Thomas Frank – All you need to know about ‘fantastic’ Tottenham manager
Thomas Frank could soon command the respect he deserves now that he is Tottenham’s manager.
Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham during a turbulent time in the North London club’s history.
Tottenham had just won the UEFA Europa League after a 17-year trophy drought while finishing 17th in the Premier League that same season. Tensions were high, and Spurs fans were not going to make it easy for Postecoglou’s successor.
However, a couple of months later and Frank seems as though he’s been managing Tottenham for years. His fluid tactical set-up and unique understanding of the game have allowed fans and the players to trust his approach.
Thomas Frank’s managerial history
Before he cemented himself as a capable first-team coach, Frank spent 18 years as a youth coach.
The Dane kick-started his coaching career with the Under-8s team at his hometown club Frederiksvæk in 1995. He was then promoted to the Under-12s team two years later, before having stints at Hvidovre, B93 and Lyngby.
In July 2008, Frank was appointed as manager for the Denmark national Under-16s and Under-17s.
- He took the U17s to the European Under-17s Championship finals for the first time in eight years
- Frank also led them to the Under-17s World Cup
Frank was promoted to manage Denmark’s Under-19s in July 2012 before he took up his first permanent managerial position at Danish Superliga club Brondby on 10 June 2013.
However, the Dane resigned from his position on 9 March 2016 after chairman Jan Bech Andersen criticised him under a pseudonym on an online supporters forum.
From 2016 to 2018, Frank joined Brentford as assistant head coach alongside Richard O’Kelly. After learning the ropes, he was promoted to the role of manager on 16 October 2018 following the departure of Dean Smith.
It took him two seasons before he led Brentford to Premier League promotion during the 2020/21 season after a 2-0 win over Swansea City in the 2021 Championship play-off final.
His stellar work at Brentford despite limited resources earned him the respect of his peers. Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter said on 18 October 2022: “I think Brentford are really good at what they do. Thomas has done a fantastic job there; they use the quality of their players well.
“They have limited resources if you compare everybody in the Premier League, but they’ve made the most out of what they have, and that’s a credit to Thomas and his staff and all the players there at Brentford.”
- Frank finished 13th in his first season in the Premier League
- His highest placement was ninth during the 2022/23 season, and lowest was 16th in 2023/24
Frank was appointed Tottenham head coach on 12 June 2025, signing a contract until 2028.
Thomas Frank starts strong at Tottenham
Despite his extensive experience in England, there were concerns about Frank becoming Tottenham’s head coach. His lack of experience coaching one of the ‘big six’ was considered a red flag.
But Spurs’ defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final brought a renewed sense of hope in the Dane. Despite the defeat, Tottenham dominated the UEFA Champions League winners in a match which was decided by fine margins.
The start of the Premier League season was a hit for Frank, picking up all six points in games against Burnley and Manchester City. But the Lilywhites were soon stung in a defeat against Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, there remains huge optimism around Frank, and while it is early days, there is a sense that this is a Spurs team good enough to compete for all trophies this season.
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