New boss Frank ‘in it for the long term’ at Spurs

Being Tottenham Hotspur manager has not recently aligned with job security, but new boss Thomas Frank is undaunted by recent history and says he is in it “for the long term”.

Speaking in his first news conference since joining in June, Frank joked that, having never been sacked, he took the Spurs job to “get a little bit more risk in his daily life”.

While Frank’s tone was light-hearted, there is no doubting the demands of the role have proved difficult in the past four years.

They have had four managers since June 2021, with Nuno Espirito Santo lasting just four months, Antonio Conte 16 months and Ange Postecoglou – despite ending the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Europa League – two years.

“Coming to a big club, there are pressures,” said the Dane. “I like the ambitions and everything I do – every decision I’ve made – is for the long term. It’s not about surviving 18 months, it’s for the long run.”

The 51-year-old said it was “extremely positive” for the club to have lifted the Europa League last season and, while he wants to bring more trophies, his main ambition is to ensure Spurs are able to compete on all fronts.

“[Winning the Europa League] gave them that fantastic trophy that this club deserved and needed,” he said.

“My aim is to add to that. The first aim is that we need to be able to compete in all four tournaments and do it consistently.”

Frank had been the Premier League’s second longest-serving manager, leaving Brentford in June having managed them in the top flight since winning promotion in 2021.

He said it was a tough decision to leave the west London side, but managing Tottenham was an opportunity he could not refuse.

“In a way it was very difficult and in a way it was very easy,” said Frank.

“It was very difficult because I’m a person that goes ‘all in’ in every relationship: work, friends, marriage, whatever it is. When you go all in and work at a football club, you get attached. I really loved my time there.

Two immediate questions for Frank to address at Spurs are the futures of captain Son Heung-min – who has interest from Saudi Arabia – and Cristian Romero, who has been linked with a move this summer.

Frank, however, would not be drawn into a comment on what lies ahead for the pair and merely said Son and Romero are both “very important” for the club.

“Two top players, Sonny has been here 10 years and finally got his well-deserved trophy in the summer. So important for the team and the club,” he said.

“Romero, World Cup winner, Europa League winner, Copa America winner, very important for us as well. Both have trained well and both will play on Saturday. I’m very happy.”

Frank was also tight-lipped over Tottenham’s approach for Morgan Gibbs-White, that has led to Nottingham Forest considering legal action over whether a confidentiality agreement in the £60m release clause in his contract had been breached.

It was more a case of what Frank didn’t say when it came to the futures of skipper Son and vice-captain Romero than what he did say.

Both players were heroes of Spurs’ euphoric Europa League win last season, but their futures are unclear heading into the new season.

Son, who has a year left on his deal, has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while BBC Sport has learned a number of MLS sides have registered an interest in the South Korea forward with a view to a potential January move.

Romero has been a long-term target for Atletico Madrid and his now seemingly annual flirtation with the Spanish side is again in full swing.

Neither look likely to leave before the club’s pre-season tour of south-east Asia – particularly Son, who will be central to the club’s commercial operations given his high profile status in the region.