Manager Watch - Thomas Frank

[carmeldevil]

Amazing all this analysis and talk for someone who has not been announced by the club yet.

I'll wait till the club announces the hire. God knows they have fucked it up in the past.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

A strong starting eleven is a start. However some of those players still have massive questions regrading ability, mental attitude, and fitness hanging over them. In addition, we need much higher quality in terms of squad depth to compete on more than one front. Still far too much dead wood.

I don't get when I read we have 'deadwood'. The majority of the squad has been put together in the last 3-4 years. We maybe have a couple of player that need to move on because they are not worth signing up to a new contract but those like Biss, Davies, Richarlison etc... are still decent squad players and contributed last season.

 

[GMI]

That’s a LOT of staff, but if frank wants/needs it - it absolutely has to be done.

It is a lot of staff but I imagine their collective wages are lower than under previous Managers we've had (Jose and Conte).

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Perhaps he brings new ideas each season and they take time to adjust.

I think he has actually alluded to this in some of the videos.

When Brentford first came up - the only objective was to stay up, and so Frank prioritized staying up in his tactics. But, with each successive year, the goals shifted, new players arrived and the tactics changed to be more possession and less pure defensive/counter-attack.

Certainly one concern this year will be how quickly he can get up to speed, because training time will be limited once CL starts. So, this year, more so than other years, we need the bulk of the squad ready for pre-season, so Frank can assess and then install his tactics.

 

[Eric_s]

Our squad when told you dont have to outplay teams but be secure kept clean sheets and beat a lot of teams.

Frank isn’t going to be gung-ho like Ange a lot of the players that we think aren’t up to it will do a lot better when they don’t have to be the best player around in their position for the plan to work.

biss isn’t so bad when he doesn’t have to cover the whole of the back four. Midfielders will leave the defenders less exposed making defenders like dragusin look better.

its new manager new problems and new solutions.

right now we dont know how franks philosophy is going to be now he has a better team. So let’s see.

Brentford under Frank concede many goals. They usually win by outscoring the other team. Frank's Brentford is very good at pacey attacks but not very good at keeping clean sheets.

 

[GetKaned]

Our squad when told you dont have to outplay teams but be secure kept clean sheets and beat a lot of teams.

Frank isn’t going to be gung-ho like Ange a lot of the players that we think aren’t up to it will do a lot better when they don’t have to be the best player around in their position for the plan to work.

biss isn’t so bad when he doesn’t have to cover the whole of the back four. Midfielders will leave the defenders less exposed making defenders like dragusin look better.

its new manager new problems and new solutions.

right now we dont know how franks philosophy is going to be now he has a better team. So let’s see.

This is spot on. And the biggest evidence for this is our Europa League final. Our team was much better as a low block result grafting machine compared to United

 

[spurs mental]

 

[RJR1949]

I’d be surprised if Brentford fought too hard to hold on to Frank’s team as they must realise that whoever is appointed to replace Frank will want his own team. It’ll just be a negotiation about money.

(Unless Brentford intend to promote one to replace Frank, which would complicate things. )

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Brentford under Frank concede many goals. They usually win by outscoring the other team. Frank's Brentford is very good at pacey attacks but not very good at keeping clean sheets.

Conceded fewer goals last year, and kept more CSs than Spurs.

 

[ultimateloner]

I think he's a sensible choice. Up-and-coming coach with good recent record. We provide the platform to see if he would sink or swim.

On the other hand if we hire him I think we need plan B in place for quick execution, having learnt from the Nuno experience.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

I think he's a sensible choice. Up-and-coming coach with good recent record. We provide the platform to see if he would sink or swim.

On the other hand if we hire him I think we need plan B in place for quick execution, having learnt from the Nuno experience.

This is not the Nuno situation.

Frank was a top choice, not a last choice. In the summer of Nuno, Conte was always the first choice, we just could not convince him (or pay him) enough in the summer.

Frank is also much more personable than Nuno - and is not coming off a grueling year where he said he needed time away from the game.

There are no guarantees in life, but we have chosen Frank because he fits what we are trying to do - build a young squad, and not because everyone else turned us down.

 

[KingNothing]

A strong starting eleven is a start. However some of those players still have massive questions regrading ability, mental attitude, and fitness hanging over them. In addition, we need much higher quality in terms of squad depth to compete on more than one front. Still far too much dead wood.

Hard disagree. Add another left-back and a winger like Mbeumo or Bakayoko, and the squad will be in a very good place for next season. Give contract extensions to all 11 players who started the Europa final. Legends!

 

[EssexSH27]

Nuno was completely burnt out from Wolves too. Lost of ideas, the most boring side in the league the year before. Where Frank seems to be still improving and adapting. I don’t see the situations as similar at all.

 

[Majick]

Left Man Utd about a week ago due to role been reduced

Getting this guy is the real prize for winning the Europa League!

 

[King Yid]

I disagree with this - I actually believe that our squad is strong and we have some very good players in there and several very promising young players who could develop into top players. Our defence is one of the strongest in the league for a start (when fit) and we have some good players in midfield (Bergvall, Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr, Maddison and hopefully Gray) is at least top 6 level - where we are lacking a bit is in attack and I'd hope we look to strengthen that area over the coming months.

All in all right now we should be strong enough to get a top 6 finish and with better coaching and hopefully a new signing or two we should be aiming for higher.

If you compare our squad to the likes of Utd as an example we are in a much better position and much of our rebuilding has already taken place.

Agreed. I don’t see a top 5/6 finish as being progress. This squad should be good enough for that - I see last season’s finish in 17th as an exception. I would be happy with top 5, back in the CL again and some good runs in the CL and domestic cups.

 

[SSC]

I think he's a sensible choice. Up-and-coming coach with good recent record. We provide the platform to see if he would sink or swim.

On the other hand if we hire him I think we need plan B in place for quick execution, having learnt from the Nuno experience.

Would it shock you to know TF is older than Nuno (not that it matters but it surprised me!)

 

[spursfan77]

Conceded fewer goals last year, and kept more CSs than Spurs.

Not sure that's much of a boast!

Thought I'd look it up out of interest.....

Most Clean Sheets - Premier League Player Stats

Test Team Description Translation

www.premierleague.com

We kept only 6 clean sheets, followed by Fulham with 5 (which was a surprise, I thought they had more) then the three relegated teams had the least.

I'd be amazed if we dont improve on that hugely, which I'm looking forward to. The amount of times we fell behind last season felt like an unbelievable amount.

 

[bbunc]

The big problem is Romero leaving. If he goes that's a giant hole to fill just to stand still, on top of needing a left footed CB as well, plus a starting DM, a starting wide player and another striker.

Romero isn’t leaving unless Atleti plonk down 65-70M, which ain’t going to happen. And if it does, we have 65-70M to spend to replace.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Not sure that's much of a boast!

Thought I'd look it up out of interest.....

Most Clean Sheets - Premier League Player Stats

Test Team Description Translation

www.premierleague.com

We kept only 6 clean sheets, followed by Fulham with 5 (which was a surprise, I thought they had more) then the three relegated teams had the least.

I'd be amazed if we dont improve on that hugely, which I'm looking forward to. The amount of times we fell behind last season felt like an unbelievable amount.

I think we will improve with a more organized team structure alone.

I'm still a little nervous with Vicario having to make decisions with the ball at his feet, but I think he will have better passing options this season.

 

[GetSpurredOn]

Pretty sure they scored less than us from set pieces.

and defensively they were woeful, shipped a lot from set pieces.

He was only set piece coach under ETH, July 24 - November 24.
Amorim bought in his assistant who was a set piece coach, so Georgson was moved to a more generic ‘skills coach’ role, so not sure you can judge his set piece at Utd.

That’s a LOT of staff, but if frank wants/needs it - it absolutely has to be done.

Most of these make sense, but would throw some doubt on the future of Wells and Burch who have intially been retained.
Wells has been first assistant, on the assumption Kevin O’Connor isn’t one of Frank’s team coming, he could fill that space on the team.
Manu Sotelo is a GK coach, so are both he and Burch needed.
Realistically, Mason, Jedinak, Montgomery and Raimundo, replaced by Norgaard, Cochrane, Andrews and Perryman, still sees a like for like headcount.