Brentford boss Thomas Frank idolised Schmeichel and Laudrup growing up and now keen to follow in Great Danes’ footsteps
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THOMAS FRANK idolised Denmark legends Peter Schmeichel and Michael Laudrup.
So imagine how thrilled he was to discover they also admire him as he aims to make Denmark proud, like his heroes did in the Premier League.
The Brentford boss will become only the second Dane to have managed in England’s top division when he leads his team out against Arsenal on Friday.
Barcelona legend Laudrup guided Swansea to League Cup glory and Europe in 2013 — while keeper Schmeichel won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United.
Frank, 47, told SunSport: “I’ve always loved English football.
"I started watching in the mid-1980s and used to love Danish midfielder Jan Molby when Liverpool dominated.
“Then in the 1990s, I also followed Schmeichel. He was a fantastic keeper.
“He was named world’s best twice and won us the Euros in 1992 single-handed.
“Michael was one of the greatest players in the world with everything he achieved at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“Peter has been in touch since we got promoted and texted me, ‘Well done, congratulations’ and about how he is looking forward to following Brentford.
Thomas Frank
“Denmark is a small nation, so I’ve met Michael a lot of times.
'For a Danish person, it’s huge that I’m going to be the only person with Michael to have managed in the Premier League.
“Peter has been in touch since we got promoted and texted me, ‘Well done, congratulations’ and about how he is looking forward to following Brentford.
“I’ve also spoken to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because there aren’t many Scandinavians coaching in the Premier League.
“Even though I’d never met Ole, we had that connection because we’re pleased to be where we are, having come from our part of the world.”
Frank has arrived at the top table having taken the hard route, starting off as an amateur midfielder at home-town club Frederiksvaerk BK, then working 18 years in Danish youth football, before three years as head coach at Brondby.
He landed a job as Brentford assistant first-team coach in 2016 and has overseen some historic moments since he was promoted to take over the hotseat from Aston Villa-bound Dean Smith in October 2018.
There was the final game at Griffin Park, the first match at the new Brentford Community Stadium and beating the club’s play-off curse to clinch promotion to the Prem for the first time in the club’s history.
But Frank could have been out before he really started — losing eight of his first ten games in charge.
The Dane laughed: “I thought I’d test how far the club’s owners would back me!
“But I was pleased they did trust me because now we’re here and have all done it together.
"When you trust each other and work in the same direction, you have a great opportunity for success.
"But, in regards to all the historical markers we've set since I've been manager, I can only say I've been privileged by the timing of my tenure - to be here at this time. Although I would, of course, like to think I've had a positive input in helping us get here."
Two and a half months have passed since Brentford clinched promotion at Wembley. Has it sunk in yet that Frank is a Premier League manager who will be pitting his wits against some of the best managers in world football such as Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp?
Now we're getting closer to the big kick-off, you can feel the excitement growing.
Thomas Frank on new season
He said: "It was massive that night after the final, the day after and even when a week passed. I had 1,000 messages congratulating me - but it then died down a bit.
"Two days after the play-off final, I went up to Scotland with my wife, our youngest daughter and dog for a break. And I was then three and a half weeks in Denmark alone because my wife Nanna is working here and my youngest was in school.
"I needed time to see friends and family. I had a busy, busy social schedule. I only had one night off in that whole time. It was everything from a nice dinner with my sister, the big night out now and again with the boyhood groups so it was brilliant.
"And then we came back for pre-season and it's not felt any different - we just prepare the team as best we can and train. But, now we're getting closer to the big kick-off, you can feel the excitement growing.
"I'm really happy that both my parents are coming across from Denmark to watch the game."
It was so sad that Brentford fans were robbed by the pandemic of being able to give their historic Griffin Park home a fitting send-off - as their team had to play the final game, a 3-1 play-off win against Swansea, behind closed doors.
But I put it to Frank that the new stadium staging Premier League football with a capacity crowd on Friday night is at least some consolation. And to be hosting a club that has now been in the top flight for 102 YEARS to boot. You could not get a more well-established top-flight side than Arsenal.
Frank agreed: "I’m so pleased we can officially open our new stadium by launching the Premier League season with Arsenal, one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
"It’s a club with massive history. On top of that, they're building something new, something interesting. They've a very promising young manager in Mikel Arteta and they did the right thing in sticking with him.
"The Premier League is becoming far more competitive than it has been in the past with more clubs fighting to break into the European spots. The pressure is on them as they need to be a top-six club again and they certainly will be expected to beat a promoted side."
Brentford lost star players Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins after failing to win promotion last year to West Ham and Aston Villa respectively.
Frank admits striker Ivan Toney "would have probably left too" had the Bees not won promotion after his record 31 Championship goals last season.
I’m 100 per cent sure he’ll fit the Premier League and the Premier League will fit him.
Thomas Frank on Ivan Toney
He said: “We got Ivan in from Peterborough — and he became our third 25-goal-a-season striker in consecutive seasons after Ollie and Neal Maupay.
“I had massive belief in Neal and he scored ten goals in his first season at Brighton — but they were a lower-half team.
“Ollie went to a club who finished 11th and he scored 14 in the league.
“Ivan can do something similar. I’m 100 per cent sure he’ll fit the Premier League and the Premier League will fit him.”
Frank has added four players to his squad.
Norway centre-half Kristoffer Ajer, 23, joined from Celtic for a club-record £13.5million, Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka, 23, moved from Danish sister club FC Midtjylland for £9m.
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Attacking midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, 18, switched from Chelsea for £1.3m and yesterday they got Yoane Wissa, 24, from Lorient for an undisclosed fee.
All four of these signings are typical of Brentford's prudent, well-thought-out approach to spending.
And the Bees boss said: “None of them have played in the Premier League before. We believe if we find the players with the right qualities and they fit our four main principles – hard work, togetherness, performance and attitude – they’ll be fine.”
Brentford have had a reputation in recent years for playing swashbuckling football that at times swept Championship opponents aside.
For the last two campaigns Brentford have been the top scorers in the second tier. Their 79 last season was only one shy of the 80 they thumped in 2019-20 with their famous BMW frontline of Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Watkins.
But a little known fact - that does not get spoken about much - is their defence. The 42 they let in last season was the fourth best in the Championship - a year after they conceded just 38, the league's second best only to Leeds.
So what will Brentford's approach and expectations be this coming campaign against English football's big-hitters?
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Frank said: "Our expectation cannot be to win more than half of our games before we start this season - but we will always focus on the next match and winning.
";But when we speak about approach, our mindset will be exactly the same. We want to be as brave, forward thinking and as attacking as possible.
"There will be games where we are suffering and need 11 players defending our box like a lot of other teams but we'll always try to play forward."
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In the last ten years, five teams who won promotion via the play-offs have survived and five have gone down.
Frank laughed: “Then maybe we should just flip a coin and forget about playing the 38 games!”