Thomas Frank has been a football fan since he watched Denmark compete at Mexico '86 as a child. But these days, even when he is watching as a pundit, the manager's instinct is never far from the surface.

"I can still enjoy it like a fan," Frank told BBC Sport, "but of course I think like a manager when I am covering games as a pundit." He takes in the emotion and spectacle of supporters following teams like Scotland, Norway, and the Netherlands — but his eye is drawn to tactical trends and the decisions of other coaches.

Discovering players in full

One of the great pleasures Frank describes is watching a player from start to finish, rather than through scouting clips or data packages. He highlighted two Ivory Coast players who have caught his attention at this tournament.

RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande, currently the talk of the tournament, was already on Frank's radar from the player's time at Spanish side Leganes, when Frank was manager at Brentford. But watching him play a full match against Germany was a different experience entirely. "What he can do is stored in the hard disk in my head," Frank said. "As a coach, that is always how you prefer to remember players."

The second Ivory Coast player to impress was Trabzonspor midfielder Christ Inao Oulai — someone Frank had not previously watched himself. Despite his side losing to Germany, Oulai stood out for his movement, his ability to play forward, and his technical quality. "You only get this kind of full impression of a player from seeing him with your own eyes," Frank said.

The manager's dream signings

As a fan, Frank is unequivocal: Lionel Messi remains the player he loves the most at this World Cup. He has arranged to watch Argentina face Austria with his 22-year-old son, a devoted Messi admirer. "For his entire life following Messi, he has been the best in the world," Frank said. "This is probably his last World Cup."

But with a manager's hat on, Frank's first pick from the 1,428 players at the tournament would shift. His preference for the most unique midfielder in the competition points to Vitinha, of Portugal and Paris St-Germain. "He has been exceptional this season," Frank said. He faced Vitinha twice while at Tottenham Hotspur — in the UEFA Super Cup and the Champions League — and was left stunned, especially by Vitinha's two long-range goals in Paris. Frank also remains devoted to Pedri, of Spain and Barcelona, as a player he has always admired.

Olise as player of the tournament

Frank's pick for player of the tournament is Michael Olise, of Bayern Munich and France — a player he almost signed for Brentford from Reading before Olise chose Crystal Palace instead.

In France's opening match against Senegal, Frank felt Olise was the best player on the pitch — ahead even of Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice. "Olise was running so hard — I love that in a player — and working hard too," Frank said. "He can shoot, he can cross, and his range of passing is brilliant." The through-ball that set up Mbappe's first goal, Frank noted, had to be inch-perfect in both weight and direction.

When France are in full flow, opponents must contend with four or five threats simultaneously. Frank believes Olise is the single most influential of them all — and that, when this World Cup is over, the Bayern Munich winger may well be remembered as the defining player of the entire tournament.