Thomas Frank

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Thomas Frank

We have a number of issues:
- The defence has played well in a number of games but in some of them has been let down by some of the midfield or front three (not Maupay or McE)
- The defence is still young, inexperienced, and makes mistakes occasionally
- The defence is not particularly strong aerially but excellent in other regards
- Moses was brought into the defence understandably as he's got more pace, and has shown real promise going forwards, but been a liability defensively so far
- The midfield has continually chopped and changed
- The only midfielder to play well regularly this year is McE (and Kamo for the few games he got)
- When playing McE (on top of having ball-playing centre-backs) neither of the other two midfielders should drop deep (but Sawyers in particular has been)
- We need the players ahead of McE to be mobile, whether winning the ball or making runs for him to find, or creating openings for others (Kamo can do this, Sawyers could do this but has been a shadow of himself of last year, DaSilva and Marcondes are potentials for this)
- The wide players have all had their moments but nobody has been consistently good (Ollie might be due to injury, Benrahma settling in, Canos......still has a lot to prove)
- Maupay has been great but there's no backup for him

We can't resolve everything overnight but if I had to try to resolve this personally I'd:
- Bring Barbet back in until Rico is ready (or put Rico in now if they think he's up to it)
- Stick with that back four until a change is really necessary (suspension/injury)
- Play McE every match unless he's injured or seriously tired (as he's performed consistently well this year)
- Ensure the two players ahead of McE are hard working and mobile (I think Kamo should be straight back in the side when fit)
- Until Kamo is fit it's a tough one (I'd possibly give Da Silva a go, with Marcondes ahead or Sawyers)
- Instruct those midfielders (other than McE) never to drop deep when we have the ball and instead start moving
- Persist with Benrahma as he's talented but raw and think the more he plays the quicker he'll improve
- Let Ollie get properly fit and play Canos until then (he's great when on his game but clearly has been hampered by injury for quite a while)
- WORK ON DEFENSIVE ORGANISATION (re-watch every single goal we've conceded this year as a group, identify the problems, then spend time on the training ground addressing them) if this means much longer days,than they're used to, spending hours extra watching video then so be it
 

Thomas Frank

The biggest problem we seem to have is that once we concede one goal we go to pot and quite often concede again and again.
 

Thomas Frank

North London Bee said:
Isn’t that supposed to be Reimer’s job?

Something has to change. Particularly our mindset.

We are falling into the trap of believing that nobody is entitled to attempt to stop us playing out from the back.

We have to find a new solution quickly.

As for defending set pieces. It’s the basics we fall short on.
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I agree with all of this. Millen is an experienced coach and I reckon he knows a thing or two about defending set pieces.
 

Thomas Frank

There is no doubt that TF and his staff have to start finding the answers quickly. At this moment in time we are heading for a bottom three place before the year is out. If that happens I have my doubts whether the current crop of players have the mindset to fight a relegation battle. Fingers crossed it won't come to that, but the next three fixtures are looking rather scarey.
 

Thomas Frank

Brentford Bob said:
Five games in and I'm yet to be convinced that Thomas Frank is our man.

I like him. He comes across very well in interviews and he appears to be honest in his assessments of our team's performances.
But here's the most important thing: We've won one game out of the five he's taken charge of and the cohesion of the team has diminished considerably since his tenure began.
I accept the slide started while Smith was still at Griffin Park, but under him we never looked as vulnerable and shaky as we do now. With Smith in charge, I always thought we would improve and get out of any particular slump at the time. I don't get that feeling at all right now. We have regressed.

I'm not advocating a Dijkhuizen style sacking but we were told once, by the powers that be, that no manager would ever get the tin tack while performances were good.... I've seen four out of the five performances so far, and not one of them could be described as 'good'.

The next four or five games will be very interesting - almost season defining, I would say.
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I couldn’t agree more . He comes across as very personable,articulate and probably a very good coach.
However being the Head Coach calls for leadership skills, charisma , a winning mentality and the ability to motivate & he has yet to prove he has those to succeed at this level.
As I said in an earlier post he was the logical choice for a number of reasons however it remains to be seen if he is the right one .
It may just be the case that the delay in appointing a third coach may mean the powers that be are considering the pecking order.
We will see I guess.
 

Thomas Frank

Kettering Bee said:
I agree with all of this. Millen is an experienced coach and I reckon he knows a thing or two about defending set pieces.
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True, but you can’t teach physicality which is a serious weakness of not only the defence but the side in general. Add to that a general aerial weakness and lack of pace and power through the middle and you can see why any side who are big and have reasonable pace about them find us a soft touch when they get about us.

You can have all the flair in the world but the best teams in this league can mix it up and fight as well.
 

Thomas Frank

Owlsmoor_Bee said:
True, but you can’t teach physicality which is a serious weakness of not only the defence but the side in general. Add to that a general aerial weakness and lack of pace and power through the middle and you can see why any side who are big and have reasonable pace about them find us a soft touch when they get about us.

You can have all the flair in the world but the best teams in this league can mix it up and fight as well.
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:sorted:
 

Thomas Frank

Does he have what it takes to be a head coach - 103 games with a 44.66% win rate in his last job as head coach says to me he does. It's not been the start anyone would have hoped for but it's only 5 games in and he deserves time to implement his and the new assistant coaches ideas. Next few games are tough but hopefully will be the making of him :sorted:
 

Thomas Frank

Owlsmoor_Bee said:
True, but you can’t teach physicality which is a serious weakness of not only the defence but the side in general. Add to that a general aerial weakness and lack of pace and power through the middle and you can see why any side who are big and have reasonable pace about them find us a soft touch when they get about us.

You can have all the flair in the world but the best teams in this league can mix it up and fight as well.
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....if BFC are intent on continuing to pursue and purchase young raw talent to develop.....this physicality aspect is never going to happen....at least not in a young players initial season in the Championship....this is where BFCs current strategy needs re-assessment.
 

Thomas Frank

unBEEliveable said:
Does he have what it takes to be a head coach - 103 games with a 44.66% win rate in his last job as head coach says to me he does. It's not been the start anyone would have hoped for but it's only 5 games in and he deserves time to implement his and the new assistant coaches ideas. Next few games are tough but hopefully will be the making of him :sorted:
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What also needs to be remembered (but is often conveniently overlooked), is that we were already on a poor run before he got the job. It's not like we've gone from winning 4 out of 5 to losing 4 out of 5.
 

Thomas Frank

Owlsmoor_Bee said:
True, but you can’t teach physicality which is a serious weakness of not only the defence but the side in general. Add to that a general aerial weakness and lack of pace and power through the middle and you can see why any side who are big and have reasonable pace about them find us a soft touch when they get about us.

You can have all the flair in the world but the best teams in this league can mix it up and fight as well.
Click to expand...

Dru Yearwood would put that right by the look of him!
 

Thomas Frank

Carrying on an earlier theme from others. At the beginning of last season we were 8 games in, no wins, and 4 points. Most were not worried because we were playing very well, were unlucky and in a false position. Well we are now losing and not playing well. The points tally from the last 5 games is horrendous. The next 4 games look very difficult. We could find ourselves very close to the relegation zone if not actually in it come Christmas. My how quickly things can change! LR is going to look mighty empty in league 1. How we miss Bjelland,Woodsy and Flojo!
 

Thomas Frank

ruislip bee said:
Carrying on an earlier theme from others. At the beginning of last season we were 8 games in, no wins, and 4 points. Most were not worried because we were playing very well, were unlucky and in a false position. Well we are now losing and not playing well. The points tally from the last 5 games is horrendous. The next 4 games look very difficult. We could find ourselves very close to the relegation zone if not actually in it come Christmas. My how quickly things can change! LR is going to look mighty empty in league 1. How we miss Bjelland,Woodsy and Flojo!
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We're doomed I tell ya, doomed!

I don't actually think we're playing terribly. I think in every game we have these moments when we lose the plot for some reason. If we can sort that out then we will rise. Not suggesting we're going to challenge for top 6 now but don't think it's terminal just yet.

I think starting Dasilva in the middle will be a big step forward.
 

Thomas Frank

Doovster said:
We're doomed I tell ya, doomed!

I don't actually think we're playing terribly. I think in every game we have these moments when we lose the plot for some reason. If we can sort that out then we will rise. Not suggesting we're going to challenge for top 6 now but don't think it's terminal just yet.

I think starting Dasilva in the middle will be a big step forward.
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The other thing Doov is the effect on our player valuation model. No one would pay good money for Bents at the mo. In fact he should not be in the team. Mepham - team can't defend we're not paying that for him etc etc.
 

Thomas Frank

....as long as we keep getting results at home we'll be fine this season.....any improvement away form home will augur well for next season....if the home form however were to nosedive....MB may well have to step in....but i really dont see that happening.
 

Thomas Frank

ruislip bee said:
The other thing Doov is the effect on our player valuation model. No one would pay good money for Bents at the mo. In fact he should not be in the team. Mepham - team can't defend we're not paying that for him etc etc.
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I'm frustrated because I think this team is capable of so much more than they're showing. We've had shocking spells/runs every season in The Championship since we've been in it. I just won't panic until Xmas time mate. If we're proper in the sh1t come first January I might wobble but for now I will try and be objective and I don't think we're playing poor in any game for 90 minutes. Most of these last five games we've had bad periods of unnecessary self inflicted wounds. If we cut them out we move forwards.
 

Thomas Frank

Owlsmoor_Bee said:
True, but you can’t teach physicality which is a serious weakness of not only the defence but the side in general. Add to that a general aerial weakness and lack of pace and power through the middle and you can see why any side who are big and have reasonable pace about them find us a soft touch when they get about us.

You can have all the flair in the world but the best teams in this league can mix it up and fight as well.
Click to expand...

No argument from me. I think Huddersfield’s promo winning team were a good example.
 

Thomas Frank

hanworthbee said:
Ive serious doubts whether Frank is up to the job.
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I felt it from the Bristol City game, there just no urgency in the team anymore, I take it that he took over from a poor run of form. But in the past we had pace, urgency and a desire to score, under frank the players look lost, don't know what their expected to do and their is absolutely no pace to our play what so ever. He also brought in Bentley when Daniels didn't deserve to be dropped and Bentley has been a liability. I would get rid of him now and use the extra week for the international break to minimise the damage rather then let this sorry process continue. The results have been bad but its the performances which make me think he isn't the right person.
 

Thomas Frank

JCMcBee said:
....as long as we keep getting results at home we'll be fine this season.....any improvement away form home will augur well for next season....if the home form however were to nosedive....MB may well have to step in....but i really dont see that happening.
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Our form is terrible 1 win in last 11 and 1 win in the last 4 at home so home form not good under mr frank seems similar to last overseas head coach from holland sacked after 12 games with only 2 wins and needed a english coach to get us out of bother maybe they should learn from past errors
 

Thomas Frank

TBF the glaring weakness we have had since coming into this division is poor defending and we've never cracked the problem. We have always created chances and we score enough goals. We have improved defensively in one aspect which is to radically reduce the number of giveaway goals but as a collective we defend poorly and set pieces are a real challenge for us. Frank has repeatedly said that defending is our major weakness and he is on the case. Unfortunately it hasn't looked too good so far. I'm not sure he's getting the defensive commitment needed from all the players particularly with tracking and determination.It might be a mental thing. I doubt it's fitness as we are well resourced in that aspect. Our wide attackers need to look at themselves and we need Da Silva to start for sure.Maybe Marcondes can get a start with Sawyers out? The back four need to concentrate on the basics like ball watching and reaction time.For me it's all about doing the basics well.
I wish Franks the best of luck but it's down to the players.-I suspect one or two are looking at their January plans already.
 

Thomas Frank

davewfilms said:
Our form is terrible 1 win in last 11 and 1 win in the last 4 at home so home form not good under mr frank seems similar to last overseas head coach from holland sacked after 12 games with only 2 wins and needed a english coach to get us out of bother maybe they should learn from past errors
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Foreign coach = bad, English coach = good. What a sophisticated analysis.
 

Thomas Frank

davewfilms said:
Our form is terrible 1 win in last 11 and 1 win in the last 4 at home so home form not good under mr frank seems similar to last overseas head coach from holland sacked after 12 games with only 2 wins and needed a english coach to get us out of bother maybe they should learn from past errors
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I’m not convinced TF is the right man but your post is utterly absurd.
 

Thomas Frank

seanrs said:
Trouble is I guess the type of player I'm talking about cost big bucks

.
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But they don't, all our players cost peanuts and get sold for big bucks. Whenever we sell a forward we always bring a better one in from nowhere, surely it is within our capability to bring in two at once or a plan b type the same way.
We aren't demanding a ready made super star we are wondering why we don't have two raw Maupays on the go at once.
 

Thomas Frank

It's a young squad, as I see it we either continue with our current strategy of buying young talented players and undervalued ones from abroad and gamble on developing them and hope that in a season we can get enough showing their promise at the same time, or we buy what we can of typical championship players. For me the former means that we are at least promised a flavour of football thats a pleasure to watch and the latter leaves us as another Burton, Bolton, Rotherham, etc. All this talk of rethinking our strategy seems to ignore our financial reality.
 

Thomas Frank

TF made us a better team on the pitch under DS. Opened us up to be better attacking etc.

For whatever reason, it isn’t happening at the moment. I hope it does.

He needs a coach alongside him who knows the English league. That’s the missing link, for me anyway.

You don’t become a bad coach overnight.

Injuries hasn’t helped. An unbalanced squad hasn’t helped. Lack of a forward or two hasn’t helped.

It would be good to have a fully fit squad for him to choose from.

The other two points will need addressing in January 2019 or summer 2019.
 

Thomas Frank

we need someone who has English football running through his veins who has played and coached at this level, just because successful in Denmark or Holland don't make them expert of English game as all the danish players at brentford have said it is totally different compared to danish game and previous coaches from overseas haven't impressed rosler dijkhuizen and so far franks is failing.
 

Thomas Frank

Last manager to win the English league who had experience of playing in it was Dalglish 24 years ago...
 

Thomas Frank

davewfilms said:
we need someone who has English football running through his veins who has played and coached at this level, just because successful in Denmark or Holland don't make them expert of English game as all the danish players at brentford have said it is totally different compared to danish game and previous coaches from overseas haven't impressed rosler dijkhuizen and so far franks is failing.
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This is utter nativist nonsense. Smith is about as central England as they come and spent his whole career in the English leagues as player and coach but never brought spectacular results and was at the helm when this run started. Eleven players a side, get the ball in the opposition net and stop them getting the ball in yours. Get a grip.
 

Thomas Frank

Phil Brown has suddenly become available davewfilms.
 

Thomas Frank

Thomas has said that we need to be better at defending, not sure how during the International Break he’s going to improve it as 3 the defence for the last few game# are away on International Duty , good luck to him
 

Thomas Frank

davewfilms said:
we need someone who has English football running through his veins who has played and coached at this level, just because successful in Denmark or Holland don't make them expert of English game as all the danish players at brentford have said it is totally different compared to danish game and previous coaches from overseas haven't impressed rosler dijkhuizen and so far franks is failing.
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Such as Nuno Espirito Santo, Slavisa Jokanovic or David Wagner?
 

Thomas Frank

Our next 4 games are bloody tough , Even if we were in form I would be concerned, Maybe not so much the Swansea game but the other 3 are tough . What does MB do if we lose the next 2 possibly 3 ? It could happen ... ( But knowing Brentford we will win all 3 .... Please , Hope )
 

Thomas Frank

Travel Tavern Bee said:
Our next 4 games are bloody tough , Even if we were in form I would be concerned, Maybe not so much the Swansea game but the other 3 are tough . What does MB do if we lose the next 2 possibly 3 ? It could happen ... ( But knowing Brentford we will all 3 .... Please , Hope )
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In previous seasons we’ve welcomed the International break and mostly gone on a good run after them. I know that’s not been the case this time around so far.
 

Thomas Frank

Travel Tavern Bee said:
Our next 4 games are bloody tough , Even if we were in form I would be concerned, Maybe not so much the Swansea game but the other 3 are tough . What does MB do if we lose the next 2 possibly 3 ? It could happen ... ( But knowing Brentford we will win all 3 .... Please , Hope )
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Championship is so unpredictable. Every game feels like a cup game in many ways.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us go on a positive run after the break.
 

Thomas Frank

Over the top comments on here at the moment. Lots of games to go so no need to panic. Tighten how we defend then grind out a few results. Confidence returns and off we go. It’s just November not bloody Easter
 

Thomas Frank

banburybee said:
Over the top comments on here at the moment. Lots of games to go so no need to panic. Tighten how we defend then grind out a few results. Confidence returns and off we go. It’s just November not bloody Easter
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Par for the course. Same every season. Those that don't panic are rose tinted and those that air worries and concerns are doom mongers. It's like groundhog day!!
 

Thomas Frank

Delbee said:
Thomas has said that we need to be better at defending, not sure how during the International Break he’s going to improve it as 3 the defence for the last few game# are away on International Duty , good luck to him
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And thomas said that is what his assistant brian is here to do not been to impressed in the 2 weeks he has been here as defending is rubbish and now there is talk of millen coming in to work with defence has brian failed already?
 

Thomas Frank

banburybee said:
Over the top comments on here at the moment. Lots of games to go so no need to panic. Tighten how we defend then grind out a few results. Confidence returns and off we go. It’s just November not bloody Easter
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Did you go yesterday?
 

Thomas Frank

davewfilms said:
And thomas said that is what his assistant brian is here to do not been to impressed in the 2 weeks he has been here as defending is rubbish and now there is talk of millen coming in to work with defence has brian failed already?
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He has only been here two weeks, we defended well against Millwall so I'm not even sure why your asking such inane questions. If Keith Millen comes in it will fulfil LNBs prediction that the 3rd coach will be an ex-player of the English leagues with coaching experience of the English leagues and one would have thought that might tick some of your boxes as well.
 
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