Thomas Frank is ready to return to Premier League management with Crystal Palace, with his biggest task being to prove he can work and succeed in his own right outside Brentford.
It is nine months since Frank was sacked as Tottenham manager after an unhappy spell in charge which left the club hovering uncomfortably above the relegation zone.
A Difficult Spell at Tottenham
Frank arrived at Tottenham with a reputation as one of the brightest managers in the Premier League after doing a brilliant job at Brentford. That made him one of the hottest properties in English football as he was sounded out by Manchester United and on the shortlist of others before eventually getting the Tottenham job.
Dane Frank arrived at Tottenham to take over from Ange Postecoglou, who was a big personality, played good football and won the Europa League, which was Spurs' first trophy in 17 years. It is a strange set of circumstances for any manager to be taking over a club where they have just had an open top bus parade and were celebrating.
His reign lasted just 38 games in all competitions with an overall record of 13 wins, 11 draws and 14 defeats. That is a 34.2 percent win ratio and more defeats than victories.
Fan Discontent and Style of Play
The home record was so poor and the Tottenham fans never really bought into Frank because of his style of play and some of his messaging. This is a manager who arrived and one of his first press conferences saw him openly talk about how every club would lose football matches.
That was hardly what the fans wanted to hear. Yes, it is a fact but rather a negative message for the supporters who were already beginning to question going from one manager who promised trophies to another who promised defeats. It was in stark contrast to Postecoglou's fearless message where he was ready to take on all comers - and in great style.
The simple fact is that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy misjudged the room, was not in tune with the supporters and the club's whole identity and brand of football.
Different Challenges at Palace
Frank did a great job at Brentford but it was based on a pragmatic style where players were signed on the basis of data and everything was about small margins. Expectation levels at Brentford are different to those at Tottenham and no-one is going to scream if you lose five in a row, are shown last on Match of the Day and grind out results. They also have an unrivaled club structure which allows managers to succeed.
That is a clear factor as to why Keith Andrews, the club's former set-piece coach, has been able to step up and make such a smooth and successful transition.
There will be a different challenge again at Palace because the squad has lost big players like Marc Guehi and had big upheaval until the final days of the summer transfer window. Pierre Sage inherited a team in something of a mess, his reign and results have not been good enough but clearly there are issues behind the scenes which have played into the performances on the pitch.
Last summer, Palace were keen on Sean Dyche because he has such a proven track record and yet the appointment might not have gone down well with some supporters after the success of Oliver Glasner, who won the FA Cup and Europa Conference League in consecutive seasons. Dyche is a guarantee but clearly it looks as if he has gone cold on the job and the pathway looks clear for Frank.
Frank did punditry work in the summer, talked in June about learning lessons and improving as a coach and manager. One of the key factors will be in the way that he comes across and wins over the Palace fans and players if he is to succeed at Selhurst Park.
