Thomas Frank: Brentford’s plan for success after Ivan Toney’s departure, transfer policy and the missing piece of the puzzle | football news

Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Christian Norgaard, the entire defensive unit, Fabio Carvalho, Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade and Mikkel Damsgaard.

This was the full list of honorable mentions who were praised by Thomas Frank in the post-match team talk video that took social media by storm after the impressive 4-2 win against Newcastle United.

But there is one glaring omission from this list. himself

Following the sale of Ivan Toney to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli this summer, many wondered how the Bees would fare without his talented forward, having scored 36 goals in 83 appearances in the top category

But with Frank at the helm and a strong recruitment strategy in place at the club, Brentford have gone on and on to impress.

here, Sky Sports takes a look at the club’s strong underpinnings and the only missing piece of the puzzle ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle, live on Sky Sports.

Frank is the biggest gun

Much of this success and ability to continue competing at the highest level is due to Frank.

The Dane joined the club as an assistant in 2016 and would succeed former boss Dean Smith in 2018.

He has now been in charge of the Bees for six years and his record 90 wins in his first 200 games, which is the highest of any manager in their history, highlights the work he has done in west London.

Regardless of high-profile departures such as Toney, David Raya, Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma, Frank has taken the club from Championship play-off final disgrace to Premier League regulars capable of competing with the best on a weekly basis .

It is the reason why his name is frequently linked with any major role that becomes available and also highlights why Brentford must ensure that Frank is a signing that does not come to fruition.

Recruitment strategy drives performance and sustainability

Another important factor driving success is the recruitment strategy in place at Gtech Community Stadium.

When faced with the loss of key players, many clubs would look to the transfer window to immediately address the gaps left in their squad.

However, at Brentford, they take a forward-thinking approach that both gives them more depth and arms them for the future, driven by the statistical and analytical approach of their director of football Phil Giles.

“You can’t buy a player to solve a problem, you have to think long term and be as patient as possible,” Giles told the official website of the club when asked about current hiring policies.

“Thomas (Frank)’s job is to focus now, while my job is to make sure we’re in a good place for the long term.

“Thomas wants the best team available and wants to win every game, and so do I. That’s the most important thing.”

Without Giles thinking about the future overseeing the statistical modeling and progressive philosophy at the club, there is no “now” for Frank. Brentford are a well-oiled machine from top to bottom.

Always two steps ahead

Last summer’s £75m spending spree was the biggest the club has parted with since promotion to the Premier League in 2021, bringing in the likes of Igor, Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg.

Igor and Carvalho were the marquee signings and cost just over £46m, but have only started four games in the top flight, which is a common theme for Brentford.

As Giles mentioned, the future of the club is always at the forefront of his mind throughout the recruitment process and this allows players to slowly work their way into the first team picture.

Schade, Damsgaard, Keane Lewis-Potter and Yoanne Wissa are all now first-team regulars or growing in importance after being used sparingly in their early seasons at the club.

Wissa and Schade have yet to exceed their total minutes this season compared to the firsts at the club, but they certainly will given their 16 goals in the campaign so far.

Players are bought with the intention of growing and contributing for years to come. If they hit the ground running as soon as they do, like Nathan Collins and Mark Flekken, that’s an added bonus.

The final piece of the Brentford puzzle

Wednesday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m

Start at 19:45

Of course, there is one glaring problem with this Brentford team, which is their form away from home.

Just one of their 23 points has come on the road, which could have been nil but for the 0-0 draw at Everton, which saw Brentford reduced to 10 men.

Seven defeats and a draw are a stark contrast to their results at home. If they could secure even half of those available points, the Bees would be sitting comfortably in the top four.

It’s the only blemish on what has been a stellar start to the season for Frank and his team.

Your next chance to deal with these problems? A trip to Newcastle in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, live on Sky Sports.

Brentford’s Christmas period

• December 18: Newcastle (a) – Carabao Cup, live on Sky Sports
• December 21: Nottingham Forest (h) – Premier League
• December 27: Brighton (a) – Premier League
• January 1: Arsenal (h) – Premier League, live on Sky Sports
• January 4: Southampton (a) – Premier League