Frank lost for words but looks for inspiration from film star Pacino

their families, the fans. That’s their inner motivation.

“I could say, ‘A... B... C... D...’, it wouldn’t matter.”

Frank – and the ‘Moneyball’ philosophy behind Brentford’s remarkable success under owner Matthew Benham, right, – recognises the value of calculating everything to the nth degree.

The Dane said: “Yes, we are very good on the data side.

Yes, we are extremely good on recruitment. That is a big advantage in how we compete with other clubs.

“But the reason why we recruit very well is because we want good characters.

“The human element is the hidden gem. It is the big secret. It is the first thing. Yes, they need to be good players but they need to be good characters.”

When rigorous statistical analysis is the cornerstone of everything you do, it is no surprise great care is taken to supply the most accurate answers possible. When asked if riding the Premier League gravy train will change Brentford, you can almost hear the cogs whirr.

“You know when I’m silent I need to think,” said Frank. “I really, really want – from the bottom of my heart – to say we will never change. But because money has that strong power, you never know what will happen. “Nothing will change in the first three years. After that is where you need to be aware. “We have such a strong leadership group in co-directors of football Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen, and Matthew Benham.

“I am 100 per cent sure that the three of them and I and the rest will run the club in a respectful way, with a human touch and the way we see things. But… ask me after three years in the Premier League.” Brentford fans have been waiting 73 years for top-flight football. They will surely be happy to take the risk.