Thomas Frank felt that he had achieved all that he could with Bretford and was demanding a new challenge for a while. Oh, boy, did he get it with Tottenham Hotspur. Only, that Frank’s tactics seem to be working for the moment, the club’s used the transfer window well, and expectations are high. Didn’t see that coming, eh?
But what exactly is Thomas Frank’s plan? How do the tactics make sense for the squad he has at his disposal?
This is what I’m looking at here, as, humbly, I try to predict what the future may hold for the Danish manager and his new team.
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Career Prior to Managing Tottenham
It’s the carer path cited relentlessly on Football Manager forums. Before managing Brentford, Thomas Frank was in charge of Denmark’s youth team. In fact, he’d advanced from the Under-12 squad all the way up to the Under-19.
Frank, who had had only a very short career as a footballer, had also been head manager of a notable Scandi side, Brøndby, before abruptly quitting and, first, linking up with Brentford as their assistant manager.
It all seems to have gone according to plan. But how much of what’s happened is the result of top planning from Bretford, and how much is Frank’s flair. Let me try to explain.
Tactical Philosophy
It’s only the first weeks of the 2025/26 season as I’m writing this. Spurs have started strongly (although they lost last week). Frank has often been praised, in contrast to managers like Man United’s Ruben Amorim, for his tactical flexibility. Is this accurate?
Yes, Thomas Frank’s greatest asset has been his ability to respond effectively to changes. Just look at Bretford. Because of the positive results, the team routinely lost some of its finest players. Frank and the club always looked capable of replacing them with ease.
Formations and instructions may change, but Frank’s core tactical values remain the same. Thomas Frank’s team play with tremendous physical intensity and is exceptionally direct. Remember Brennan Johnson’s goal against Manchester City this season? It’s the result of bringing in those principles.
But are Spurs fans guaranteed to be entertained? Not always, in my opinion. Unlike Ange Postecoglou, Frank’s teams don’t play reckless football. They defend deep and go man-to-man whenever possible.
They play with width, often chucking vertical passes forward, and attackers must make the most of their xG. Does Frank find the prerequisites of success at Tottenham?
Many of the ingredients are there, yes. Djed Spence has been promoted, alongside Pedro Porro, to be the team’s pacey wing-backs. Mohammed Kudus has been brought in to add strength and technique down the right flank, while Brennan Johnson has developed into a player capable of bringing the same to the opposite flank. Richarlison is an attacker who can develop into a “Thomas Frank player,” perhaps. The central defenders are tough off the ball and capable with it. Is it enough, though?
Formations and Adaptability
Thomas Frank’s tactics, indeed, adapt to fit the squad’s strengths and the challenges that the team faces. Early on, the manager adopted a 3-5-2 formation that reminded many of Brentford.
He switched to a 4-2-3-1 later on (which Brentford has also used in the past), and made changes to the central midfield. These changes meant that players like Lucas Bergvall are slowly being given a greater role, adding some technical flair to this Spurs side.
In fact, these alterations will be made across the season, based on the type of opposition the Spurs face. The likes of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentacur are more likely to get game time against more formidable opposition (like Manchester City) and when Spurs are forced to defend in a condensed 4-4-2.
We’ve also seen interesting player rotations in attack, with Kudus and Richarlison giving defenders trying to defend man-to-man an additional headache.
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham in Defence
Brentford used to defend by squeezing out of shape and playing man-to-man defence. Tottenham does something similar under Thomas Frank, although, at the moment, the principles are kept even simpler.
Whereas Brentford typically used to bring the striker further down when pressing, Richarlison and one of the wingers now try to challenge the central defenders where the opposition’s attack begins.
Meanwhile, the other players adopt man-to-man pressing. When this works, it encourages the opposition to make mistakes. This can lead to a rapid Spurs counterattack.
Is it a foolproof tactic? There’s no such thing! While we saw managers like Marcelo Bielsa adopt this style in the EPL just a few years back, man-to-man marking is risky because the opposition just needs to create overloads, or have one technical player dribble past his marker, to leave Spurs scrambling to defend.
Spurs in Transition
Tottenham tries to build from the back. One of the two central defenders, Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven, will initiate the attack. They’ll receive support from one of the two double pivots, for example, Palhinha.
During this time, the two full-backs will create width. If they receive the ball, they’ll try either to play it directly down their flank to the winger (or, perhaps, to Pepe Matar Sarr acting as a mezzala) or switch play to the opposite flank.
Playing this way, and with speed, can really put the opposition’s press on the wrong foot. With many Premier League teams choosing to press aggressively and go man-to-man, this tactic can, within seconds, put Tottenham free on goal.
Tottenham in Attack
Bretford always played direct, exciting football when in attack. Frank has moved those ideas on to Spurs and even expanded upon them.
Many of the team’s attacking patterns involve long passes from one flank to the other. Frank uses what some have termed “double width.” Simply, I suppose, this means that two players, the winger and full-back, are set up on the flank to run into a corridor of space. It’s a tactic often used in the past in 4-4-2 formations. When used correctly, it can help the team get over the congested middle part of the pitch.
When in attack, Spurs attempts to maintain its width. This means that goal scoring opportunities don’t arrive just from crossing the ball ot the tall striker, but, I think, also from eventual cut-backs to players who started out the attacking phase on the opposite flank.
Randal Kolo Muani, the striker brought in on transfer deadline day, could really help Spurs. The former Juventus and PSG forward may lack dribbling and passing abilities, but can still make a great threat if provided the right opportunities.
What’s Next for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur?
Thomas Frank’s greatest asset is that he is not the finished product. He is a manager still learning and willing to experiment, change, and adapt. He does this, however, with a good degree of confidence.
On the other hand, will Frank’s tactics that worked for a side, technically, trying to avoid relegation, work for one that, technically, is eyeing Champions League football? In my opinion, while exciting at first, this tactic will need to be greatly adapted to work in the long run.
I also think, however, that Frank will implement these changes. Managers hoping to profit from playing against a Spurs side that always uses the same routine may well be surprised.
Thomas Frank is a fine manager, and getting the Tottenham job is a great opportunity. The EPL is too strong to anticipate if this will be a success, but it will certainly be an interesting chapter.
Now that you know all of this, you must apply your tactical knowledge. Don’t forget that all Spurs and Premier League games are part of free contests in FootballCoin. Get your team ready and start winning prizes daily!
