Thomas Frank’s system turns Mohammed Kudus into Tottenham’s danger man

Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus has quickly established himself as one of the club’s most dangerous attacking outlets, and manager Thomas Frank says he is the team’s best offensive player so far this season. Kudus has been on the pitch for all but nine of the 540 available minutes across Tottenham’s opening five Premier League fixtures and their Champions League opener against Villarreal.

Playing almost exclusively on the right wing, Kudus has produced three assists and set up the cross that forced Jan Paul van Hecke’s own goal at Brighton, though that strike is not officially credited as an assist. Only Jack Grealish has more assists in the Premier League this season, and Kudus is also leading English football’s top flight in attempts and completions of dribbles and open-play crosses, according to the statistics cited by Frank.

"I’m very happy with what he’s doing so far," Frank said. "His ability to be the player one on one, to produce crosses, dangerous moments and three or four assists. Of course, we’d also like him to score goals and I’m convinced that will happen. We have a team that we are growing and adding layers to offensively. We saw an extra layer against Brighton when we created a lot of dangerous situations that could have led to more clear-cut chances." Kudus has made a fine start to life at Tottenham under Frank.

Frank’s approach extends beyond Kudus’s individual talents to how he fits into a collective framework. By design, Kudus operates largely on the right but is supported by a system that emphasizes alternating full backs and wide players, with Kudus often tracking back to shield Tottenham’s latest passing angles after recoveries. Pedro Porro, Tottenham’s right back, has been encouraged to temper his attacking instincts to give Kudus space to operate, while Kudus is expected to contribute defensively and function as a catalyst for quick transitional play. The aim is not simply to create chances for Kudus but to maximize the combined threat of the whole forward line, the midfield corridor and the two wide players.

Frank’s success with Mbeumo at Brentford looms large in the backdrop. The former Bees boss turned Mbeumo into a 20-goal-a-season Premier League threat, a development he is now trying to replicate with Kudus after Kudus joined Tottenham from West Ham in the summer. The parallel is education in motion: a coaching philosophy that prioritizes team structure and the exploitation of spaces created by pressing lines, rather than relying on the individual to win matches on their own.

Flemming Pedersen, technical director of Right to Dream—the academy in Ghana where Kudus began his ascent before moving to Nordsjaelland and later on to West Ham—says Frank’s method reflects a holistic, Danish-influenced approach. Pedersen describes a culture that emphasizes collective thinking over ego, noting that Frank has resisted letting ego dominate proceedings. "We think collectively and this comes through in team sports," Pedersen explains. "English society is more focused on the individual. The ego shines more than in Denmark. The last time I visited Brentford there was a Danish environment. Thomas has been really strong on this. He has not allowed too much egotistic feeling. His teams play as a team. It is never only about the individual player." Pedersen recalls moments from Kudus’s youth where the forward needed reminders to stay connected with teammates, even showing clips to demonstrate when he had drifted into space without support.

Kudus’s early-season form has not gone unnoticed by those who watched his development years ago. Pedersen says Kudus has the talent to shine at the highest levels of the Premier League and Champions League, and credits Frank with giving him a platform to apply his strengths within a cohesive, demanding system. While Kudus remains eager to add goals to his assist tally, the signs suggest a promising alliance with Frank’s Tottenham, built on a foundation of discipline, coverage, and shared purpose rather than individual bravado.

The measured progress comes with caveats, of course. Kudus has six goals in the last year for club and country, and Frank has stressed that while he is pleased with Kudus’s contributions, there is more to come on the scoring front. The early evidence, however, points to a player who is thriving in a structure that leverages his one-on-one ability, his crossing prowess and his willingness to contribute in build-up and transitions. If Kudus maintains the rhythm and continues to mesh with Porro and the rest of the front line, Tottenham could unlock a level of attacking threat that stretches defenses and makes life difficult for opponents to defend on multiple fronts.

As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on how Kudus cashes in on the chances he creates and whether the goals begin to match the assists. For now, the early indications are clear: Kudus has found a suitable home under Frank, a coach known for getting the best out of players by blending talent with a clear team ethic. Look out Wolverhampton Wanderers.