‘Let’s make this a fortress’
BEES BOSS FRANK PLEASED WITH WIN IN NEW STADIUM
THOMAS Frank wants to make Brentford’s ground a fortress after they marked their first Sky Bet Championship match in their new home with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield.
Josh Dasilva, Marcus Forss and Bryan Mbeumo struck in the second half as the Bees christened their shiny 17,250-capacity Brentford Community Stadium in style.
“I was thinking this morning that we all want to create that fortress straight away in a new stadium,” said Bees boss Frank.
“Then I thought, ‘can you do that without the fans?’ But of course we are very pleased. We need to make it a fortress, we got the first win so that’s good.
“I’m pleased with two things in particular. The pressure – right from the first second we were much more intense – and the 50-50s, the duels. We were bang on again.”
Had things turned out differently at the end of last season Arsenal would have been the first guests at Brentford’s housewarming party last week.
Instead, their spectacular collapse in the promotion race and subsequent play-off final defeat by Fulham condemned them to another campaign in the Championship.
Their ultra-modern new ground, only a mile down the road but a world away from Griffin Park, would certainly not look out of place in the Premier League.
However, Brentford’s new era does not include Said Benrahma, who hit 17 goals last term but is poised to leave, with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa interested.
Benrahma sat out again, but at least the Bees still have Mbeumo, the one remaining member of last season’s ‘BMW’ front line after Ollie Watkins departed for Villa.
Dasilva side-footed them into a 58th-minute lead and substitute Forss tapped in the second from close range, before Mbeumo curled in a superb strike in stoppage time.
“We lost two wheels of the BMW, but Bryan’s goal at the end was pure quality,” added Frank.
“I don’t know if we can have the expectation of him of last season, but I hope he can progress as well.”
Town are still searching for a first win, and a first goal, this season.
Boss Carlos Corberan said: “I think we finished the first half well and started to have some chances. We started the second half well, we felt comfortable, but the one pressure they created, they scored.
“After that we couldn’t keep the mentality and intensity. You have to arrive at the end of the game with that mentality and intensity.”