Brentford travel to Liverpool on Sunday to take on Liverpool and boss Thomas Frank was candid about the challenge posed by playing at Anfield.
“It’s one of the most difficult away grounds to go to, if not the most difficult”, Frank said about Anfield. It will be a tough test but as always we trust ourselves and believe we can do something, but it will be very, very difficult.
“Liverpool will come absolutely flying out because they need three points to keep pushing for the title, which of course is and should be their aim because they have a top team.”
On the inevitable subject of VAR, the Brentford manager believes that there are more important topics to focus on.
“First and foremost, I think the purpose of VAR was to reduce the errors, not eliminate them. There’s too much scrutiny from the media… VAR will be there for good, so I think we should talk more about football instead of VAR.”
When asked about the significance of set pieces, both for his side and Liverpool, Frank suggested they were a vital tactic for both teams.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe said: “It’s no secret that we are good on set pieces. Liverpool is very good on set pieces… last year they conceded the least corners in the league.”
The Brentford manager also acknowledged that: “It will take more than set pieces to get something out of the game. We need to be brave on the ball. The high pressure needs to be very good and obviously we need to be able to defend really well”.
Frank’s side have won their last three Premier League games. Brentford have not won four consecutive top-flight matches since March 1939. Regarding the recent run of league wins, the Bees’ manager said: “We performed well in seven of the eight games before we got these three wins”.
“The Chelsea win was very big for us”, referring to Brentford’s 2-0 away win at Stamford Bridge. “I just had a feeling throughout the game that we were on top”.
Liverpool have won their last seven home games against Brentford in all competitions, the last victory for Brentford in Liverpool coming in November 1937. Therefore, history is against the Bees as they travel north.
