BEES BOSS FRANK TAKES STING OUT OF VIRUS WOES
THE Championship is already a major test of physical and mental strength, so throwing all the uncertainty about the possible effects of the coronavirus into the mix hardly helps matters.
And we’re at the business end of the season now, the time when the frontrunners should be dreaming of bursting through the finishing tape into the Premier League.
Some wilt in the pressure cooker atmosphere, but Brentford’s unflappable Danish boss Thomas Frank appears as though he will take things in his stride, even the Covid-19 pandemic which has put our elite football on hold until early April at the earliest.
It’s not great timing for the Bees. They were fourth in the table pre-weekend and enjoying a season to savour, a fitting way to mark their final season as their beloved Griffin Park.
Last weekend’s 5-0 destruction of hapless Sheffield Wednesday was another performance to delight the fans, ending a run of five games without a win.
But the coronavirus has put a spanner in the works for now.
Inevitable
While a suspension of play seemed inevitable in recent days, clubs couldn’t afford to take their eye off the ball before the official confirmation came.
“This coronavirus stands out as the talk of the town for natural reasons, but normally it could be other things that affect me or the players like personal issues or whatever,” said Frank ahead of Friday night’s derby at Fulham, which eventually fell foul of the current crisis and was postponed.
“It’s all about doing our best to focus on our daily work, prepare for the game.
“So many things are a little bit up in the air. We just listen to a lot of situbut ations where some games are already being played behind closed doors, some leagues have been stopped for 14 days, so we don’t know what’s going to happen in England but we’re ready to handle whatever decision is made.”
As for whether he would prefer to play behind closed doors if large gatherings are banned or see a temporary suspension of the league and the season extended, Frank is clear.
“I think we need to follow the decisions the government are making,” he said. “I will do my very best to follow those decisions in the best possible way and if it’s behind closed doors or if it’s postponed, or if there’s a close-down of the season we’ll do our best to handle it.”
But how difficult would it be for the players to play week in, week out if there were no fans – and no atmosphere - present?
“I think they will handle it,” he insisted. “Sometimes it will feel like playing a friendly or internal match at the training ground but everyone knows there’s a little more at stake.
“It would be a bit different,
I’m 100 per cent sure that we’ll survive.”
The Bees usually put a player forward for interview at their weekly press conference at their Osterley training ground, but that has been put on hold while the coronavirus cri sis continues.
It’s just one small mea sure the west London club are taking to make sure they have a clean bill of health.
“We’ve just been more aware in terms of talking to staff and players,” explained Frank. “We need to be very aware of the hygiene aspect and the washing hands and all the regulations people are recommending.
“We’re trying to restrict guests on the training ground. The players and staff members need to be sensible where we are going and what we are doing in your private lives.
“It’s all about being sensing ble and living a normal life and that’s what we should do, but be aware that we are in a situation where we need to think about what we do
The Brentford boss, who
So many ings are a little it up in the air. We’re ready to andle whatever ecision is made Thomas Frank It’s all about being sensible, but be aware we are in a situation where we need to think about what we do Thomas Frank
took the reins when Dean Smith left for Aston Villa in October 2018, has a glass half-full view of the current situation.
Control
“I hope that in the world we will control this virus as quick as possible and I’m sure the governments in England and worldwide are doing everything they can to take the best decisions to close down or get on top of this,” said the 46-year-old.
“I hope everything can be sorted out as quickly as possible so everything can go back to normality and we don’t have to think too much about what can change in our daily life in the next couple of weeks.
“I think about it, what will change, how it would affect the daily work. I’m from Denmark and they’ve just shut down more or less everything in the last 12 hours. I’m thinking about my family and friends over there but I’m pretty sure all of us will sort it out.”
As for matters on the pitch, the Bees are looking good for a play-off place. A stab at automatic promotion looks a long shot, but a topsix finish would be a good achievement and ensure an extra fixture at Griffin Park - though who knows when that would be?
“In this relentless league, everybody has a blip,” said former Bondby boss Frank. “We maybe had it in those five games where we didn’t pick up the results, but the performances were still decent. The margin between teams is so small.
“Overall, I think we’re in a really good place. First and foremost, it’s about securing that top six spot and then see what happens after that.”
Two players who will be hoping to make an impact in the run-in are former Oxford duo Shandon Baptiste and
Tariqe Fosu.
Midfielder Baptiste, 21, and winger Fosu, 24, joined the Bees at the end of January and are beginning to show what they can do in the second tier.
“I think they’ve done well,” added Frank.
“Shandon is working on the defensive side of the game – when to press, how to press - and he’s getting better and better.
“I like Tariqe’s coolness and quality on the ball and he’s done some really fantastic bits. They’ve been good additions.”