England Takes on Thomas Frank: The Coach Who Struggles Against Big Teams

On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain will face Tottenham in the fifth matchday of the Champions League. Sitting fifth in the standings, PSG aims to bounce back after their recent defeat at Parc des Princes against Bayern Munich (1-2). On the other side, Tottenham, managed by Thomas Frank, is in tenth place and wants to maintain their unbeaten record with two victories and two draws. This match also marks a reunion between the two teams who previously met last summer in Udine, Italy, during the Supercup, which PSG won (2-2, 4-3 on penalties), even after trailing 2-0 and having only a week of training.

Tottenham has been performing well in the Champions League, currently ranked ninth in the Premier League, three points away from the top four. This is a stark contrast to last season under Ange Postecoglou, though the Spurs are still struggling to convince. Their coach, Thomas Frank, faced heavy criticism after his team collapsed at the Emirates against Arsenal (1-4). In the past, Tottenham has lost London derbies, but Frank is now under serious scrutiny. He chose an ultra-defensive 5-4-1 formation with several offensive players (Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo, Mathys Tel, and Brennan Johnson) starting on the bench. After the match, he had no choice but to apologize to Spurs fans.

Tottenham, Not Brentford

“I opted for a 5-4-1 formation, made smart changes at halftime, but they scored right from the first minute. 3-0. You know the rest. It’s extremely disappointing that we didn’t perform better against Arsenal, our biggest rival. I can only apologize to the supporters. When we talked on Friday, I felt confident about our ability to compete. We aimed to be aggressive, apply high pressure, and attack at times, but we couldn’t execute. We didn’t get close enough at the right moments.” This overly cautious tactical choice by the London coach has not sat well with Tottenham fans or the sports media. Even before analyzing the team’s performance, many pointed out Frank’s dismissive comment about Eberechi Eze. “Who is Eze?” This remark has since amused Arsenal supporters following Eze’s hat trick.

Many English media outlets are reminding Thomas Frank that he no longer coaches Brentford. “Frank’s ‘small club’ mentality has led Tottenham to an embarrassing situation. The result was painful, the performance unacceptable, but the biggest disgrace for Tottenham Hotspur, who lost 4-1 to Arsenal, was showing up at Emirates Stadium as if they were Tamworth (a fifth-tier English club). (…) Frank is an intelligent and talented coach, and the Tottenham job is not easy (…), but he must prove he can adopt the mentality of a big club.” This sentiment was echoed by the Telegraph. Similarly, the Daily Mail remarked, “At least Thomas Frank now knows what it truly means to be Tottenham’s coach. Losing in this manner is unacceptable. (…) The way he approached this match equated to capitulation, and this sentiment of inferiority will follow him until he has a chance to redeem himself – if he remains in the job until then. … It doesn’t matter if you coach Brentford, where every point against a big club is a mini triumph, but that’s just not enough when leading the Spurs, a team aspiring for European credibility.”

“Traveling to Paris midweek for the Champions League couldn’t come at a worse time”

If TeamTalk claims Frank’s future at Spurs is in jeopardy, it’s worth noting that he has previously faced criticism for his overly cautious style against another Premier League giant. That was three weeks ago when Spurs lost another London derby (1-0 at home to Chelsea), and former Liverpool player and analyst Jamie Carragher criticized him: “The big issue for Thomas Frank and other managers who jump from a smaller Premier League team to one of the bigger teams is that they must bring style to these teams. Looking at the result (against Chelsea) might suggest there’s little to critique, but in observing the weekend’s match, it felt like a second division team facing a Premier League side in the FA Cup.” Is Frank truly afraid when his team faces a strong opponent?

Some may note that Spurs beat Manchester City (2-0) earlier in the season, while others will point out a pattern of disappointing performances in significant matches (defeats against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, and draws against Bodo/Glimt, Monaco, and Manchester United). On Wednesday, Tottenham will travel to Paris to challenge a European champion still missing several key players (Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi) and looking to regain their form (Ousmane Dembélé is expected to return). The English press anticipates anything but a miracle. “Traveling to Paris midweek for the Champions League couldn’t have come at a worse time. However, the home match against Fulham next weekend already feels crucial for Frank, at least to maintain supporter confidence. Tottenham must be aggressive and claim victory against their opponents; anything less will not be accepted,” concluded the Telegraph. Will Thomas Frank and his side prove the critics wrong in two days?