Thomas Frank labels Ange Postecoglou 'a Tottenham legend' and reveals how he will build on Europa League-winning manager's foundations

Despite guiding Tottenham to Europa League glory with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in May, Postecoglou was dismissed following a disappointing domestic campaign. He has been replaced by Frank, who signed a three-year deal after leaving Brentford. In his first interview as Spurs boss, the Danish manager made a respectful nod to Postecoglou’s legacy while vowing to carry the torch forward.

“Huge congratulations to the club, to the team…huge congratulations to Ange,” Frank said. “He will for ever be a legend at Tottenham. It’s very important to understand that we all stand on the shoulders of others so I am going in on the foundations that Ange has built. I’m very humble about that and I’ll do my very best to continue the great work he put in."

Frank is determined not to let the recent triumph become a one-off. His vision is to instil a winning mentality across the squad and ensure that lifting silverware becomes a habit, not a rare celebration.

"Hey, no one can say they are not winners; the team and the players are winners," he said. "Now we need to do [our] best…to see whether we can be serial winners in the future.”

Known for his innovative and progressive methods at Brentford, Frank promised Tottenham fans his side will play brave, attacking football that lives up to the club’s historic commitment to flair and adventure.

“I know the ethos and the history of the club is massive on attacking football and there is so much attacking talent in the squad," he said. "I’m very, very big on principles…what we do in the final third in terms of creating chances, crosses, bring balls in the box, play [in] behind."

Frank also laid down one of his core principles: work ethic is non-negotiable. While he welcomes mistakes born from ambition and bravery, he made it clear that effort and commitment are expected at all times.

“For me, if they lose the ball by trying, it’s never a problem," he said. "But if they don’t work hard? I struggle more with that. That’s my non-negotiable. We need to take risks. If we don’t take risks, it’s impossible to achieve something big.

"I always say this one-liner: if you don’t take risks, you also take risks. So it’s important we take risks. Risk is you need to play forward. If you don’t risk the ball, you can’t create things. We need to be brave."

Frank’s tenure begins with a challenging fixture list. His first official match in charge will be a high-profile UEFA Super Cup clash against Paris Saint-Germain on August 13 in Udine, Italy. Only days later, Spurs kick off their Premier League campaign at home against newly promoted Burnley. A tough early test awaits the following weekend with an away trip to Manchester City on August 23.