Thomas Frank says Brentford already has its Ivan Toney replacement
Thomas Frank says it will be ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ to replace Ivan Toney – but is confident Brentford can make up the goals as the Bees aim to ‘be an asset’ again in the Premier League
- Brentford have remained far above the relegation zone since promotion
- But they’ll be without main man Ivan Toney until January due to suspension
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
When Brentford was promoted to the Premier League in 2021, manager Thomas Frank says, the club wanted to do more than just survive the top flight.
‘We didn’t talk about, ‘Ah we need to reach the 40-point mark,’ or ‘No, we just need to stay in the league,” Frank exclusively told Mail Sport. ‘No, no we didn’t. I think it’s negative, a negative narrative.’
A similar sort of self-belief will be needed now with Ivan Toney suspended until January.
‘We lost a key player – potentially our best player – how can we replace him?,’ Bees’ manager Frank asked. ‘Impossible. But we will give it a go.’
Last season, Toney’s 20 league goals were more than double his nearest teammate (Bryan Mbeumo’s nine). Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane bested his tally in the top flight.
Thomas Frank was in good spirits when he caught up with Mail Sport in Washington DC
He’s steered Brentford well clear of danger the last two seasons but will be without Ivan Toney this campaign until January
Frank is seen coaching Brentford during the club’s 3-2 loss to Fulham Sunday in Philadelphia
The striker was handed an eight-month ban after admitting to 232 breaches of betting rules. And while Frank is aware of the challenge on his hands, there’s optimism peeking through as well.
‘A big thing in football is also how cool you can be in the moments where you maybe are losing key players,’ he says.
‘We’re not panicking. We’re not running out to get a striker in, to try to replace Ivan, because we think we’ve done our work well and we have the replacement inside as well.’
Frank, speaking to Mail Sport in Washington DC, points to the Bees’ perfect record without Toney for the last three games of 2022-23 (two through injury, one after he was banned), when the club impressively beat West Ham, Tottenham and Man City.
The Dane also likes the options that will be at his disposal.
Yoane Wissa has proved to be an effective and versatile forward option since arriving from Lorient, while Mbeumo has quietly been one of the league’s better creators over the last two seasons (15 assists). Kevin Schade, 21, and Keane Lewis-Potter, 22, will also look to assume bigger roles in Toney’s absence.
‘In the games [Toney] didn’t play we actually scored a few goals and especially Yoane Wissa stepped in and scored a few goals, big expectations for him,’ Frank said.
‘We have the young Kevin Schade and Keane Lewis-Potter, that I expect more from. And then of course Bryan Mbeumo will have to do even more.’
Brentford spent a club-record £23million ($29.6million) on defender Nathan Collins earlier this summer, but the club still lacks the financial resources of its rivals. Just two clubs had a smaller transfer outlay last season.
Toney was suspended in May for eight months by the FA due to gambling charges
And Bryan Mbeumo, seen playing in Philly vs. Fulham, will have to step up in his absence
‘What we’re doing is insanely impressive and good,’ Frank says.
It will be even more so if last season’s levels can be maintained without Toney. Given the circumstances, it may seem striking to hear Frank speak with this level of assuredness and composure. But that’s always how he and Brentford have approached the Premier League.
Frank arrived at Brentford in 2018 – which now makes him the third-longest serving manager in the top flight – and when the Premier League beckoned in 2021, there was no deviating from the high-pressing style that got them there.
‘I think the first time when we stepped into the Premier League we had a big ambition of trying to be an asset to the Premier League, instead of just trying to survive… try to attack the league,’ he said with the Bees in America for the Premier League Summer Series.
It’s a line that’s become increasingly common among newly promoted managers, though Frank’s side actually delivered, finishing in 13th place – a comfy 11 points above relegation.
After an impressive top-half finish last season, being an ‘asset’ to the Premier League is the plan once again, though one of his players – midfielder Vitaly Janelt – admits to keeping expectations in check.
‘We are still Brentford, I would say, a smaller club,’ Janelt said. ‘Obviously we have big ambitions and we try our best to finish as high as possible, but my personal aim is only to stay in the league really and play another year in the Premier League.’
Frank doesn’t see it quite the same way, but offered a bit of perspective as well.
Quick fire questions with Brentford manager Thomas Frank! 🗣️🔥 #brentford #premierleague #mls #usa
‘We are ambitious, very very ambitious, so we like to develop our style of play, we like to develop the team, we like to do even more.
‘And can we progress and maybe get an even better position? It’d be fantastic, but I must say there is a few teams that is bigger favorites to go for European places.’
If Brentford lack the transfer kitty possessed by most of their Premier League rivals, they’re trying to make up for those funds in collectivity.
Ben Mee, Ethan Pinnock and Christian Norgaard are some of the elder statesmen in a selfless squad – at least by Frank’s telling.
‘I think our squad is quite unique, we have a fantastic culture,’ he said. ‘Togetherness is one of our prime values and that’s so, so important for us. Because we talk a lot about that, we need to run, play and fight for each other,’ he said.
‘And if we don’t do that it’s impossible to achieve anything – for any team in the world. That’s so, so, so crucial. I think we have a good blend in the squad – a few experienced guys but also a lot of good characters that help each other.’
Of course, Toney’s experience – not to mention his finishing – will be absent from the squad for the first half of the season.
With or without the striker, though, Frank will look to keep fine-tuning his squad.
Brentford have managed to steer comfortably clear of relegation during the last two seasons
Yoane Wissa (right) celebrates with Mads Roerslev after scoring a goal vs. Fulham
‘I think we constantly want to develop, and we’ve been very, very good in terms of we’re a very strong team defensively. We’re a very good team on set pieces. We’re a very good team in transitions. I think the small, small details how we can do even more to create more chances and to hopefully score more goals.
‘We work a lot on what we call the ‘breakthroughs’ where we work on producing crosses, and how we arrive in the box… we work a lot on how we can be in around when we attack, how we can play behind and run behind. So those are the bits we’d like to add even more.’
That sort of attention to detail has helped Brentford steer well of danger the last two seasons.
Year 3 could turn out to be similarly smooth. Either way, Toney’s ban has handed Frank perhaps his toughest test yet.
Catch Brentford take on Aston Villa in Maryland on July 30 at FedEx Field.
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