Thomas Frank labelled 'too soft' despite brutally quitting old job over chairman
Former Denmark international defender Martin Albrechtsen played under Thomas Frank at Brondby and has now shed light on his compatriot's first ever managerial role at club level following his appointment at Tottenham
Tottenham's players are going to have a ball in pre-season - once they've navigated Thomas Frank's 1km time trial. The aim of the maximal aerobic speed test previously implemented by Frank's coaches at Brentford is to run 10 lengths of the pitch in around three minutes and 15 seconds.
However, that should prove a breeze in comparison to Antonio Conte's energy-sapping 'death runs' three years ago in Seoul when the Italian ordered his Spurs stars to complete 42 pitch-long sprints at the end of a gruelling two-hour training session in 30-degree heat.
Jet-lagged Harry Kane paused to vomit while Son Heung-min was among those to collapse to his knees in exhaustion. Providing he stays put, the Europa League-lifting captain can breathe a sigh of relief this summer because preparations for the 2025-26 season will not be so regimented.
Ex-West Bromwich Albion defender Martin Albrechtsen, who played for Frank at Brondby, insists pre-season training under his compatriot was a far cry from what he experienced during his time in the Premier League.
He explained: "I've had a taste of both worlds, the totally crazy pre-season regimes and also managers that think differently.
"With Thomas, his coaches and physios organise the sessions but he's mindful of the bigger picture, it's not just about running 20km, there was a clear plan and he knew how to schedule things.
"He thought about recovery and that if we're training tomorrow, we don't want injuries. His mindset was not about short-term gain and smashing people to their absolute limit, it was more about improving our conditioning and sharpness."
Former Denmark international Albrechtsen, who retired last summer, spent four years at The Hawthorns between 2004 and 2008 and his recollections of pre-season still haunt him to this very day.
The 45-year-old continued: "Life under Gary Megson was a bit special. We had this coach that would make us run in this park in Sutton Coldfield, it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my career. I lost around 5kg, I wasn't very big back then anyway so it was a real culture shock.
"I don't know any player that would enjoy running in a forest for two hours non-stop, they thought we were in good shape but we were not ready to play football because our bodies were so fatigued. Thomas likes to involve the ball a lot, there were still interval runs but you were getting a feel for the ball which goes a long way."
Daniel Levy recently declared Frank's ability to develop young talent speaks for itself. But now, he'll also be dealing with big-name characters at Spurs and Albrechtsen recalls he was notably "soft" throughout his time at Brondby.
He continued: "I think he was maybe just a bit too soft. We were a group of older players that were used to a harder, tougher mentality so we were missing that direct, rougher managerial approach at times. That said, it was around 10 years ago now and I'd expect he's changed given his success."
Ange Postecoglou was unable to appease Levy despite ending Spurs' 17-year wait for silverware and if you thought the circumstances surrounding the Aussie's exit were bizarre, Frank can go one better.
He resigned as Brondby boss in 2016 after it emerged the club's chairman, Jan Bech Andersen, had been scrutinising Frank via an anonymous profile on a fans' forum site.
Albrechtsen revealed: "Yes, it's true. It was a tough few years with financial struggles and we were nearly relegated so we were used to noise and stories, in a way, it just felt like another day at the office!
"Still, it was really strange but perhaps it was a good thing because we weren't performing well and if we carried on, Thomas may have been sacked."
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