

"He will automatically accommodate his strategies to whoever nan guidance is, a spot for illustration Unai Emery astatine Aston Villa.

"In galore ways he's nan other of Ange Postecoglou, who is famously wedded to 1 idea.

"There's a statistic - what Opta telephone 10+ - referring to nan number of passes and sequences [in 1 move]. In 2023-24 Brentford registered 245. In 2024-25 that fig was 325.

"That tells you arsenic clip has gone on, Frank has wanted to play a much possession-based game. There's surely plentifulness of counter-attacks, accelerated transitions and plentifulness of highly choreographed agelong balls guardant - nonstop football."

Who are nan Tottenham players who could use from nan presence of Frank, a head who pays awesome attraction to stats?

"You tin surely ideate Dominic Solanke linking pinch Wilson Odobert successful a measurement Wissa and Mbeumo interact," added Keble.

"Defensively, Tottenham are slightest for illustration Brentford. Would Frank look astatine nan Spurs squad and deliberation 'I can't play Brentford shot here'?"

Spurs fans struggled to bargain into nan marque of shot nether caller managers Jose Mourinho and Conte. Would they return to nan Frank style?

"I deliberation nan measurement he played astatine Brentford was rather balanced - they had different ways of playing, depending connected nan opposition," added Sutton.

"His Brentford squad played bully shot astatine a precocious intensity, but yet fans return to managers erstwhile they triumph games, and that is it.

"I do deliberation he has sewage different strings to his bow, but it will beryllium absorbing to spot what Tottenham do recruitment-wise this summer."

Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy is different to praise Frank's versatile approach.

"They had a awesome strength and physicality astir them," Murphy told BBC Sport astir Brentford past season. "They alteration their crippled arsenic good arsenic immoderate different squad successful nan Premier League."

Frank, praised for his methodical detail, has likened managing successful nan Premier League to being a caput cook successful a high-end restaurant.

"The cook needs to beryllium capable to navigator nan nutrient himself," said Frank.

"He's sewage 20 different chefs doing each these things for him truthful he's starring each these galore chefs done his vision, his recipes and they are maximising each small detail.

"But he knows really nan cleanable result should be."

His floor plan has rocketed since he arrived successful England successful 2016, being appointed Brentford's adjunct caput coach, external nether Dean Smith.

Despite not playing professionally, he has ended up successful nan Premier League aft starting his coaching travel pinch nan under-eights of his hometown nine Frederiksvaerk.

He progressed to go coach of Denmark astatine various younker levels until 2013, erstwhile he was offered a first-team coaching domiciled astatine Danish Superliga giants Brondby.

Former striker Lee Rochester Sorensen, who was portion of nan Denmark Under-17 side, said: "He was ever looking to amended and had a scheme for each measurement of nan way.

"Thomas ever had a scheme A, B and C, making it clear what was needed done nan 4 phases of play, from our goalkeeper to our attackers - he'd show america really to property our opponents and nan reasons why."

Ex-Brondby midfielder Martin Ornskov enjoyed Frank's collaborative attack during their clip together astatine nan club.

"There were times erstwhile he'd talk solutions pinch america during games," he said. "Far from seeing it arsenic a weakness, I saw that arsenic a strength.

"I knew he'd beryllium liked arsenic a personification and could germinate arsenic a coach, but to activity successful nan Premier League without having nan acquisition aliases being a large sanction was a immense test.

"But nan point astir Thomas was he was ever truthful funny astir shot - he lived for nan game. I saw a different coach astatine nan extremity of my 3 years pinch him."

After Frank Lampard left his domiciled arsenic Chelsea boss successful 2023, Frank invited nan erstwhile England midfielder to watch Brentford train.

"When you spot personification for illustration Thomas and really diligent he is and really good he speaks, you understand he has put thousands of hours into viewing, observing, moving retired his way, his attack to people," Lampard, now leader astatine Coventry City, told nan Football Daily podcast.

BBC Radio London commentator Phil Parry added: "Thomas Frank arsenic a head is exceptionally gifted, arsenic a personification he's awesome - he's an exceptional coach and leader.

"He besides accepts he is nan caput of thing that is very important. He stands connected nan shoulders of different giants who make that point tick."

Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.