Thomas Frank reunited with Brentford star in new Tottenham XI to take Premier League by storm

With Thomas Frank’s appointment now official, attention shifts towards how his Tottenham team may look.

His 312 games in charge of Brentford presented some clues when it comes to what formations he likes to use and the style of play the Dane plans to implement.

Frank has taken on the biggest job of his managerial career

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Frank has taken on the biggest job of his managerial careerCredit: Getty

But the reality for Frank is that the stakes are higher than ever before, especially with a Champions League campaign on the horizon.

He’s also dealing with players of a collectively higher – and more expensive – calibre at Tottenham than at Brentford.

So, what can fans expect of Frank’s Spurs?

And, perhaps more intriguingly, how might the team line up?

For starters, Brentford under Frank shared a number of similar traits to Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou.

They were attack-minded, with the Bees scoring the fifth-most goals in the Premier League last season with an impressive tally of 66.

Goalscoring was a consistent theme of Frank’s tenure at Brentford as the club scored 56 and 58 goals in the two preceding top flight campaigns.

Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa were central to the club’s goalscoring efforts in the 2024/25 season as the duo netted a staggering 20 and 19 goals respectively.

But it’s not just with the ball Brentford were a force to be reckoned with under Frank.

They were like a rabid junkyard dog without it.

The Dane had Brentford humming in the final third with and without the ball

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The Dane had Brentford humming in the final third with and without the ballCredit: Getty

According to Opta, Brentford completed a staggering 319 high turnovers in the league last term.

It was the sixth-most in the league and only one behind Tottenham, highlighting a common link between Frank and Postecoglou’s styles.

In addition to their high turnovers, Statmuse ranked Brentford as the team with the fourth-most ball recoveries completed in the final third.

The Bees won the ball an impressive 1,928 times in the final third, which was 53 more recoveries than Tottenham, who were ranked seventh, made.

In a way, Tottenham fans should expect more of the same when it comes to watching their players be incredibly aggressive out of possession under Frank.

When it comes to how Brentford liked to attack, the Bees had a tendency to bombard the opposition box with crosses.

Most successful crosses in 24/25 Premier League

Last season, the Bees completed 113 crosses, the fifth-most in the Premier League, per Opta.

Tottenham were only one place behind in the rankings, with 108 successful crosses.

Those statistics point towards Frank wanting his team to play in wide areas before getting the ball in, so plenty will be expected from his wingers while his full-backs will be expected to join in on attacks.

Although Frank proved to be a more pragmatic manager than Postecoglou, even if the Australian tweaked his gung-ho approach towards the end of his tenure, the Dane’s core principles are there to see.

Highly aggressive without the ball and a bombardment into the box from wide spaces.

Now, how might Frank go about his line-up?

Go to Spurs! Perry Groves urges Bryan Mbeumo to REJECT Manchester United for Tottenham

Throughout his time at Brentford, Frank often used a 3-5-2, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formation.

Given he finished the 2024/25 campaign using the 4-2-3-1 line-up it seems logical to continue that theme, although there’s every chance Frank looks to switch things up once the new season rolls around.

In goal, Guglielmo Vicario remains the number one choice and there has been little reporting about a potential replacement.

Therefore, it’s safe to expect the Italian will retain his place.

At left-back, Frank’s arrival could unlock Destiny Udogie.

Under Postecoglou, Udogie often had to invert into a midfield role rather than stay as a conventional left-back.

Thomas Frank’s most-used formations in the Premier League

But given Frank’s propensity for getting his players to cross the ball often, it could be the perfect tonic for Udogie to remind fans of his attacking qualities.

Similar goes for Pedro Porro, who made the third-most successful crosses in the league last term (34) from 133 attempted.

At centre-back, Micky van de Ven is the logical choice but his partner is of greater intrigue.

Ordinarily it would be Cristian Romero, but given reports have linked him with a move away and the fact he curiously timed his farewell post to Postecoglou less than an hour after Frank’s arrival, the World Cup winner is no guarantee to remain in a Tottenham shirt going into next season.

It’s why Kevin Danso is the safer pick to line up alongside Van de Ven, although there may be scope for Frank to bring in a right centre-back of his choice.

For the midfield pivots, Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray could prove to be a formidable pairing.

Gray could thrive under Frank's patient guidance

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Gray could thrive under Frank’s patient guidanceCredit: Getty

Gray was linked with a move to Brentford before he joined Tottenham, so Frank will be acutely aware of the quality he brings.

He now has key Premier League experience under his belt having been thrown into the deep end out of necessity by Postecoglou amid the club’s injury crisis last term.

As for Bentancur, he offers a calming presence in the midfield and can keep the ball circulating while also offering some needed bite in challenges.

The attacking three in front of them is where things get a little interesting.

Following Frank’s appointment, talkSPORT understands the club has stepped up their interest in Mbeumo, who played the best football of his career under the Dane.

Although Manchester United are also in for his signature, the fact he already enjoyed a working relationship with Frank could give Tottenham a major boost in the Mbeumo sweepstakes.

Mbeumo has scored an impressive 70 goals for the Bees under Frank

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Mbeumo has scored an impressive 70 goals for the Bees under FrankCredit: Getty

Dejan Kulusevski would operate as the attacking midfielder, with his industry and guile the exact profile Frank wants from his players in the final third.

As for the left-winger, talkSPORT understands Tottenham hold genuine interest in Manchester City outcast Jack Grealish.

The 29-year-old would offer something completely different to anyone in the Tottenham squad.

Given City had the longest sequence time out of anyone in the Premier League (15.54 seconds, per Opta), with a sequence being a passage of play for a team that ends in a defensive action, stoppage in play or a shot, Grealish’s best abilities were shackled.

But given Brentford had the sixth-shortest sequence time (9.31 seconds), it shows Frank wants things to happen quickly and that suits Grealish, who became a £100million star in 2021 thanks to his brilliant dribbling skills that propelled Aston Villa up the field and into the final third.

Up top, expect Dominic Solanke to retain his spot as he will relish the countless crosses coming his way.

How close could this be to Tottenham's line-up for their first 25/26 match?

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How close could this be to Tottenham’s line-up for their first 25/26 match?Credit: talkSPORT

Tottenham fans won’t have to wait terribly long to see the seeds of Frank’s tactical plan in action.

The club’s first pre-season fixture takes place on July 26 against Luton Town before they travel to Asia for games against Arsenal and Newcastle on July 31 and August 3 respectively.

They will wrap up preparations for the new campaign on August 7 with a friendly against Bayern Munich.

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