Brentford finished 2024-25 with more points than Tottenham (56 compared with 38), more goals (66-64) and fewer goals conceded (57-65).
In addition, Mbeumo (20), Wissa (19) and Kevin Schade (11) scored 50 goals between them after Frank was forced to adapt following the departure of Toney – 36 goals in 83 top-flight appearances for the Bees – to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.
There have been many different versions of Brentford though since Frank first took charge. High-possession football, more counter-attacks, more percentage football – Frank has played them all, leading to many seeing him as one of the game’s more flexible coaches.
From attacking flair and bravery, to at times being more pragmatic, what would Spurs look like under Frank?
“It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer because he’s a really flexible manager,” said football tactics writer Alex Keble.
“He will automatically adapt his tactics to whoever the opposition is, a bit like Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
“In many ways he’s the opposite of Ange Postecoglou, who is famously wedded to one idea.
“There’s a statistic – what Opta call 10+ – referring to the number of passes and sequences [in one move]. In 2023-24 Brentford registered 245. In 2024-25 that figure was 325.
“That tells you as time has gone on, Frank has wanted to play a more possession-based game. There’s certainly plenty of counter-attacks, fast transitions and plenty of highly choreographed long balls forward – direct football.”
Who are the Tottenham players who could benefit from the arrival of Frank, a manager who pays great attention to stats?
“You can certainly imagine Dominic Solanke linking with Wilson Odobert in a way Wissa and Mbeumo interact,” added Keble.
“Defensively, Tottenham are least like Brentford. Would Frank look at the Spurs squad and think ‘I can’t play Brentford football here’?”
Spurs fans struggled to buy into the brand of football under recent managers Jose Mourinho and Conte. Would they take to the Frank style?
“I think the way he played at Brentford was quite balanced – they had different ways of playing, depending on the opposition,” added Sutton.
“His Brentford team played good football at a high intensity, but ultimately fans take to managers when they win games, and that is it.
“I do think he has got different strings to his bow, but it will be interesting to see what Tottenham do recruitment-wise this summer.”
Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy is another to praise Frank’s versatile approach.
“They had a great intensity and physicality about them,” Murphy told BBC Sport about Brentford last season. “They vary their game as well as any other team in the Premier League.”
