TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has revealed that he spoke to Daniel Levy in the summer and urged the former Tottenham chairman to hire an alternative to Thomas Frank.
Tottenham braced for Champions League reunion with Bodo/Glimt
Spurs take on last season’s Europa League semi-final opponents, Bodo/Glimt, in the Champions League group phase this evening as Frank looks to build upon their 1-0 win against Villarreal last time out.
At the end of 2024/2025, The Lilywhites ran out 5-1 winners on aggregate over Bodo/Glimt to reach their first European final since their Champions League loss to Liverpool in 2019 — beating tonight’s opponents 2-0 the last time they travelled to the Aspmyra Stadion in May.
Bodo/Glimt’s journey to the Champions League phase comes as historic for both the club and the country they hail from, as they’re the first team from Norway to reach this stage of the competition for two decades.
Frank is no stranger to Scandinavian football and will be aware of the threat they pose this evening, according to Bodo/Glimt chief executive Frode Thomassen, who hailed the 51-year-old in an interview with GiveMeSport.
“I met Thomas at the stadium when we were visiting Brentford. I think he is a really good coach,” Thomassen said.
“Tottenham have changed their manager since we last played them, so this will be the first time that we meet Thomas in a competitive game. He follows Scandinavian football, so he knows Bodo/Glimt’s story and will be well prepared.”
Thus far, ex-chair Levy and the board’s decision to appoint Frank looks like the right one.
Matches
9
Wins
5
Draws
2
Losses
2
Points
14
Points per game
1.89
He’s overseen five victories from nine of his first games in charge, with Tottenham also displaying a real grit to come back from losing positions to snatch dramatic draws in their last two Premier League outings.
Joao Palhinha’s expertly taken side-footed half-volley ensured Spurs avoided a humbling defeat at home to Wolves on Saturday, yet again proving the case that Tottenham should activate the £27 million buy-option at the end of the midfielder’s loan deal.
Despite their bad luck at the Amex in recent seasons, Tottenham also came back from 2-0 down to 2-2 against Brighton a fortnight ago, with signs suggesting that Spurs are already a far more robust outfit than under Ange Postecoglou.
Simon Jordan urged Daniel Levy to hire Oliver Glasner instead of Thomas Frank
Tottenham had other options on their managerial shortlist to replace Postecoglou.
According to reports, before the club announced Frank as their latest new manager, Tottenham did consider a move for Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
The Austrian is working wonders at Selhurst Park right now, despite losing a succession of star players in the last two summer windows, with Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich in 2024 and Eberechi Eze signing for boyhood club Arsenal last summer.
They also face the looming threat of Marc Guehi’s departure as his contract winds down towards expiry, but for now, Glasner’s Palace are unbeaten in their last 18 games across all competitions.
Now, pundit and ex-Palace chairman Jordan has told talkSPORT that he urged Levy to go for Glasner before Tottenham eventually hired Frank, calling the tactician a “top, top manager”.
“I like Glasner. With all due respect to the departed, I actually said to Daniel [Levy, ex-Tottenham chairman] during the summer, ‘Why not Glasner?'”
“I think he’s a top, top manager. Do I think he will be Palace manager at the end of the season? I’ll be bloody amazed.”
The 51-year-old’s contract currently expires next summer, so if things don’t work out with Frank, the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss will be readily available in 2026 as things stand.
Of course, this is presuming another top side doesn’t come in for Glasner, which may be wishful thinking considering just how fine of a job he’s done in South London over the last 12 months.