Before Enzo Maresca was appointed Chelsea manager—a decision increasingly vindicated with each passing match—a shortlist of four candidates had been drawn up. Alongside Maresca, the contenders included Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, then-Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, and Brentford’s Thomas Frank.
Among the quartet, Frank was arguably the least glamorous option, perhaps due to Brentford’s unflashy but effective style of play since their Premier League promotion in 2021. At 51, he was the oldest of the candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino, though age appeared to be of little consequence.
McKenna opted to stay with Ipswich after leading them from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons, while De Zerbi was ruled out of contention. This left Frank—Premier League-proven, humble, adaptable, and undeniably likable—up against the less familiar, seemingly rigid Maresca, whose appointment at Chelsea initially carried echoes of the club’s traditional managerial archetype.
Chelsea’s preference was clear: Maresca was their top choice, and over the past five months, he has justified that faith. On Sunday, he will lead his side at Stamford Bridge with the opportunity to move four points ahead of third-place Arsenal and close the gap to league leaders Liverpool to just two points, albeit having played one game more.
As for Frank, he continues to feature prominently in the conversation for high-profile roles. Linked briefly to Chelsea in 2022 before Graham Potter’s appointment and again during the search for a permanent successor later on, he has also been considered by Liverpool and Manchester United, though both clubs ultimately opted for Arne Slot and Ruben Amorim, respectively. Frank has now emerged as a potential candidate for Tottenham amid their ongoing struggles.
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