With Thomas Frank taking charge of the proceedings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Lilywhites are set to revamp their midfield according to the structure that the Dane will want to implement at N17 (which we are expecting will be much of a replication of how he played at Brentford), and the Lilywhites have been looking at Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey as a part of that rejuvenation.
Daniel Levy could be looking to take advantage of the fact that Unai Emery’s side could be forced into a deal to sell, and while the 63-year-old club chairman has been working with a compounded budget given the Lilywhites’ qualification for the Champions League for the upcoming season and the fact that the North Londoners also won the Europa League to give a boost to the transfer budget and opportunities for bringing in new talent this summer, now the Lilywhites are looking at a transfer that has the capacity to bolster their midfield with proven talent.
Tottenham are going to shift from Ange Postecoglou’s possession-heavy and fast positional play towards a more structured blueprint under Thomas Frank, who would focus more on the timing of attacks and would be built on a disciplinary base with intelligent triggers and vertical efficiency. And this is where the Lilywhites could secure a dynamic and homegrown midfielder who possesses that experience in the English top tier complemented by glimpses of greatness but massively untapped potential. But the question that I have been thinking about since I read about the rumours is whether Ramsey is truly the right profile for Daniel Levy to consider for Thomas Frank’s midfield engine room…
Aston Villa open to offers for Tottenham-linked Jacob Ramsey
Aston Villa open to offers for Tottenham-linked Jacob Ramsey
The fact that Ramsey has that dynamic profile makes him rather press resistant in the middle of the park, and that is what makes him really good at driving with the ball (something that we have seen from him time and again), and then he is also good at making those third man runs into the box. And given how he has been developing under Unai Emery at Villa Park of late, it has made him really good at playing those quick combination passes into tight spaces.
And given the physical profile and agility that he possesses, Ramsey is quite suited to the transition from a defensive setup into offensive sequences quite quickly (something that can become critical when playing under Thomas Frank).
Moreover, we know Levy and how he loves to capitalise on market opportunities. The fact that Villa needs to sell means the club chairman will be in it. And unlike quite a few other Tottenham targets, Jacob has proven his credentials in the Premier League, making him more ready to adapt and compete from day one at Hotspur Way.
How can Jacob Ramsey line up under Thomas Frank at Tottenham?
Setup 1 – Playing him as a left-sided #8 in a 4-3-3
Jacob Ramsey as #8 in that left channel
When playing in a 4-3-3, you put Jacob Ramsey in a role where he has to carry the ball from the midfield (much like Mathias Jensen used to do for Thomas Frank at Brentford), but in Ramsey you get more flair and final third impact. Now you use this ability of carrying the ball that he has and connect it with overlapping fullbacks (e.g., Udogie), and it fits perfectly. Playing like this, he also adds an elite pressing ability from the middle third (something that Frank implemented to the T at Brentford in his compact mid-block system).
He is also a goal threat given his ability to make late runs, and he gives you stability when it comes to rotational roles with wide players who slot inside to create overloads.
Setup 2 – Taking up the #10 role in a 3-5-2 (if Maddison is not playing)
Ramsey as #10 with front two.
So in the games where Thomas Frank wants to replace Maddion’s passes with the ability to carry and counter at pace, then he can use Ramsey’s ball-carrying ability under pressure. And slotting him in a direct role will bring a needed second wave in transitional situations because Maddison is a pure #10, while you can think of Ramsey as more of a runner and connector.
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Author Opinion
If Tottenham do end up signing Ramsey, it gives the North Londoners that ability with pressing, and suddenly you have someone operating as a ball-carrying interior who requires little adaptation to align with the tactical principles of Thomas Frank, and while he may not look like a flashy transfer, he does have an ability to bridge the gap from deep buildup phases into final third progressions.