How 19yo Danish sensation fares as an alternative to Christian Nørgaard at Tottenham under Thomas Frank? – Opinion

With Arsenal closing in on a move for the Lilywhites target Christian Nørgaard, Tottenham Hotspur are now looking to search for an alternative to the Danish midfielder, and the North Londoners are looking to bring in someone who has the capacity to replicate that control and defensive intelligence which Thomas Frank built his Brentford system around.

So this is where Victor Froholdt comes into the picture, and given his ability to play an able role in the middle of the park, he may end up being an underrated option for the North Londoners to consider.

While the 19-year-old Danish sensation wouldn’t yet be a household name when it comes to Premier League supporters, he is a highly rated prospect who has been proving his credentials for Danish Superliga Club Copenhagen whilst displaying his positional intelligence complemented by how he has that capacity to win the ball, which has seen his stock rise significantly in recent seasons.

And it wouldn’t be bad to play in a system in the Premier League under a coach that knows how to maximise smart and tactically disciplined players.

What made Nørgaard special in Frank’s System?

But before I get into exploring Froholdt and why he could be a commendable replacement, let’s understand why Nørgaard became indispensable for Thomas Frank at Gtech Community Stadium.

The 31-year-old played as a deep-lying anchor in Thomas Frank’s 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 hybrid whilst he was shielding the defence and offering a passing outlet. Playing at Brentford, we saw how the Arsenal-bound midfielder displayed his efficiency at controlling vertical distances between the lines in a mid-block. He is also really good at getting the better of the opposition sequences without being overly aggressive.

And then under Frank, he was the tactical leader on the pitch whom the Bees used as pressing triggers and helped in maintaining shape. So in Frank’s system, which kind of doesn’t need flashy destroyers but rather needs intelligent pivots who can read the game, sustain tempo, and offer positional balance. This is where Froholdt enters the conversation.

Scouting Victor Froholdt

Strengths

The 19-year-old is a press-resistant presence in the middle of the ball, yet someone who has that strong core and ability to receive the ball on the half-turn, especially given how he consistently ranks highly in progressive passes and carries. It ends up making him a valuable option in the buildup phase for the Lilywhites, especially when facing high blocks.

And now when it comes to his defensive side of things, he might not be as much of a dominant tackler as Yves Bissouma, but then it’s his spatial reading complemented by his ability at intercepting passes and delaying transitions by closing down passing lanes which makes him effective. The teenager is also quite disciplined and doesn’t often get drawn out of position (which, again, Thomas Frank would appreciate given the zonal system that he is expected to implement at Tottenham).

Moreover, he is quite comfortable playing in both a single pivot or as the deeper player in a double pivot, which allows Frank to shift between his 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 structures quite seamlessly.

He is more of a no-nonsense figure in the middle of the park, one that leads by example, and given his tactical capacity, you’d see him be the tactical leader on the pitch, much like Norgaard was for Frank at his former club.

Weaknesses

When I put both of these players side by side, one thing that is quite notable is that Norgaard has more lateral agility, and this ends up making the teenager a bit more vulnerable in expansive pressing situations or against mobile 10s.

And while he is not expected to contribute in goals directly, his lack of threat for shots ends up limiting his use in advanced midfield rotations.

How can Victor Froholdt fit at N17 under Thomas Frank

When we are talking about the mid-block centric system of Thomas Frank, Froholdt will play at the base of a midfield triangle, very much like Norgaard, and he would be used to protect the half-spaces when full-backs advance. And then gives you an outlet in the first phase when you are building from the back, and he has that ability to coordinate the pressing triggers with Bentancur or Sarr.

Having him in the middle means he will need to also direct the dictating side of tempo control as well (as directly attributable with progressive passing).

And when Frank is playing 3-5-2 (which he’s used frequently in injury-prone Brentford seasons), Froholdt can become a controller behind two more mobile 8s, allowing the North Londoners to keep that sense of control in the midfield without sacrificing verticality.

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Author Opinion

Whilst Victor Froholdt doesn’t have that defensive IQ and Premier League readiness of that Norgaard brought to the table, but he is stylistically very similar player and he gives you that tactical flexibility. He would be an interesting option at Tottenham especially given how he also fits into the transfer strategy of signing young players and developing them through the corridors at Hotspur Way which Daniel Levy has adapted at Tottenham.