Brentford Football Club finds itself on the cusp of a potential European competition berth, but manager Thomas Frank remains measured in his optimism. The Bees are looking forward to welcoming Manchester United to town for their next fixture. Now, as they sit in 11th place in the Premier League, just two points behind Fulham in eighth, Frank’s crystal ball remains cloudy with four key fixtures to go. They will need to survive some difficult tests, most notably visits to fellow contenders Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The club’s recent form has been impressive. This consistency has come to the fore over the last 12 games, providing a strong reaction this term to a season hit hard by injury. Frank acknowledged that last year was marked by three or four gut-wrenching losses. This year, Brentford has only been terrible in one match. Most recently, the team returned from Nottingham Forest with an exhilarating 2-0 away victory. Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa scored the goals to tie up a Festa position, further cementing their dominance!
Upcoming Fixtures
Brentford’s short-term task is obvious, as they focus on a home meeting with Manchester United on the horizon. This away matchup is huge for both points and momentum as they both wait to see who can move up the league table first. Brentford’s next match against local rivals Fulham is a home fixture, immediately following the United clash. Then, it’s away trips to Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers for their last two fixtures of the season.
Frank emphasized the importance of these matches: “There are a few things that need to happen. The teams ahead of us need to get less points and we need Manchester City to win the FA Cup.” These results now put Brentford in a very strong position to qualify for European competition, something they have never taken part in before.
Manager’s Perspective
While there would be excitement for such a major achievement as a European spot, Frank sought to temper expectations. He explained that “There’s a few things that we can’t control on our own. His sentiments shed light on an improved realized appreciation for the nuances that go into competing at a larger scale. Is that annual, then if so, then that is size of club dependent with the budget having to be somewhat proportional to size. Money talks,” he added.
Frank is still high on the overall foundation of the club, with their formula for success recently coming down to a positive culture and solid planning. And luckily for us, that counter is culture, strategy, hard work, clear principles and style of play. All those things we do quite well. It can increase your game and it has increased our game,” he added.
Looking Ahead
As Brentford moves into the home stretch of the season, fans and players both are dreaming of what might be just around the corner. The opportunity to do battle among Mr Hummels and Mr Toure and co just adds an alluring dimension to their European adventure. Frank stresses that he does not want to downplay these positive trends, warning that getting better and being steady is not good enough. The path to European football requires a good deal more than ambition.
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