Brentford this Saturday night at 22:00 BST
will face Manchester United away in the 8th round of the Premier League. In the pre-match press conference, Brentford
Head Coach Thomas Frank shares his thoughts on Manchester United and its head coach, Jens Ten Hagar, and describes the team's injury situation.
Frank began by sympathizing with the pressure that Ten Hagar is under. He believes that Ten Hagar has done quite well as a manager, having already won two trophies in just two seasons, but has been subjected to an inordinate amount of criticism recently. "It's unbelievable that he's had to deal with so much criticism." Frank said, "I understand what it's like to be in that situation, there really is too much criticism of him. That's the way it is in soccer, win a game and the manager is the hero, lose a game and the manager is the scapegoat. But the reality is often more complicated than that."
Speaking about United's recent form, Frank said that he is not too concerned about the form of his opponents, but rather focuses on how to make sure his team is on top. "I've been in this situation too many times in my career: facing a team that has lost consecutively, but they end up doing very well." He said, "So I'm not too concerned about United's recent form, I'm just concerned about how well we prepare and how we do everything we can to play well and win."
Although Brentford
With the confidence to beat any opponent, but Frank also admitted that United, a huge club with top players, are favorites to win. "I believe we can go to any team's home ground and beat them, but I also know that we are going to Old Trafford to face Manchester United." He said, "We need to adopt an approach and mentality that can win and put together a game plan that maximizes our chances of winning."
In addition, Frank also talked about the possibility of Tuchel coaching England. According to him, Tuchel is an excellent coach but the selection of a coach should be based on their suitability for the job and not whether they are from their home country or not. "That's for the FA and all the people involved to judge." He said, "I think you need to be the best coach for the job, that's the most important thing. Only then can you consider whether you should be coached by a homegrown coach. Of course, I like the Danish national team to be coached by a Danish coach."
Finally, Frank described the team's injury situation. He said that all the players are fit and ready for the next game, except for Aaron Hickey, who will be out injured for a long time. Both Gustavo Nunes and Viza have been training on the grass, but he needs to determine if a comeback for this game is right for them.
