Thomas Frank owes Ange Postecoglou a big thank you for one Tottenham transfer
Thomas Frank is reaping the rewards of the foundations laid by Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.
Through little fault of his own, Frank is primarily working with players he inherited from his predecessor, as Tottenham have only seen two new arrivals in Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus this summer.
Spurs look set to add a third in Joao Palhinha, and more are expected to arrive between now and the end of the transfer window.
Nevertheless, the make-up of the squad will mainly be signings made by Postecoglou, and Frank will be thankful for one player in particular as he looks to build the team in his image.
Wilson Odobert shining in pre-season for Tottenham
Wilson Odobert has shone in pre-season after enduring a torrid debut campaign marred by hamstring injuries at Hotspur Way.
Tottenham kept the move for the France Under-21 international under wraps until they announced his signature from Burnley for around £25million.
The youngster started his Spurs career brightly, but ended the season with a whimper after missing almost five months of action recovering from his muscular issues.
He looks to be rediscovering his form under Frank, as he followed up a positive performance against Wycombe Wanderers (26 July) with another impressive display against Arsenal (31 July).
The dynamic winger is known for his dribbling and direct play, and is clearly growing in confidence as he is driving at opponents more frequently.
There is still a lot of room for Odobert to grow, especially from a physical perspective, but the signs that he is starting to fulfil his talent are showing.
Frank will be excited to keep developing the 20-year-old and will be thankful to Postecoglou for bringing the gifted attacker to N17.
Jury is still out on a few of Postecoglou’s signings
It is reasonable to argue that players brought in by Postecoglou have had a positive impact, and given that the average age of his signings was below 23 years old, the majority will only improve over time.
However, the jury is still out on a couple of players, including Archie Gray, who was brought in for around £40million last summer from Leeds United.
The teenager has spent most of his Spurs career playing in defence thus far, and it remains to be seen whether he can convert his talent into becoming a regular in Tottenham’s first team.
Questions are also being raised about Brennan Johnson, who was Postecoglou’s most expensive signing in his first year at the club, but has looked ill-suited to playing on the wing despite ending last season as the club’s top goalscorer.
Radu Dragusin’s limitations on the ball have also caused concern, and the next couple of seasons will dictate whether these acquisitions will be deemed a success or otherwise.
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