For some odd reason, there are a few fools on social media who are slagging off Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank over three draws in the last four games. Other than the fact that these people surely must have been incensed at what Ange Postecoglou was doing every weekend at Spurs, it's quite baffling to see the malcontents already raving mad about Frank.
Anyone with a footballing brain can see that Frank has done wonders for Spurs already, solidifying the team's midfield and structure while doing the best he could possibly do with an attack that is, save for the two new summer transfers, rather barren in terms of quality. Not to mention, Postecoglou gave Frank the gift of an injury-depleted squad even before he officially took over.
And at least one of those major attacking difference-makers, Mohammed Kudus, directly credits the prevading presence of Thomas Frank in the manager's chair as his key reason for choosing Tottenham over clubs like Chelsea that were initially favored over Spurs to land the West Ham star.
Kudus said of Frank in an interview with Sports Illustrated, “I think the main factor in any club you want to join, is the project, how you see yourself developing in that project and with the manager. Looking at [Thomas Frank’s] work at Brentford with attackers, I can name so many, like Mbeumo, Toney, Damsgaard, his development of them was really massive. So I thought he would be the perfect guy to help me in my development, and how he wants his attackers to play, I think have the qualities to play like that, and that’s how I want to play. So yeah, it just fit perfectly in my head.”
Thomas Frank is a Premier League legend already
What Frank did with Brentford is nothing short of remarkable, turning a small "Moneyball" side from the lower leagues into a Premier League mainstay and a club that was not only flirting with European football on multiple occasions, but one that has developed some of the continent's finest players.
Goalkeeper David Raya has been world-class for Arsenal, while the forwards Kudus mentioned - along with new Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa and his 19 goals last season for the Bees - have all been among the Premier League's biggest game-changers.
They were not stars before Frank molded them. Kudus at West Ham and Ajax was already a great player, but now that he is with Spurs, even through just a handful of matches, we are already seeing the best version of the Ghanaian international in the Lilywhite kit.
Frank gets some credit there, but, most of all, Spurs would be in shambles attacking-wise without Kudus and without the influence Frank had on convincing him to play for them. Few could see Ange Postecoglou, with all due respect, being the reason why a young ascending star would want to join a club.