Bees out to show Pep they can sting as well as Canaries
NORWICH V BRENTFORD 5.30PM
THOMAS FRANK will send Brentford into their top-of-the-table duel at Norwich tonight with his own Pep talk: “Don’t forget we’re good to watch as well.”
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola revealed he enjoys watching the Canaries to relax, and Daniel Farke’s front-runners are on course for a second promotion to the Premier League in three seasons.
But the Bees, by far the Championship’s top scorers with 61 goals in 33 games, are often just as easy on the eye, and boss Frank said: “I hope Pep gets the chance to watch us more often in future, maybe next season.
“I understand what he is saying about Norwich, because they are the best in the division in the breakthrough phases of attacking play. But we are doing well in many aspects of the game as well and I hope he will be able to enjoy the good things about Brentford. In football, results are always the most important, but it’s also important that you have a clear identity – and that’s why I’m proud of what we are building here.”
Frank is presiding over a club with a remarkable knack for producing the Championship’s top scorer. In the last three seasons, only Canaries hit-man Teemu Pukki has scored more than Neal Maupay’s 25 goals (in 2018-19), Ollie Watkins (26 goals last season) and Ivan Toney (25 goals already this term).
The shoot-out between Toney and Pukki will be a key element tonight, and Frank said: “When we scouted Ivan, we knew this was a player who could replace Ollie’s goals – but he has given us assists, pressing ability and link-up play.”