Greg . 22 hours ago

Could Richarlison finally be the main man at Tottenham under Thomas Frank?

Richarlison’s time at Tottenham has been a rollercoaster but with Thomas Frank now at the helm, the Brazilian striker could be handed the perfect opportunity to step up as the club’s attacking leader.

Could this be the season he finally fulfills his potential?Spurs were quickly able to put their Super Cup disappointment behind them with a aspiration start in the Premier League against Burnley on Saturday, August 16.

Frank’s lads ran out comfortable 3-0 win, thanks in large part to Richarlison.

He had a 2024-25 to forget.

Plagued by injury, Richarlison was a bit-part player under Ange Postecoglou, scoring just five goals and providing two assists in his 24 games across all competitions.

Against Burnley, the 28-year-old scored an early contender for goal of the season with a stunning bicycle kick in the 60th minute.

It’s a small sample size, 71 minutes to be exact, but could he finally be living up to the hype under his new manager?Increased responsibility for RicharlisonJames Maddison will miss most, if not all, of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season, and with Dejan Kulusevski also recovering from a serious knee injury, the versatile Brazilian will likely get plenty of chances.

Of course, his favoured position is as a striker, drifting into positions on the left to receive the ball and take on defenders.

He led the line well against PSG as a target man, holding up play and assisting teammates into the game, but he showed his goal-scoring ability against Burnley.

Frank is clearly a big fan too, telling reporters after the game that keeping him fit for the season is a priority.

"He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.

” He said.

“So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him.

I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him.

 “That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season.

It is only the second game of the season; there is a long way to go but very positive with him.

"  With fellow striker Dominic Solanke still working his way up to full fitness, although he did substitute Richarlison to make a 19-minute cameo in the win over Burnley, the Brazilian has a opportunity to cement his place as the preferred number nine.

An instant connection with Mohammed KudusCome the end of the season, we may well be looking at Kudus and calling him the signing of the season.

He was a standout in a poor West Ham team for two seasons, now he’s got his opportunity at a ‘big six’ club and he’s taken it with both hands.

Kudus provided the assist for Richarlison’s first, crossing from the right before his teammate guided it into the bottom-left corner of Dubravka’s goal on the half volley, but it’s the second goal that stole the show.

The Ghanaian left Quilindschy Hartman for dust before crossing the ball slightly behind Richarlison.

It didn’t matter, though; the Brazilian angled his body and timed his jump perfectly, scoring with a bicycle kick.

Thomas Frank knows how to coach strikersDuring his seven years as Brentford manager, Frank worked with some fantastic strikers.

Ollie Watkins, Neal Maupay, Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa, and Bryan Mbeumo (technically) have all starred under the Dane.

During his time in West London, Frank wanted his strikers to be able to bring teammates into play.

Watkins and Toney, in particular, are very physical forwards, capable of competing with centre-backs in aerial and ground duels.

It’s a high-energy, high-pressure role that should produce plenty of chances.

Richarlison has many of the same qualities out of possession, but also has the technical ability to run into the right channels and pick up the ball in tight spaces.

 Perhaps most importantly, Frank can adapt.

When playing against better sides, he often deployed a 3-5-2 formation, meaning we could see Richarlison play alongside Solanke at some point this season.

If it works out similarly to how Wissa and Mbeumo did, Spurs fans will be delighted.

VerdictIf Richarlison is able to be more consistent, the fact that it’s the 2026 World Cup next summer may help; he could be in for a real breakout season under Frank.

 He fits the type of profile that his new manager has had immense success with previously.