‘The coach is absolutely sh*t!’ – Thomas Frank uses X-rated defence of Man Utd boss Ten Hag
Thomas Frank feels Erik ten Hag is facing “too much” criticism after a disappointing start to the season that has piled pressure on the Manchester United boss.
The Brentford head coach, who celebrates six years at the Bees helm this week, is himself one of the names linked to United should the Dutchman depart.
Frank’s men travel to Old Trafford on Saturday lying 11th in the Premier League with 10 points, two clear of Ten Hag’s 14th-placed side.
“It’s incredible how much scrutiny he’s had to face,” Frank told the Brentford website.
“As a head coach, I acknowledge how it feels to be in a situation like this. I think (the criticism) is too much.
“He’s clearly a good coach, he’s won two trophies in two seasons.
“But I understand how it is: if the team wins, the head coach is absolutely fantastic; if the team loses, the head coach is absolutely s***! Whereas it’s probably somewhere in between.
“It’s never only the head coach, or the players, or the fans, or the board – it’s a combination of all of these things.”
Man Utd have been linked with a number of managers, like Max Allegri, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and new England boss Thomas Tuchel, but Frank is now thought to be the ‘leading contender’ ahead of his ‘audition’ at Old Trafford.
On speculation linking him with Man Utd and elsewhere, Frank said: “I’ve said many times I’m very happy at Brentford.
“Who knows what will happen in the future. Maybe I stay here for many years. I’m open, maybe something happens.
“But first and foremost, very happy, just working very hard every day to make the club better.”
When asked what he meant by his “open” comment, Frank replied: “That’s because it’s very difficult to predict the future.
“Who knows what will happen. How many coaches have been at the same club more than six years? Very few.
“[It’s] the nature of the game, let’s put it that way.”
When pushed specifically on the Man Utd rumours, Frank added: “There is a lot of rumours out there.
“Every club, every coach, all kinds of situations. I have this nice little principle that I never speak about players that are not in my club because I don’t know them well enough. And I don’t speak about speculation either way.”
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Forward Yoane Wissa faces a late fitness test after missing Brentford’s last three Premier League fixtures and two Democratic Republic of the Congo AFCON qualifiers over the international break as a result of an ankle injury.
Frank, who has no fresh injury concerns, insisted he is paying little attention to United’s recent results despite Ten Hag’s side going in search of their first Premier League win in four meetings on Saturday.
He added: “I’ve experienced it too many times in my career: we face a team that has lost three games in a row but they come out absolutely flying.
“Then, other times, we play a team that has won five games in a row but we beat them.
“I don’t really pay too much attention to (form). The only thing I focus on is how we can make sure we are up there and how we can do everything we can to perform and come out flying – and hopefully we score early again.
“I believe that we can go anywhere and beat any team, but I’m also aware that, when we go to Old Trafford to face Manchester United – a massive club with top players – they are favourites.
“But we need to go there with the approach and mindset that we can win.”
