Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BIRDS AND THE BEES
Brentford boss Frank tells Pep: I know you like the Canaries but we’re great to watch TOO
Norwich City v Brentford
Kick-off 5.30pm
THOMAS FRANK will send Brentford into their top-ofthe-table duel at Norwich tonight with his own Pep talk: “Don’t forget we’re good to watch as well.”
Manchester City messiah Pep Guardiola (right) 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 (above) said: “I hope Pep gets the chance to watch us more often in future, maybe next season. I understand what he’s saying about Norwich because they are the best team in the division in the breakthrough phases of attacking play.
“But we’re doing well in many aspects of the game as well and I hope he’ll be able to enjoy the good things about Brentford. In football, results are always the most important, but it’s also important you have a clear identity – and that’s why I’m very 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 hitman 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 shootout between Toney and Pukki tonight will be a key element and Frank said: “When we scouted Ivan, we knew this was a player who could replace Ollie’s goals – but he’s given us assists, pressing ability and link-up play.
“As a club, we have to give ourselves a pat on the back in terms of recruitment – to have a different striker who scores 25 goals three years in a row is a big statement.
“Neal and Ollie have moved on but I hope we can keep Ivan because that would mean we are in a good place.” Farke hailed the Bees and spoke of the difficulties of so many matches in quick succession. “Brentford are flexible in their approach. They’re a good possessionbased side,” said Farke.
“In this league, it’s never easy to deliver on all three days. We’re not able to have too many meetings, so it’s difficult to prepare. They have good players and have been growing from year to year.
“Thomas is a very good coach and I have lots of respect for what Brentford has done. Their facilities, stadium are top and they’ve earned lots of money from players.
“I can’t really compare our situation to theirs, they won many of their games last season and we lost many of our games last season so it’s more likely we’d get used to losing.”
Cardiff 4 Derby
0
BY ROB COLE
TWO-GOAL Leandro Bacuna fired Mick Mccarthy’s rampant Cardiff back into the play-off places.
Five games short of 1,000 as a manager, Mccarthy gave new kid on the block Wayne Rooney a lesson.
Bacuna struck either side of a Kieffer Moore goal – his 16th of the season – City underlining their growing credentials as promotion candidates by thrashing Derby.
Will Vaulks’ thunderbolt at the death was the final nail in the Derby coffin, Cardiff making it 10 games unbeaten. Rooney rung the changes in his side from the team that drew with Nottingham Forest at the weekend, bringing in six players.
Bluebirds striker Moore caused immediate problems and should have scored after 10 minutes when a long throw from Vaulks caused panic in the County defence.
Derby went close when Graeme Shinnie’s long-range shot forced keeper Dillon Phillips to dive full length to his left to push the ball wide.
Cardiff kept pressing and were rewarded in the 22nd minute.
A fine ball down the left edge of the box by Joe Bennett set Bacuna free and he shot across Kelle Roos for his first goal since
November 2019 and only his second in 85 league outings for the Bluebirds.
Soon after Bennett was carried off on a stretcher with a serious-looking knee injury.
The home side almost snatched another goal just before the break when Derby’s defence again failed to deal with a Vaulks long throw. Moore had a shot blocked on the far post and then Roos denied Bacuna a second with his legs.
But two minutes into the second half Moore rose to head past Roos.
Bacuna then lashed home his second seven minutes later and Vaulks rounded off a great night’s work.