Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Lemonade Money]

Stop over analysing, and start over supporting.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

I don’t really think there is “a guy”. Poch was as close as we got and that was just a bunch of things aligning and a very good and brave manager being one of those elements. Maybe the example of Klopp at Liverpool suggests otherwise but I don’t think there is a messiah out there for us and there are a lot of things wrong at our club.

However, there are some managers who just aren’t up to it. I think it was Carragher who made the point recently that he can’t remember any manager in recent times who was successful at a lower half club playing functional/pragmatic football who was a success when they got a big job. Nuno, Hodgson and Moyes are all good examples of what he’s talking about. That’s why I have major doubts on Frank but I am willing to reserve judgement until he drags us into a relegation fight or until he has a full season.

That said, most of what I’ve seen to date, from the performances to the players’ behaviour to his utterances in press conferences suggest to me that he’s out of his depth.

It’s such an interesting point, Carragher’s. I’m racking my brains and trying to find the exception to that.

A lot of things aligned with Poch, but I think he also had a special sort of charisma. It was his style of football, but also his style of leadership that could translate well to a higher level. He’s not Ancelotti. And didn’t just give unlimited freedom to experienced players, but he does trust attackers in particular. I remember also reading that Cortesi hired him at Southampton after seeing him on the touch line for Espanyol and knowing then he had something special. It’s actually incredible insight. I wonder what Cortesi is doing now.

Anyway, I am really trying to rack my brains. Who is the pragmatist manager at a mid table club who successfully stepped up to a regular European finisher? And if there isn’t a very good example, why did we decide to try that again? I get that Frank evolved over time to get Brentford into a ‘nicer’ style, but he simply won’t have the same time here. I also think there’s an open question on whether you can change a leaders instincts. When under pressure the real you comes out. If you’re a pragmatist then you’ll be a pragmatist. You won’t suddenly be comfortable going all out just because you have better players, you’ll inherently do what got you to advance to that point in your career.