Ian Wright desperate to see ‘mad professor who could turn into Jurgen Klopp’ at big Premier League club

Ian Wright would like to see Brentford boss Thomas Frank get given a chance at a bigger Premier League club down the line, feeling he could have a touch of Jurgen Klopp about him that would take him a long way.

The Dane stepped up from his assistant manager role at Brentford following Dean Smith’s exit for Aston Villa in 2018 and took the side to promotion via the play-offs in 2021.

Brentford have defied expectations by going on to establish themselves as a top-flight side and sit 11th in table in the fledgling campaign with ten points. They went into the international break with a 5-3 victory over Wolves and have scored in every game this season except for a 2-0 defeat away to league leaders Liverpool.

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Speaking on Stick to Football, Neville asked Wright, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney and Jill Scott which of the managers outside the top six to eight Premier League clubs they feel could go on to do a job at a higher level.

Wright was quick to jump in and respond with his pick: “Thomas Frank. I’d like to see him under that kind of pressure at a big club. He does seem a bit of a mad professor, so he’s one of those where you think to yourself he could either go and turn into a Klopp in the way he does, or it might not happen.

“I get the vibe that he’s somebody that could [do it]. I just think he can do more. He’s not worried about anybody, he’s not disrespectful…I just think that he’s that guy. He could be the one.”

Neville then attempted to suggest Marco Silva as an alternative option, but the conversation quickly petered out.

The Fulham boss has been in charge at Craven Cottage since summer 2021, taking them to promotion back to the top flight in his first season in charge and successfully keeping them there since.  Silva’s side sit seventh in the Premier League with three wins, two draws and two defeats.

Silva has previously had Premier League spells with Hull City, Watford and Everton.

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