They might have to suspend me too, to be Frank
FOOTBALL’S rulers will have to ban Thomas Frank before he agrees to leave Ivan Toney out in the cold.
The Brentford manager agrees with England boss Gareth Southgate, below, that Toney needs help with his gambling addiction more than football needs to freeze him out for breaking betting rules.
And Frank says the club will do all they can to rehabilitate the Three Lions striker, who has been banned for eight months and cannot train for four months.
Frank said: “If I can’t speak to him, I guess they have to ban me as well, the FA, because if I’m not allowed to speak with him on a support level, there must be something wrong.
“I think you are allowed to contact people in prison. So, I guess I’m allowed.”
Brentford have been told they can offer Toney help with a hamstring injury, but the club are seeking clarity on how much contact they can have with the 27-year-old.
Brentford go into the final game of the season, against champions Manchester City, in ninth place, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league.
They must win to have any hope of qualifying for Europe in seventh, but they have beaten City this season. Frank said: “I believe everything is possible in football.
“I am so pleased we are in the mix.We just need to beat the best team in the world!
“A lot of things must go the right way. It should be impossible.
“But at home, with this group of players, everything is possible.
“We have the second lowest budget in the league.The core of the team played in the Championship. It’s a fantastic achievement.”