As Thomas Frank takes the reins at Tottenham Hotspur, attention quickly turns to which players will form the backbone of his long-term vision. Known for his tactical discipline and emphasis on team cohesion, Frank inherits a squad in need of refinement—but not a complete overhaul.
We spoke to James Trembath, of LondonWorld, to break down who Frank is likely to prioritise in the coming months, how they fit his tactical style, and what this means for Spurs’ ambitions in the seasons ahead.
00:00As Thomas Frank takes the reins at Tottenham Hotspur, attention quickly turns to which players will form the backbone of his long-term vision.
00:12Over his tactical discipline and emphasis on team cohesion, Frank inherits a squad in need of refinement, but not a complete overhaul.
00:21The early signs suggest Spurs will focus on evolution rather than revolution, with a promising core already in place.
00:27The question is, who are the players Frank will build around as he shapes a side capable of challenging at the top once more?
00:36From established stars to emerging talents, several names stand out as pivotal.
00:41Players like James Madison provide proven quality, while younger figures such as Destiny Adoggy and Mickey van der Ven offer a foundation for the future.
00:51Finding the right balance between experience and potential will be central to Frank's approach.
00:57We caught up with James Trenbath of London World to break down who Frank is likely to prioritise in the coming months,
01:05how they fit his tactical style and what this means for Spurs' ambitions in the seasons to come.
01:11Yeah, I mean, you say there it's the best you've felt, I'm sure, as many Spurs fans have felt since Mauricio Pochettino came in.
01:21There's been so many managers in that gap. Do you feel this is the right one?
01:25Do you feel this is the sort of time to really get ambitious?
01:29I mean, obviously, back in the Champions League, it's going to be his first taste of European football as well.
01:33So maybe, you know, no real pressure on him to deliver in his first season.
01:38But where do you really, really want to see Spurs finish next season?
01:42It's got to be maybe aiming for that top six again because, you know, Spurs, the size of the club, the development of these players.
01:50Unfortunately for Frank, it seems that managers don't really get much time to prove their worth in the top flight.
01:55So he needs to get going very quickly. Do you feel he can with this group of players now?
02:02Yeah, I think so. And I think, you know, we will spend in the summer, you know, which has been well documented.
02:07We're extremely short in certain areas, albeit the squad's not as bad as the league position suggests.
02:12So, and he's got the chance to win a trophy in his first game.
02:15You know, we played PSG in the Super Cup. So, you know, we win that there at the Club World Cup this summer.
02:21So that might mean they're a little bit undercooked going into that.
02:24So great opportunity for Thomas Frank to really stamp his authority on the Tottenham squad and the team and win us our second trophy in a matter of months.
02:33Fingers crossed. So, but in terms of, you know, the league, it's almost a free hit, isn't it?
02:37I mean, the only way is up. If you're a Spurs fan looking at the league table, finishing 17 through 22 defeats, you know, the only way is up.
02:44And we need to be back punching in that top five or six, which I think is achievable.
02:50You know, I know the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal will spend as well.
02:55But there isn't a huge amount of difference between, you know, the teams probably fifth, sixth, seventh and Spurs at the moment.
03:01You know, we beat Aston Villa last year. We played very well against Newcastle twice.
03:06You know, we should have taken some points off Newcastle. Chelsea will spend again.
03:10So, you know, it's going to be tough, but there's no reason why we shouldn't be back, you know, punching, you know, fourth, fifth, sixth position and really trying to qualify for the Champions League again, league-wise.
03:20And then, look, we're looking for a good run in the Champions League, you know, if we can get a decent draw.
03:24Obviously, we're going to play some big teams in the way that the new format's structured.
03:27But let's have some fun. Let's go after it.
03:30And if we could get into the knockout stages, you know, I think that that'd be a really good season for Spurs, you know, top six knockout stages of the Champions League and having a good run at one of the domestic cups.
03:40But we do need a deeper squad. I think that's the that is the sort of Achilles heel.
03:45Thomas Frank's not got any European experience, so we're going to need some leaders in there as well to come in and, you know, really bolster the squad.
03:51But if we are to compete on multiple fronts, we're going to need to dip into the transfer market and we're going to need to strengthen in certain areas.
03:57And they need to be ready-made players. You know, signing the likes of Bergvall and Archie Gray is fantastic for the future.
04:03And, you know, you look at the growth in both of them, despite the challenges that we faced this year, Bergvall's turning into a star already and one of the first names on the team sheet.
04:12But we do need some experience in certain positions.
04:15And obviously, it'd be interesting now to see whether Thomas Frank goes back to Brentford and tries to sign the likes of Mbwemo would be a, you know, fantastic signing if we could hijack that deal from Manchester United.
04:25Gets on very well with Johan Langer, who's the director of football.
04:28And I think the big thing is as well, he's just adaptable.
04:31You know, he does play good football.
04:33There's been a little bit of negativity around the football that he's played, but he adapts depending on the situation of the opposition.
04:38And I think that's something that we haven't done under Anish Postakoglu and that's been very, very costly.
