Thomas Frank looked down at the sheet of paper in front of him and read out the long list of injured players.
Brentford’s head coach is usually full of smiles when he talks to the media before a game, freely cracking jokes and giving interesting answers on a range of topics. There were a couple of laughs on Friday afternoon when a reporter’s phone accidentally went off but the prevailing mood was one of somebody grappling with a crisis and struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Brentford have lost 10 of their last 12 league matches and are only five points above the relegation zone — and the gap could be reduced to two points if 18th-placed Luton Town win their game in hand. Brentford conceded twice inside the opening 10 minutes on their way to a 4-2 defeat against West Ham United on Monday evening and Frank admitted afterwards his side “did not hit a good level — collectively and individually”.
This is the most difficult period Frank has faced since Brentford earned promotion to the Premier League for the 2021-22 season and potentially for his entire time at the club. It is closely matched by the beginning of his reign, when the Dane lost eight of his first 10 games in charge.
The majority of questions Frank faced were unrelated to Saturday’s match against Chelsea. He was pressed on Everton’s points deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) being reduced to six points, which dropped Brentford below them in the table, and sidestepped directly answering if his team were in a relegation fight. It was when he revealed that Ben Mee requires surgery after fracturing his ankle, and will miss the rest of the season, that any smile completely disappeared.
“Last year, around this time, we were in a 12-game unbeaten run and everyone thought, ‘Wow, Brentford are the best’. We are the same staff, same owner, same manager, same players, so why is it that we have lost 10 out of 12 games?” Frank said. “Sometimes, it’s not-as-good performances, sometimes (tight) margins and momentum going against us, and definitely injuries.
“I have potentially seven starters out but we have a good squad and players. It’s the depth in key positions which makes it tough. That’s life. It’s up to me and the players to find a way out of it and we will. We are ready to fight and we need the fans.
“One thing I can promise: we will probably lose one more game before the end of the season but we will also win quite a few.
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“I’m very optimistic. I’m a massive fighter and my players are massive fighters. When you’re in a situation where things are going against you, there’s only one thing to do: get tighter together, let nothing through us and we fight. We will do that, no doubt about that.”
It was the phrase “massive fighter” that captured the attention and gave the impression that Frank was feeling the pressure.
Brentford are in uncharted territory. Since they were promoted to the top flight, they have never been in the relegation zone. With tricky fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion in the next few weeks, it felt like an acknowledgement from Frank that things might get worse before they improve.
Mee’s injury means they have only three fit senior centre-backs: club-record signing Nathan Collins, who has been dropped for the last two games, Kristoffer Ajer and Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen. Ajer has a patchy fitness record while Zanka has made four starts in the league this season. Frank may have to move Vitaly Janelt from midfield to defence or promote a member of the B Team to provide cover.
Following his team’s loss to West Ham, Frank insisted that Everton’s points deduction was not a distraction but captain Christian Norgaard said “someone is sitting in a room with a calculator, taking away and giving points” and “it’s messing with people’s lives”. Frank is aware of Norgaard’s comments yet has decided not to speak to him or the rest of the squad about it.
“I haven’t mentioned one word,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with us. As far as I know, we have not been charged with any FFP (breach), so why should I care about other clubs?”
But if the Brentford squad is unsettled by it, surely it’s worth discussing the subject — even if it is just to reinforce the message that they are still in control of their own destiny?
Hidden among the questions on Everton, relegation and Chelsea, Frank spoke about Neal Maupay too. The forward, who is on a season-long loan from Everton, was praised for his goals — six plus three assists in 23 appearances. He revels in winding up opponents, though, and there is an argument it negatively impacts the rest of the team.
Maupay’s antics when they faced Tottenham Hotspur, including but not limited to mimicking James Maddison’s darts-inspired celebration, wound up the crowd, their opponents and probably contributed to the dramatic loss of control which saw Brentford concede three times in 10 minutes.
Maupay has scored goals — and wound up opponents in equal measure (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Maupay was booked while warming up as a substitute during Brentford’s 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for kicking the ball while Cole Palmer prepared to take a free kick and then there was his bizarre clash with Aston Villa’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
“What I believe in is that every player is different and they need to find what makes them tick,” Frank said. “It’s my responsibility to guide them sometimes. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this, so I’ve spoken with Neal about it. That I will keep to myself but he needs to do what he thinks is important, and I will guide him the right way I think he should go.”
Reading between the lines, you came away with the conclusion Frank has asked the French striker to hold back.
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Brentford are in a tricky position but one positive result is all it takes for everyone’s confidence to increase. They had a tricky spell during the 2022-23 season, which included heavy defeats to Aston Villa and Newcastle United, before travelling to the Etihad. It was there that Brentford recorded a famous 2-1 victory over Manchester City, only days after being eliminated from the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier side Gillingham.
If Brentford can pick up points in their next few games, it will relieve some stress but their fate will hinge on clashes with Everton, Sheffield United and Luton in April when, hopefully, Bryan Mbeumo and Ethan Pinnock should have returned from injury.
Frank said, “I know we will perform tomorrow” and that “every game is a new story”. Three points against Chelsea would be the perfect way to close a difficult chapter and refocus on moving up the table.
(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
