Frank on 'biggest achievement', transfer business and Toney
Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Brentford travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Frank confirmed Kristoffer Ajer, who went off with a broken nose against Fulham, and Mathias Jensen, who had a minor injury, should both be available for the weekend.
On this being one of Brentford's toughest seasons in the Premier League: "It is tough to lose in football matches, other things out there in the world are much together, but when you are in this business you work hard to make things perfect, play the perfect game and achieve that and get points. If you don't get that reward it is tough to go again and again and again."
He added: "We lost a lot of football matches and players to injuries. The hope and expectation we had at the start we could have done more, there was a lot of promising performances and stats and with performances we put in we could have finished higher. If we had the players we probably would, but we have done the minimum to stay in the Premier League."
He feels staying up this campaign "may be our biggest achievement" since being in the Premier League and added: "I want more but I understand where they [the questions] come from. With Ivan Toney's ban and with the injures and our budget in mind, it is probably more than an OK season. So we will keep on developing."
On whether he is expecting them to have started their transfer business by mid-June: "Yes hopefully. I always want to buy a few players. We have already done the first bit of the job, like we try to do, we are planning ahead. We got [Igor] Thiago in, but we are always in the market to strengthen our squad and make it the best."
On if Ivan Toney will be feeling better about his Euro 2024 selection chances after the squad expansion to 26 players: "We all want certainty in our lives. When you don't have that it is tricky. Ivan has a strong mentality and character so in general he is fine. I know it is a big ambition of his to be called up for the Euros. I hope he is picked but I'm probably biased. I think he should be in with the qualities he has and I think he gives something extra to the squad."
He added: "Ivan takes into account he was out for eight months, then came back flying. But when when you haven't been playing to the highest level you can pick up small niggles and that has made him have a small set back. But he has had a good training week so hopefully we have a good performance."
