3 Thomas Frank alternatives Tottenham should consider | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou is gone, sacked despite ending Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought in emphatic style with a 1-0 win over Man United in the Europa League final. In the end, it was their domestic form that got him; 22 Premier League defeats are hard to sugarcoat.

According to The Athletic’s transfer guru David Ornstein, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is the leading candidate to take over from the well-liked Australian. It’s a move that makes a lot of sense, but as Tottenham have learnt before, it’s never smart to put all your eggs in one basket.

Frank has done wonders in (technically) West London; the opportunity to work with a bigger budget and compete in the Champions League would be a huge draw. Still, in the unlikely event this one doesn’t happen, here are three managers we believe Tottenham should give a call.

Marco Silva

Admittedly, this one is pretty predictable. Other than Frank, Silva has been one of the heavy favourites to take over at Spurs since Postecoglou’s job came under threat. His Fulham side last season certainly proves he’s capable of ruffling some feathers.

He has a marketable style of play and personal look. A trendy, young, and European manager, Daniel Levy would likely love to see his young Tottenham squad managed by such a man. He’s Andre Villas-Boas but without the Chelsea links.

Like Frank, he’s Premier League proven, working with the type of budget that would struggle to see them genuinely compete for Champions League football, but still doing a good job to consistently be in the conversation for something. Fulham won’t want to see him go, that’s for sure.

Sebastian Hoeness

Not too long ago, Hoeness was being linked with the likes of Chelsea and Man United, clubs in relatively similar positions to Tottenham, after taking his Stuttgart side to a second-place finish in the 2023-24 Bundesliga title.

This season, his stock has fallen somewhat. Stuttgart came ninth, missing out on European football entirely, after some really crushing defeats throughout February and March. They did manage to end the season well, however, winning four of their last five games.

Hoeness is in a similar mold to Thomas Tuchel. Pragmatic and efficient, yet capable of getting the most out of his players. He largely plays with a 3-4-3, so Tottenham’s current squad would need to get used to an entirely new system all over again. In the long run, though, the German could be one of the greats.

Vincenzo Italiano

“Who?” we hear some of you ask. Well, current Bologna manager Italiano could well be the answer to the prayers of Tottenham fans across the globe. After guiding his side to the Coppa Italia trophy, beating giants AC Milan in the process, he has a taste for silverware.

Stylistically, it makes a lot of sense, too. Over the past few seasons, Tottenham players have gone from Jose Mourinho to Nuno Espirito Santo to Antonio Conte, and then to Postecoglou. They’ve been asked to adapt to so many different styles, their heads must be spinning.

Like big Ange, Italiano prefers a 4-2-3-1, wanting his side to play fluid football and dominate possession wherever possible. One thing the Italian would bring that Ange didn’t, however, is defensive solidity. Bologna conceded 18 fewer league goals than Spurs last season.

Italiano likes to have two strong ball-playing centre-backs to build up from, but unlike Postecoglou, wants his two midfielders to sit just ahead of the back four rather than press with such intensity their lungs might burst.

Verdict

With Champions League football to offer, Spurs will likely have a line of managers outside the door should the move for Frank somehow not go through. Although all three of these managers have their merits, the most likely would be Marco Silva. Sorry Fulham fans!

Get Football | Alex Roberts