Stop sacrificing football’s good guys – Why Thomas Frank can’t become Chelsea’s new boss
If nice guys do eventually finish last, then please Thomas Frank, save yourself the hassle. Chelsea’s abrupt sacking of Mauricio Pochettino a week ago left fans harking back to days of old. Avram Grant, Andre Villas-Boas, Rafa Benitez – the list gets longer and more embarrassing the more you dwell on it.
If anyone’s ever asked you how many drinks you had at a wedding reception you often forget the precursory glass of bubbles, the tequila shot with so-and-so from school, the generous top-ups from somebody’s cousin on your table.
Chelsea’s axed-manager list is nearly as exhaustive and jumbled as their current squad.
Graham Potter was lovely by all accounts – hardworking, resilient, Pep seemed to think he was great. His managerial career ticked all the boxes. He’d done the rainy evenings in Swansea, the ballsy tactics at Brighton, and yet the gleam faded all so quickly in SW6. A revisionist might not get too far in spinning Potter’s tenure at Chelsea as anything near successful.
It wasn’t a nice feeling to fling your arms out and snort: “He’s clearly not got what it takes.” Yet Potter is likely to make a comeback sooner or later and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that work out.
Thomas Frank might even be lovelier. The clean-shaven Dane has steered Brentford back into the Premier League and carefully carved them into a dynamic mainstay.
When Brentford faced Arsenal in their first top-flight match in 74 years, Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard assured us all that they really had arrived. The plaudits popped up all over – ‘Blimey this is attractive football’. The buoyant Bees have nearly always exhibited Frank’s smart plans to perfection.
In the last three seasons, Frank has guided Brentford to a league double over Manchester City, wins against Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham – his stock has only risen since his arrival.
His form against his potential new team has similarly been remarkable. A ludicrous runaway goal from Bryan Mbeumo sealed a 2-0 victory in October and a 4-1 thrashing during Chelsea’s 2022 Champions League winning season are just two examples of the Dane’s handiwork.
It’s not to say that Frank is a yes-man or a pushover. Rather the culture he has sought to create at Brentford is one of steadiness and control. The vision he has managed to execute did indeed yield immediate results, with the Bee’s finishing third in back-to-back seasons with the latter season securing promotion.
Despite the prospect of quick results, the last two years have shown that being parachuted in by Todd Boehly looks anything but smooth.
The Blues, who conceded three more goals from set-pieces than Brentford, have just hired the Bees’ specialist set-piece coach. Perhaps a reunion will come around sooner then the pair thought.
Frank is jolly and thoughtful, considered and kind – I fear they’ll soon bash that out of him. He spent nigh on 20 years in youth coaching in Denmark, ensuring he was completely ready for the leap. It’s not a case of top-flight inexperience here – he deserves the call-up, he has completely earned it. History tells us though that this has not been near enough for Chelsea.
While he was a name in the hat for the Liverpool job, he’s historically been the butt of the shortlist, always the bridesmaid rather than the bride. Once again it looks like Frank sits just behind Leicester’s Enzo Maresca. It’s unusual to feel relief that your team may well miss out on a classy manager, a man I think has every ability to succeed. I just can’t face another painful dismantling of one of football’s good guys.
