Thomas Frank exclusive: Brentford boss refreshed and re-energised as he looks to continue improving with the Bees | Football News

Thomas Frank enters the bar full of energy and radiating the positivity we have come to expect from the Brentford boss.

With two days to go until the start of the season, Frank has already spent an hour being peppered with questions from the press and with just a week left in the transfer window, Ivan Toney’s future is still unclear. However, he is completely at ease and within moments of arriving he is deep in discussion with owner Mark, a big Brentford fan, about how good the training has been, whilst inspecting the beans for his macchiato.

Frank has clearly benefited from his summer break. “It’s always too short,” he smiles. But after what he described as the “hardest season” of his career, some sunshine, time with his family, and a bit of mental and digital detachment, he’s ready to go again.

“I was tired for various reasons”

It’s a stark contrast to the last time I spoke to him. Injuries had decimated his squad and Brentford had just one win in 12 games. When I came in to pick up my flat white, Mark was seriously concerned that Frank might have decided he had taken the club as far as he could go.

Frank has also been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, but here he is, leading Brentford into their fourth season in the top flight.

“I was tired for various reasons at the end of last season,” Frank admits. “But when we start in two days, I know I’ll feel the excitement again and I can’t wait.

“I’ve learned more and more over the years to try to keep my energy or hold it in. I think having a strong engine has been one of my strengths. I can just go and go and go. But I’m not getting any younger.

“I’ve been on this hamster wheel as head coach for almost six years and I’ve been at the club for almost eight years, and it’s fantastic, but it’s also relentless.”

Frank on Brentford: “I have a fantastic job”

Wasn’t there a moment sitting on that sun lounger in Sicily, cocktail in hand, where you thought “I’m done, I need a break or a new challenge”? There’s a long pause…

“I’m definitely thinking about whether I’ll be a head coach for another 10 or 15 years. I don’t know.

“What I know is that I’m very happy to be at Brentford and I’m very happy to be at the club. I have a fantastic job. I have a fantastic – how can I say? – daily routine and a working environment that I love and we are together in the Premier League, so there are so many positives.

“Of course, you think, I don’t know, you’re about to turn 50, your kids are leaving you, you’ve been in Brentford for a long time. Maybe you think about it a bit more, maybe it’ll take me another six years, maybe not. Who knows? But I’m very happy.”

Frank on connections with a move from Brentford…

As he talks about his family, life away from football (he lives a stone’s throw from the bar and enjoys being part of the local community) and Brentford, he is thought to be happy in west London, but it is clear that his ambition shines in its own right.

So what about the summer rumours that he was a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United if the new owners decided a change was needed, or at Chelsea following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino?

“I think it’s really important that I stay focused where I am. No matter where you are, I have to try to do my job,” Frank said.

“Maybe things will happen. I’ve been saying all along that I’m very happy here. If something new happens, then I have to look at it and then I have to make a decision about it, but right now I’m just happy here.”

That’s not exactly the answer to my question. I mean, what would change your mind? You only get one shot at being a football coach, don’t you?

“The interesting thing is that I have perhaps one of the best jobs in football. I mean, because the working environment is so good. He’s such a good owner, it’s such a good club.”

I’ll try again. Do you want to try something different in the future because you seem like the type of person who likes to keep challenging yourself?

Frank admits, “The thing is, do I like to try something in the future? Maybe, but it’s not like I have to try something bigger or better because which is better? Who knows?”

I pointed out to Frank that it would be nice to have around £100m to spend in the transfer window, as you have often been the club that has to sell.

“I can have £200 million,” he jokes. “It would be fun to have more, but then again, if you have more, say at a bigger club, it’s still the same challenge to use the money well, to get the right players into that position because then at that level they are more expensive, so you can’t buy five.”

I suspect you’d be more concerned if it wasn’t about you: it just reinforces the fact that you’re doing something impressive here, I say, and Frank smiles: “We all have egos, it’s nice to feed the ego but it’s always the ego that gets in the way of the good things in life. I think it’s about keeping your feet on the ground and doing the hard work.”

Frank ready to make dreams come true with Brentford

Frank is confident he can realise his ambitions with Brentford.

The club’s owner, Matthew Benham, estimates that their chances of winning the league are one per cent, but that is enough to convince Frank and his can-do mentality that it is worth a try.

“We’ve been talking about dreams since day one, we’ve never talked about survival,” he said.

“I think it’s negative and I’m too positive to just think about staying in the Premier League or surviving. I’ve always tried to be an asset to the Premier League. Try to develop, try to improve, win the next game, finish as high as possible. That’s always been the goal.

“That’s the beauty of a new season, new opportunities, new dreams, new things to achieve, hopefully, knowing that it’s the most relentless league in the world. So last year we got a warning that, you know, I hate to say it, just staying in the league is still a great success.”

Even a trophy, he adds, would be really cool.

Frank will make sure he takes a moment on Sunday when Brentford take on Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game, live on Super Sunday ON Vscekto appreciate the excitement, drama and emotion of the start of a new season. Nothing is ever taken for granted.

“When the whistle blows and it’s business, I’m going to enjoy it,” he says. And with a nearly full squad, he and his team are ready.

It’s a team that Toney is most likely to feature in, and we almost finished the interview without mentioning the club’s star, who has been in the spotlight this summer.

The last question, however, is addressed to Mark: being the owner of a record store, it is not surprising that his focus is on music.

What kind of music is played in the locker room and who is in charge of it?

“Of course it’s Ivan,” Frank laughs, bringing up Toney’s name himself to confirm what many might have suspected. “But he likes his pop music, all the reference songs you can think of. He’s a bit of a softie!”

Earlier in his press conference, Frank admitted that he has been known to shed a tear or two. Like Toney, there is a softer side, but make no mistake, these two thrive on winning and are desperate for success, whether that be with Brentford or, perhaps at some point, beyond.

Watch Brentford vs Crystal Palace on Super Sunday from 1pm, live on Vscek; kick-off 2pm