Tottenham will be brave, aggressive and attacking next season, says Thomas Frank, while the new head coach of the club laid his vision.
During an in-times airy first press conference as a Spurs boss, Frank joked about the “different environment” of the high-end press facilities of the club on the training field, in contrast to the more modest setup he is used to during his seven-year term of office in Brentford.
He also acknowledged that he is in the honeymoon of this role. “Everyone is happy, the sun is shining …”
But a football coach does not go from managing in Denmark to the management of the Europa League winners – through an extremely impressive spell that maximizes Brentford's potential – without a clear philosophy.
Frank's is entangled with the motto of Spurs.
“I am very clear about the principles in every phase of the game. I want us to be brave and very aggressive. I also want to attack,” he said.
“Brave is absolutely linked [with] “Dare to do.” If you are not brave, it is difficult to achieve something. Brave is crucial. The aggressiveness is crucial if you want to win or achieve something. And you have to attack. “
Whether Frank gets the time to deliver that plan was a different theme of his opening fairs with the media as Spursbaas.
His predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, was fired despite winning the Europa League. Frank says that the Australian “will be a legend here forever” for that performance, but his dismissal reflected the ruthlessness of chairman Daniel Levy, who took five managers in the time Frank Brentford led.
“Only five? For now he is convinced that he will have the time to deliver his goals.
“Come to a big club, there is busy. We have to perform, I am, the staff and the players. We have to do it together,” he said. “I love the ambitions and everything I do, every decision that I make so far is not about surviving one game or a year. It is for the long term.
“I will do everything, every day to work on bringing this club to new heights. That is the ambition.
“If I wasn't ambitious, I wouldn't be here. I look forward to it.”
Where those new heights could deliver Tottenham, were not explicitly mentioned by Frank. He admitted that the best sides of the Premier League are currently a way for a Spurs team that ended 17th last season.
But the goal is to build a group that can participate in several fronts -and interesting explanation, given how Postecoglou admitted that he gave a priority to Europa League for Premier League results in the second half of last season.
“It was positive that they won. They received the trophy that this club earned,” Frank said when he was asked to build on those traces of triumph over Man Utd in Bilbao.
“Hopefully we can add to that. The first goal is to compete in all four tournaments.
“That must be the ambition we are building. The 2019 Champions League final was the last season that the club could compete in more than one competition.
“We must be able to compete in Europe and the cups. If you can compete, there is a chance that you can be top.”
Frank's first shot on adding silverware will be in the Super Cup against Paris St-Germain on 13 August. His first step in the dugout while Tottenham Boss comes on Saturday, in a friendly reading.
Frank on …
Who will be his captain?
“I didn't decide anything about that. I have a long list of lists that I have to endure.
“[Heung-min Son] Was captain last year and when we have two games [teams for 45 minutes each vs Reading on Saturday]Son and [Cristian] Romero will be the two captains. That will be my decision. “
The future of son and Romero
“My expectation is that all players are here. They train well, I have been very impressed. They play [on Saturday] And that is a good indicator that they will be at the club.
“Two top players. Sonny has been here for 10 years and finally got his deserved trophy. So important for the team and the club.
“Romero, a World Cup, Europa League and Copa America winner, very important to us.
“Both have trained well and set the standards. Both will play [vs Reading]. I am very happy. “
New sign Mohammed Kudus
“Great signing of the club. Top work by Daniel [Levy] And [Spurs technical director] Johan [Lange]Getting a very good player in it.
“He will give us some of that unpredictability. His finish is very good and he is almost at the perfect age to perform and touch the next level.”
On transfer objective Morgan Gibbs-White
“You know me well, I will not talk about players who are not mine. I will talk about the players in the team in Tottenham.”
The mood at the club since the exit of Ange Postecoglou
“Ange will be a legend forever. He is one of the three who won a European trophy, a big achievement.
“I see happy players. Positive and smiling energy, really good training with a good atmosphere around the place.
“There should be a good atmosphere, they have just won the Europa League title! Going into the new season, football is about dreaming and hoping.”