It’ll be like the comeback of Eric Cantona
ERIC CANTONA, Christian Eriksen and David Beckham were some of the names that sprung to mind as Thomas Frank looked ahead to Ivan Toney’s longawaited Brentford comeback.
Following eight months away after his betting ban, Toney will finally return against Nottingham Forest today.
He will be greeted like a hero and treated like one too with the honour of leading Brentford out in the absence of Christian Norgaard.
A sense of injustice is fuelling him, an acceptance that things could have been different. But is he apologetic? ‘Sorry is a big word I think,’ Frank said in a press conference in which he was asked 31 questions about his talisman.
Toney’s enforced absence had echoes of Cantona’s for the same period in 1995 for kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan.
Frank hopes Toney can go one better than Cantona — scorer of United’s penalty equaliser in his comeback against Liverpool — by marking his return with victory as well as a goal but sees similarities in their confidence levels.
‘Yeah I would say so,’ said Frank. ‘A little bit different types of players but Ivan’s confidence is amazing. I think there’s a good story.
‘It’s no secret that (Brentford defender) Charlie Goode and Ivan are good friends. I had a good talk with Charlie about a year ago, we were talking about Ivan and other bits. Ivan came to the club and I think the first three games he hasn’t scored and Charlie said, “Are you OK?” and Ivan said, “Yeah, I’ll smash the scoring record in the Championship, I will score more than 30 goals”.
‘Charlie just looked at him (surprised) — and he did break the record. He has got that confidence. He believes he can score in every action. And that is a huge quality.’
With six league defeats in seven and just a three-point buffer to the drop zone, Brentford need Toney to find form instantly.
Frank said: ‘He is a player that will hit the ground running. I compare it a little bit, it’s different, but a little bit to Christian Eriksen.
‘Also, it (his time out following a cardiac arrest) was not “injured” if that makes sense. Of course it was a crazy thing that happened to him but he hit the ground running (when he came back to football) and I expect the same from Ivan.’
Frank joked that it was typical Toney to come back when he is desperately needed and for a TV game at home under the lights.
The stage is set. But he will inevitably be targeted by rival fans.
Frank said: ‘I think he will cope well. The Netflix series about Beckham, I remember clearly in 1998 the game (when he was sent off against Argentina in the World Cup) but when you watch it back I’m thinking, “What is happening? That is horrendous”.’
‘There will be some banter and some probably more than banter. He has got a very good mentality or ability to focus on the right thing so he will park it, not dwell on it, and just be in the zone.’