Thomas Frank has recently emerged as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. According to MailOnline, Chelsea held meetings with Frank before appointing Enzo Maresca, and there were talks with the Red Devils over the summer. While neither club submitted offers, the report states that Ineos and executives across the Premier League are well aware of his quality. Leaving the door open to a move, the 51-year-old said:
Thomas Frank said “I’ve said many times I’m very happy at Brentford. Maybe I stay here for many years. I’m open, maybe something happens. But first and foremost, very happy, just working very hard every day to make the club better. It’s incredible how much scrutiny he’s [Ten Hag] had to face. As a head coach, I acknowledge how it feels to be in a situation like this. I think [the criticism] is too much. He’s clearly a good coach, he’s won two trophies in two seasons. But I understand how it is: if the team wins, the head coach is absolutely fantastic; if the team loses, the head coach is absolutely s***! Whereas it’s probably somewhere in between.”
Jake Stokes said “First and foremost, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the higher-ups at Manchester United should be held accountable for reacting emotionally to winning the FA Cup final last season. To reward Erik ten Hag with a contract extension based off one game is just crazy – especially after such a disastrous campaign. The FA Cup triumph was simply plastering paper over the cracks! So, with that being said, I think the club should wait to replace Ten Hag until November. Thomas Frank would be a good appointment and he’s proven to work well under a data-driven network. However, I don’t think he’d jump ship mid-season, so Ruud van Nistelrooy seems the most realistic option for me.”
Isaac Seelochan said “This all feels a bit Gareth Southgate to me. Okay, Frank is probably a better tactician and has much more Premier League experience. But this would not be a move that excites United fans. His style of play at Brentford is not that of a top team, and he does not have the personality to manage a club of United’s size. Frank would be immediately under pressure after a few bad results, and he does not have the trophies to make supporters believe he could turn things around.”
Bruna Reis said “I’m not sure this is a move that excites Man United fans and get the club to where they need to be. What Frank has done at Brentford during the last six years has been astonishing and very few managers can say they have stayed at a Premier League club for a similar period of time. And unfortunately, for a job the size of United, Frank’s lack of trophies could have an impact in the dressing room and the players’ attitudes on the pitch. Also, the lack of trophies to his name could be a key factor for supporters not to get behind the Dane. The more this goes on, the worse it will get and fans deserve better. With that said, Van Nistelrooy might not be a bad option.”
Isaac Johnson said “Frank certainly has the personality capacity to take on such a job. But it’s the other stuff that carries risk. Is it Frank the manager that has got Brentford ticking, or more the set-up he’s a part of? The Bees have renownedly adopted a data-driven approach to nearly all club operations, something that is now part of their DNA. The same has happened at Brighton and we all saw how Graham Potter fared at Chelsea afterwards. Furthermore, Brentford have never had the pressure of the onus being on them to attack, barring cup ties against lesser opposition. Quite clearly, the Dane is not a poor manager. But there are questions over whether he is a good enough one for United – although this level is perhaps where United currently are in the coaching food chain.”
Jack Flintham said “Frank has managed to prove himself at Brentford in the Premier League and the job he has done with the Bees is nothing short of remarkable. However, he does not have the pedigree of some of the managers who have been tipped to replace Ten Hag. The trouble we have seen with United over the years is that experienced managers have struggled to control the dressing room and exert their leadership over these players. My fear would be that someone like Frank may not garner the respect of the current squad due to the lack of trophies on his CV. This is not a slight at Frank per se but more it is an issue with the United job and why replacing Ten Hag is easier said than done. I am not sure whether Ten Hag is that person nor do I think Frank is. Given what has been on show in the last two seasons, Erik ten Hag has struggled to make his case for that mantle, but he looks set for another opportunity to prove his worth. It is absolutely fair to say that Frank has worked wonders at Brentford, but how he would handle the jump to a much bigger club is unclear. United are still in need of a significant rebuild and trusting Frank with such a task would be a huge show of confidence but equally a major risk. There aren’t many elite-level managers available on the market which is why United may need to gamble on the coach they believe can take them forward. That could turn out to be Frank, but right now, United are better off sticking with Ten Hag for the time being and reassessing in the future.”
