Thomas Frank wants Tottenham Hotspur to become a tough team to beat this season
Credit where its due, Thomas Frank has completely reshaped Tottenham’s dynamic this season. The Danish tactician arrived at N17 when the Lilywhites were in disarray following a period of poor domestic form. Just last season, the North London club finished the Premier League campaign only a place above the relegation zone, with many blaming the poor form on the club’s ‘leaky’ defence.
Under Thomas Frank, however, Spurs look completely transformed. The Lilywhites are now defensively solid, with each player clearly understanding their assigned roles. Remarkably, in just five games under the Danish tactician, the North London club has already kept four clean sheets. This showcases the vast difference between Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou’s coaching style.
During Big Ange’s tenure, the Lilywhites often appeared disjointed, with defenders holding the highline to maintain a constant press. This risky approach contributed to Spurs registering only six clean sheets across the entire Premier League season, exposing their backline week in week out. Despite all the scrutiny from the fans and the media, Big Ange stuck with his system until the end, leaving Tottenham vulnerable at the back.
Tottenham look defensively solid under Thomas Frank this season
Few fans would have expected Tottenham to win four of their first five games under Thomas Frank this season. The Lilywhites have beaten their opponents convincingly, with every contributing significantly to the team’s success. What stands out, however, is the club’s improved defensive record this season, with Spurs leading the charts for clean sheets and fewest goals conceded.
Danny Murphy has taken notice of the transformation, heaping praise on Thomas Frank for addressing the problem. Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy said,
“He’s fixing the main problem that Tottenham had last year, which is why they finished 17th. They conceded so many goals and they were wide open.”
The ex-Spurs player added,
“He’s gone in there and gone, ‘We’re going to be better defensively, first and foremost, and we’ll sacrifice the looking great and creativity for a little while.’ That’s exactly what you should do. He’s fixing [it]. They’ve had four clean sheets in five. That tells you they’re well organised.”
Danny Murphy believes it was important for Thomas Frank to fix the defensive problems at Tottenham after the club finished 17th in the Premier League last season. The ex-Spurs player added that the Danish tactician has prioritised improving the backline and make the team defensively resolute in the first few games of the new campaign. Murphy also highlighted the Lilywhites’ impressive clean sheet record this season, proving that Frank’s coaching has helped the players massively.
Fans will now hope that Spurs build on the brilliant start to the new season and continue their winning momentum. The Lilywhites are aiming to compete hard on all four fronts, but Thomas Frank’s men should take each game as it comes and focus on securing the three points.