Thomas Frank
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank heaps praise on referee Thomas Bramall after Bournemouth clash #BRENTFORDFC

October 2, 2022
BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank moved to praise referee Thomas Bramall for the way he refereed Saturday's clash at Vitality Stadium. Cherries and Brentford played out a goalless draw in the club's first ever meeting in the top flight. But it was referee Bramall at the centre of attention for two of the game's biggest flashpoints, opting not to award Cherries a penalty on two separate occasions. The hosts claimed for a spot-kick during the first half when Jordan Zemura went down under Kris Ajer's challenge. Having not given a penalty, Bramall was referred to the pitchside monitor by VAR John Brooks. After a lengthy review, Bramall opted to stick with his initial decision and award a goal kick. Then, in the dying seconds of the contest, Cherries gave loud appeals when a ball flew up onto the arm of Brentford midfield Mathias Jensen inside the box. Again Bramall was unmoved and the game ended level. Bramall was taking charge of just his second Premier League match, his first coming when Fulham hosted Brighton in August. Asked for his thoughts on the penalty claims, Frank said: "First, I would like to praise Thomas Bramall for his job. "A young ref, I don’t know how many games he’s reffed in the Premier League. But every game in the Premier League is important. "You can say Liverpool v City, but I think Bournemouth v Brentford is equally as important for both teams. "His character and calm head in a very, very stressful moment. You know when you’re called over to the monitor, it’s a very decisive decision for the game. "And we know, all of us in this room, nine times out of 10, most likely it will be a pen. But he stuck to his decision. "I think that says a lot about him. I’m not in doubt that’s not a pen. So I think that was very well done from him. "The only mistake he made was he was a little bit unclear whether he was giving a penalty or a goal-kick." He added: "It was definitely not a penalty. "The way I see it, he (Ajer) definitely touched the ball and then Zemura is falling over him." Quizzed on Cherries' second penalty claim, Frank said: "That was a penalty two years ago. Then we luckily changed the rules. "I hated that rule two years ago, because I think everyone is working so hard and then a randomness that would’ve given a penalty two years ago. "So I’m so glad we got that out of the game, because I think that’s the most fair thing. So definitely not a penalty."
Thomas Frank
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank outlines three important Cherries players ahead of clash with Bournemouth #BRENTFORDFC #AFCB

October 1, 2022
THOMAS Frank pinpointed three Cherries players his Brentford side will need to be wary of this weekend. Frank brings the Bees to Vitality Stadium on Saturday, for the first meeting of the two clubs at Premier League level. The last time the pair battled came in the Championship play-offs in May 2021, where Brentford prevailed over Jonathan Woodgate's side 3-2 on aggregate. They went on to defeat Swansea City in the Wembley final, with Cherries joining them in the top flight with promotion last season. Looking ahead to the challenge on the south coast, boss Frank said: "It will be another big challenge. I think Gary (O'Neil) and his staff and players have done a very good job. "On the results side they’ve had two draws and a win, but also the performances have been very solid. They’re difficult to play against. They look good. “I remember us playing them in the Championship two years ago and they have many of the same players. "They were two very, very even games in the Championship, two very even games in the play-offs and I expect a very even game (on Saturday). Hopefully we’ll come out on top. "We’ll go down and attack and do what we can to get three points. “We know they have players that can hurt us. Especially (Dominic) Solanke I think is a very good striker. I think (Ryan) Christie has done well as well and (Marcus) Tavernier." O'Neil is set to take charge of his fourth game as interim boss, following the sacking of Scott Parker after Cherries' were embarrassed 9-0 by Liverpool. Asked how impressed he is by the way Cherries have bounced back from the humiliation at Anfield, Frank said: "It’s very impressive. "Either you fall apart after a game like that, or you stick together and show that you're stronger. "We know Bournemouth is a club with a lot of experience still. "It's only two or three years ago they were in the Premier League. A lot of these players that are playing now also played in the Premier League back then. "So it's an experienced squad with good players. "In this league, besides the top six, that are from another galaxy, the rest of us are more humans and we need to fight for every point. "All 14 of these teams can end in a situation where it is getting tricky. Bournemouth is a good side." Cherries currently sit 12th in the Premier League, one point and three places behind Brentford after seven matches.
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – Thomas Frank reveals not leaving Brentford mid season like Graham Potter #ChelseaFC #BHAFC #BrentfordFC

September 10, 2022
THOMAS Frank insists it would require “something crazy special” to tempt him away from Brentford amid links with the vacant Brighton job. The Dane arrived in English football as a relatively unknown quantity but his reputation has rocketed after he ended the Bees’ 74-year top-flight exile in 2021 before making a mark on the Premier League. Divisional rivals Brighton are seeking a new head coach following Graham Potter’s departure to replace the sacked Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. Brentford boss Frank is among a host of potential candidates connected with the Seagulls but, while discussing Potter’s move to Stamford Bridge, suggested he would not be interested in that particular post. “Looking from the outside – because I can’t know what Graham was thinking and I might think differently – it’s balancing doing a top job as he was at Brighton and then your ambitions,” said the 48-year-old Frank. “He had the chance to walk into one of the biggest clubs and see if he could create his magic there too, which I am convinced he will do. “A lot of it in that situation depends on the club who is approaching you. When it is a club of that magnitude and size, then maybe there is a chance to create something. “I wouldn’t even say it is necessarily more special than what he did at Brighton, because what he created there was very special. “But perhaps more to match yourself against the best in the world year after year, not trying to get a mid-table position. “Trying to win the Premier League and win the Champions League, I guess that’s the challenge. “I am in a position here where I am very happy at Brentford. I am focusing on that every single day. “So for me it would need to be something crazy special. Football is football, but the one thing for sure is that I am very happy.”
Thomas Frank
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank thinks Sport Republic founder Ankersen will make Southampton a better club #SAINTSFC #BRENTFORDFC

January 7, 2022
BRENTFORD manager Thomas Frank has admitted that he is worried Rasmus Ankersen will make Saints more successful and added: “We will miss him.” Co-founder of Sport Republic, who have purchased Gao Jisheng’s controlling stake to become the new owners of Saints, Ankersen already has an esteemed career in football. He only departed his most recent job as co-director of football at Brentford at the end of 2021, after helping mastermind their promotion to the Premier League. Bees boss Frank was asked about the fellow Dane, ahead of their FA Cup clash with Port Vale. “First and foremost Rasmus has done a fantastic job for us,” he said, as reported by The Athletic. “I’ve known him for 15 years and I’ve loved to work with him in five years at Brentford so I will miss him. [embedded content] "We will miss him. He did a top job in terms of being part of getting Brentford to be a Premier League club and being a well-established club in terms of recruiting and selling players. "I don’t know too much about the Southampton thing to be fair. I would love it if he was here but he’s not. I’m confident that me, Phil Giles, Lee Dykes and Matthew (Benham) will find a way to do as well as we have done the whole time.” Asked if he is worried that Ankersen’s involvement will make Saints, and a direct Premier League rival of the London outfit, stronger, he responded: "Yeah. "Because Rasmus is very intelligent and very good at his job in terms of building a club and making them better. “He’s been a part of that at both Midtjylland and Brentford. "But one thing I know in football you can’t do things overnight. I think Southampton are doing a good job but to do a big turnaround it will take time.”