Thomas Frank's More Realistic Tottenham

Pragmatic. That word has rarely appeared in discussions about Tottenham Hotspur under the regime of Ange Postecoglou over the past two years. New coach Thomas Frank has successfully transformed the face of Tottenham in just over a month, even before the new season began.

The first derby between Tottenham and Arsenal in Asia ended disappointingly for the spectators. There was no flurry of goals in the preseason match at Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Thursday (31/7/2025 WIB). Instead of exchanging goals, the match concluded with a narrow victory for Tottenham, 1-0.

Frank is in stark contrast to the spectators. For him, the result feels perfect. "A 1-0 victory over Arsenal is a very beautiful score. Yes, it was just a preseason match, but it was very competitive. I have said it before, there is never a 'friendly' match against Arsenal," he stated.

The Tottenham squad appeared to be playing in the final match of a major tournament. They displayed great discipline, especially after taking the lead just before halftime. In the second half, Cristian Romero and his teammates did not hesitate to defend thoroughly with a very low block. They simply waited for Arsenal's attacks.

The North London derby is always intense and filled with prestige. This was also true in the latest match, where the Arsenal squad was unwilling to lose. They continued to apply pressure until the end of the game. When the final whistle blew, several Tottenham players celebrated their victory with gestures of punching the air.

However, Tottenham's negative play seems to be more than just a natural instinct to defeat rival teams. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta himself acknowledges that this approach is planned by the opposing coach. "I think every coach has different ideas and visions. They (Postecoglou and Frank) are two very different coaches," said Arteta.

In the Postecoglou era, Tottenham is known as a team that is very open and does not favor "parking the bus." They consistently apply aggressive pressing with a high defensive block whether they are trailing or leading. In fact, when playing with nine men against Chelsea in November 2023, the coach did not alter his approach.

Frank is clearly different. Even in the preseason, he already wanted to test his team's discipline in defense. Frank experimented with various approaches, from an aggressive medium block to a passive low block. The implementation of the medium block briefly trapped Arsenal in the midfield, which then led to a goal for Tottenham just seconds later.

"In the second half, we may have defended a bit excessively. But that was unavoidable as the players started to tire while the opposing team kept pushing. Regardless of that, I am pleased with our defensive principles. We defended together with the mentality to achieve a clean sheet. That is an important aspect for this team," explained Frank.

Frank's principle is very clear. He wants to address Tottenham's biggest issue during the Postecoglou era, which is defense. Last season, "The Lilywhites" conceded 65 goals in 38 matches. This resulted in them finishing in 17th place in the English Premier League, just one position above the relegation zone.

Coincidentally, Frank is known as a coach who is very detail-oriented in defensive tactics. He can employ a formation of four or three defenders with various block heights at Brentford. "Certainly, we must play offensively, boldly, and aggressively. However, we need to have other elements to be sufficient to win the match," he stated.

Postecoglou, at the beginning of his leadership, brought a promise of paradise for Tottenham fans. He aimed to provide entertainment through open play. This was successfully realized in the first ten matches of the 2023-24 season. However, it turned out to be merely a phase of "honeymoon" effect and not sustainable.

Postecoglou's approach is too risky. They play openly at every opportunity. The effect not only impacts the results, often losing points after initially taking the lead. Many players also suffer injuries due to being "forced" to play aggressively throughout the match.

Postecoglou faced criticism from many quarters, ranging from observers to fans, in the middle of last season due to that style. Nevertheless, he refused to change. For him, football is more than just a game about winning or losing. It is also about providing a unique experience to many people.

"You go to the match to feel emotions that are not experienced in everyday life, both joyful and anxious. That is what we love about it. There is a lot of suffering, but if you come out on the right side, it is a thrilling feeling," said Postecoglou to The Guardian, December 2024.

Postecoglou is very philosophical. He is also quite idealistic in realizing his dreams at Tottenham. Unfortunately, all his beautiful words and concepts seemed to dissipate in Tottenham's last match of the previous season, when facing Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The coach is willing to instruct his team to play pragmatically in order to secure their first championship title after a long time. The best moment for Postecoglou actually occurred when Tottenham betrayed his principles. This implies that Postecoglou's concept has, in fact, been unrealistic all along.

Frank, who arrived with more grounded and realistic ideas, offers new hope for Tottenham. He is working to fill the significant gap left by the previous coach. (AP/AFP)