Why Frank Could Be Spurs' Best Signing Of The Summer

Thomas Frank said he was "falling successful love" pinch Tottenham after nan side's 2-0 triumph astatine Manchester City - and nan emotion is communal pinch supporters.

The Dane could not person made a overmuch amended commencement to life successful nan Premier League pinch his caller side.

Saturday's consequence intends it is consecutive wins and successive cleanable sheets, pinch immoderate eye-catching attacking shot on nan way.

Frank, named arsenic Ange Postecoglou's replacement aft nan Australian coach guided Spurs to nan Europa League trophy past May, has already begun to triumph complete hearts and minds successful northbound London.

His awesome commencement has travel against nan backdrop of wide protagonist discontent astatine nan club's perceived failings successful this summer's transportation model and disillusionment pinch president Daniel Levy.

But bringing successful Frank from Brentford whitethorn beryllium nan club's champion signing of all.

The temper astatine Spurs has been peculiar this summer.

After nan precocious of winning nan Europa League astatine nan extremity of past season, supporters were hopeless for nan broadside to footwear connected aft a 17th spot decorativeness successful nan Premier League.

But Mohammed Kudus, a £50m signing from West Ham, and Joao Palhinha, a season-long indebtedness signing from Bayern Munich, person been nan only additions to nan first-team squad since Postecoglou's departure.

On nan club's pre-season tour, skipper Son Heung-min said farewell to nan club, while James Maddison suffered a knee wounded that has ruled him retired of nan mostly of nan season.

Supporters person past had to woody pinch nan ignominy of nan illness of 2 deals for high-profile transportation targets.

The nine activated a £60m merchandise clause successful Morgan Gibbs-White's statement astatine Nottingham Forest, only for nan England midfielder to motion a caller woody pinch nan nine little than a week later.

Spurs past thought they had tied up a woody for England winger Eberechi Eze, only for nan Crystal Palace playmaker to take rivals Arsenal astatine nan 11th hour.

"What is 100% judge is that we brought 2 apical players into nan nine - Kudus and Palhinha - and some of them person performed very well," said Frank.

"And Palhinha, wow. You know, sometimes players request confidence, and they request to beryllium connected top."

Club president Levy has been criticised pursuing nan illness of nan Eze woody and for nan club's transportation failings this summer.

There seemed to beryllium added venom to nan chants of "Levy out" from nan 3,000-strong distant pursuing astatine Manchester City's Etihad Stadium connected Saturday.

But it was Levy's determination to portion pinch Postecoglou and to prosecute Frank.

Despite finishing 17th past season, Spurs scored 64 times successful nan Premier League - only 5 less than second-placed Arsenal managed.

There was nary doubting that nan broadside played immoderate swashbuckling shot nether Postecoglou, but they conceded 65 times past term, to decorativeness pinch a antagonistic extremity quality of one.

Though Frank has only taken complaint for 2 Premier League matches, Spurs person been coagulated successful some pinch nan broadside keeping cleanable sheets successful both.

Asked astir nan quality betwixt nan 2 managers, 2023 signing Brennan Johnson said: "They are 2 different coaches. I'm really enjoying it. A batch of item goes into nan set-pieces, but astatine nan aforesaid clip he (Frank) gives america a batch of attacking freedom.

"We person kept 2 cleanable sheets and against Manchester City it is not easy. I person played present a batch of times and conceded a batch of goals."

One of nan main criticisms of Postecoglou was his refusal to accommodate to nan opposition.

When Spurs were winning games, nan Aussie's attack of "it's conscionable who we are, mate" went down good pinch supporters.

It wore bladed erstwhile nan likes of Ipswich and Leicester were leaving northbound London pinch 3 points.

But Postecoglou's biggest weakness is arguably Frank's biggest strength.

In nan Super Cup conclusion by Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, Spurs came wrong 60 seconds of beating Luis Enrique's side.

Frank opted for a 3-5-2 formation, utilising Richarlison and Kudus successful onslaught pinch an other centre-back to nullify nan threat of mendacious 9 Ousmane Dembele and suffocating nan abstraction for wingers Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

In Spurs' Premier League opener against Burnley - erstwhile they were favourites to triumph and would beryllium expected to person nan mostly of possession - Frank switched to a 4-3-3 statement and selected a midfield of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr.

Frank stuck pinch nan aforesaid statement against Manchester City connected Saturday but brought Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur - 2 defensively-minded midfielders - backmost into his starting line-up.

"The measurement nan caput coach has been capable to accommodate truthful early successful his tenure – sometimes utilizing a backmost 4 and sometimes a 5 - moreover bringing successful in Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, that was a masterstroke," said Match of nan Day pundit Micah Richards.

"Thomas Frank's brought a knowhow of really to spot games out."

After a successful 2 years pinch Fulham, Palhinha joined Bayern Munich for astir £44m successful 2024.

But wrong 12 months nan 30-year-old recovered himself backmost successful England aft failing to triumph complete head Vincent Kompany astatine nan Allianz Arena.

While there's nary doubting his off-the-ball work, Palhinha's struggles astatine Bayern raised questions complete his suitability to playing possession football

But nan midfielder has impressed astatine Spurs and was named subordinate of nan lucifer astatine Etihad Stadium aft winning much duels (eight) and making much tackles (four) than immoderate different subordinate connected nan pitch.

"The coach (Frank) pushed maine to travel present and showed maine nan project," Palhinha told TNT Sports.

"It is specified a awesome club, and I americium really gladsome to beryllium successful nan Premier League again.

"I americium truthful happy, maine and my family. Now I want to bask this apical nine and apical ambiance again."