Tottenham ex-coach lined up to replace Thomas Frank as Brentford manager
Brentford have been scouting for a new manager as Thomas Frank finalises his move to Tottenham.
Frank has been in charge of Brentford for seven and a half years, having initially joined as Richard O’Kelly’s assistant in 2016.
The Bees are now preparing for life without the Dane, who looks set to join Tottenham after days of negotiations.
The 51-year-old has cemented his name into Bees folklore after not only bringing them up from the Championship, but also establishing them as a solid Premier League outfit.
Brentford are now looking for the ideal replacement to continue the upward trajectory, and have earmarked a former Spurs coach as the ideal candidate.
Justin Cochrane is Brentford’s first choice to replace Frank
In quite a remarkable turn of events, Ange Postecoglou has been tipped to replace Frank, but Justin Cochrane has also recently emerged as a candidate.
Cochrane joined Brentford in 2022 as a first-team assistant coach, having previously worked at Tottenham’s academy for several years, working with the Under-11s, U12s, U14s, U16s, and U23s.
It was believed that Cochrane would join Frank at Spurs, but according to The Independent (12 June), the 43-year-old is now the Bees’ first choice to replace the Danish manager at Brentford.
Frank remains keen to bring Cochrane to North London, but Brentford will provide stern resistance.
It would be a huge step up for the former Antigua and Barbuda international, who has never held a senior position in his coaching career.
Nevertheless, he has a wealth of experience, having joined Thomas Tuchel’s England coaching staff in February this year, and would present a risky but exciting appointment for the West London side.
Frank’s appointment at Tottenham has many moving parts
The Lilywhites will no doubt be eager for Frank to be announced sooner rather than later, but the deal is proving quite complex.
Brentford are a well-run club and will no doubt be ensuring their demands are met, including their new stance on Cochrane’s future.
Daniel Levy has also had to contend with a £10million release clause, and has to negotiate with Frank which members of his backroom staff he wishes to bring before even discussing transfer targets such as Bryan Mbuemo.