Thomas Frank steps into the room, having simply completed a gathering together with his teaching workers, analysts and the membership’s efficiency director Ben Ryan. The subject of the assembly was to debate subsequent season, although there may be a lot to play for.
“I invited everyone in, to look a little bit back in the season,” he tells Sky Sports activities. “We appeared into the great bits of what we did this season, then beginning to have a look at to how we will enhance.
“I know we have five games to go, so I know this season can be good. It can be very good. It can be exceptional.”
Brentford are outsiders for a European end after a troublesome weekend, although they didn’t play. If eighth or ninth could possibly be sufficient for continental soccer subsequent season, they might have been broken by late wins for Fulham and Brighton, plus Crystal Palace reaching the FA Cup remaining.
It means Thursday’s journey to Nottingham Forest, reside on Sky Sports activities, is just about must-win if Brentford are to remain within the race for Europe. “We need to get a result there,” the Brentford boss says.
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Kick off 7:30pm
“It’s definitely a good season no matter what, of course it would be a little bit flat if we lose the last five! But we won’t. We won’t, I’m quite sure of that!”
The Bees journey to a Forest aspect present process the season of their life, even regardless of a latest blip in outcomes. Ought to Nuno Espirito Santo’s aspect win they are going to climb again as much as third spot – which is a far cry from their scenario final season.
Thursday’s contest on the Metropolis Floor is between the groups who completed sixteenth and seventeenth within the Premier League final time period. Brentford ended up seven factors forward of the aspect who had been promoted to the highest flight one 12 months after their very own Championship play-off success in 2021.
Forest have much more of their nook than Brentford – an enormous fanbase, legacy and fame with the historical past of profitable European Cups below Brian Clough. However is there any motive why Brentford can not replicate what Forest are presently doing within the close to future?
“No,” says the membership’s head coach. “But I think you can only do that for one season.
“It is tough. Do you wish to be a European membership, however what’s a European membership? Is that yearly? Whether it is, then it will depend on the scale of the membership, the place the price range would should be pretty linked to it. Money talks.
“The good thing for us is culture, strategy, hard work, clear principles and style of play – all those things we do quite well. It can raise your level – and it has raised our level.
“However I believe we will have one prime season. Then there shall be others the place will probably be good – however not sufficient to push into that prime European firm.”
One of Frank’s key mantras is the need to “add layers” each season. “It doesn’t matter what,” he says. You hear the Danish coach say that phrase a lot over the course of the season. “It is troublesome to go from A to B, it needs to be a course of.
“We have added layers in three out of the four seasons in the Premier League. The third season we could have done it anyway, but the injuries hindered us.”
And people layers are clear on the pitch. First, Frank has made a shift this season to solely enjoying a again 4. “I was bored of playing a back five,” he says.
However there are additionally particular person indicators of layers being added, not simply the collective progress. It has not gone unnoticed how new Brentford gamers have a tendency to start out slowly then develop into kind.
Keane Lewis-Potter’s £20m transfer from Hull was initially deemed a waste of cash, however he’s now thriving at left-back, even with Rico Henry match once more. Kevin Schade is a a lot better participant than on his arrival two years in the past, whereas Nathan Collins had an error-strewn debut marketing campaign final time period, however now could be the primary identify on the workforce sheet.
“Two things are very important,” says Frank about this development. “We have patience, which is a word that you can’t say too much in football.
“You are working with human beings, they aren’t robots. They should really feel assured, trusted and all that. In fact they should carry out, however that endurance is essential.
“We bought those players for a reason – because they’re good enough and they’ve shown that and more.
“And the opposite factor is we’re actually good at creating gamers!”
So who is next on the list? Frank branded Igor Thiago, Fabio Carvalho and B-team player Yehor Yarmoliuk as the next to come through. “These could possibly be the following three lined as much as give me the complications. That is the worst little bit of this job, I can solely choose 11!”
But does any future success rely on keeping the best stars, most notably Bryan Mbeumo, who has stepped into the Ivan Toney void by scoring 18 Premier League goals this season. “And counting,” Frank says.
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We check out Bryan Mbeumo’s best Premier League targets
Brentford usually are not averse to promoting prime expertise with David Raya and Toney transferring lately – however there’s a distinction with Mbeumo. The Bees had already signed Mark Flekken previous to Raya’s departure to Arsenal, whereas Toney was not concerned within the workforce when he left for Saudi Arabia, with Yoane Wissa an inside blow softener.
“I’m the head coach, I want my best players to stay forever,” says Frank. “I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he’s thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don’t know.
“I’ve mentioned many occasions: we’re a promoting membership. However on the identical time we’ve got to strengthen that there are 10 golf equipment on the earth who aren’t promoting golf equipment.
“So, of course, if the right price – and that’s going to be expensive – is coming, then I’m sure the club will be open for it. But I’m very happy he’s here, and I’m convinced that Bryan will still be happy playing football here.”
However is there a degree over the following few seasons the place that might change? “There could,” Frank replied. In spite of everything, Brighton – who offered lots of of hundreds of thousands price of expertise, principally to Chelsea – determined final summer season to maintain maintain of their starlets – and make investments almost £200m into summer season signings.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brentford’s match in opposition to Brighton within the Premier League
“We are just a few years behind Brighton. About four years in that development, if we were to take them as an example,” says Frank.
“There have definitely been situations in the past where we’ve said no, when clubs have knocked on our door.
“I count on that to be the identical sooner or later, the place we are saying: no, we aren’t promoting, we wish to maintain the gamers and maintain creating the workforce, or it is not the correct time for the participant to maneuver on to one thing totally different.
“We are in a fantastic time in Brentford history, I’m sure the fans are enjoying it and I’m definitely enjoying it. And I think we can push even more, so we should do that.”
There are indicators that Brentford will stand agency once more this summer season, as Mbeumo isn’t the one participant linked with a summer season exit.
Forest made a bid for Mbeumo’s accomplice in crime Wissa through the January switch window, whereas there was curiosity in Schade from Borussia Dortmund. Each sagas may resume in the summertime.
In the meantime, studies from Germany have linked goalkeeper Flekken with a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, whereas the type of Mikkel Damsgaard – who has 10 assists to his identify this time period, the identical tally as Bruno Fernandes and another than Cole Palmer – might interact curiosity.
“If we sell any players, I expect it to be very few,” says Frank.
“This is a group where some of these players have been together for some time, but there has also been change which I also think is good and healthy.
“I count on roughly the identical squad for subsequent season.”
Watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford reside on Sky Sports activities on Thursday evening from 7pm; kick-off 7:30pm
