Should Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos need references for a future successor to Erik ten Hag, Brentford boss Thomas Frank has a long list of colleagues he can call on.
Let’s start with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, a man who considers himself a superfan of Frank.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Guardiola said earlier when asked whether Frank is destined for an archetypal ‘top’ job.
‘I’m good at a few things, including reading when the manager is good. It’s going to happen.’
As if that weren’t enough, a call to former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would bring rave reviews.
Thomas Frank (left) is seen as one of the main candidates to replace Erik ten Hag (right) if Manchester United decide to sack the Dutchman and replace his manager this season
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) loved Thomas Tuchel, but he has since taken over England
“The football they play is incredible and the organization is incredible, so Thomas and Brentford are doing a great job,” Klopp said earlier. ‘They show that you can create something very special even with less money.’
And as if these two management greats weren’t enough, here’s another testimonial in the form of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
“With Thomas, with the coaching staff, with the club for me is one of the best run clubs in the league,” Arteta said.
“I’ve been following it for years and the things they do, the structures they have, the processes they have, the vision they have. It’s incredible what they’ve done with the resources they have.”
With Thomas Tuchel widely seen as the No. 1 succession target if Ineos were to remove Ten Hag, who is now off the market after signing an 18-month contract to manage the England national team, Frank has emerged as a leading contender.
And as if the football gods haven’t conspired enough, it’s Frank’s Brentford who are the visitors at Old Trafford this weekend. An audition. An opportunity, not that he needs it, to further underline his credentials with the powers that be at United.
Frank has been in charge at Brentford since succeeding Dean Smith, who left for Aston Villa, in 2018.
Frank is highly respected among his peers for transforming Brentford in six years
The pressure is mounting on Ten Hag after United’s worst ever start to a Premier League season
Over the next six years, Frank guided Brentford to the Premier League and transformed him into a mainstay at this level, consistently outperforming clubs with far more financial resources.
But the 51-year-old knows that opportunities to perform at the highest level don’t always happen.
Chelsea had meetings with Frank before he appointed Maresca and there were talks with United during Ineos’ not-so-secret flirtations with managers over the summer. Neither job ultimately materialized.
“I have often said that I am very happy at Brentford,” Frank told talkSPORT this week.
‘Who knows what will happen in the future. Maybe I’ll stay here for many years to come. I’m open, maybe something will happen. But above all very happy, working hard every day to make the club better.’
Continuing exactly what he meant by leaving the conversation about his future so open, he added, “That’s because it’s very difficult to predict the future.
‘Who knows what’s going to happen. How many coaches have been at the same club for more than six years? Very little.’
The facts are that Ten Hag has suffered United’s worst start to a Premier League season at this stage and, although spared after a recent board meeting at Ineos’ London office, is far from out of the woods.
United are 14th through seven games, with Brentford 11th, two points better off than the Red Devils’ eight points.
Brentford are flying and go to Old Trafford two points better off than this weekend’s hosts
Ratcliffe has made a number of changes off the pitch at United, and the manager could be next
Losing to Brentford, with a difficult Europa League trip against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, would put Ten Hag back under the microscope from which he has only just emerged.
Saturday is not a success for Frank; Ineos and Premier League executives are well aware of his commitment, his quality and his acceptance to operate within a particular structure, in Brentford’s case a structure that is heavily data-driven.
But the mark of his name is that, as good as it has been for him at Brentford, Frank has no experience at a ‘top’ club, for lack of a better phrase. A European powerhouse. A club where expectations are much greater than anything he has had to stay at the top of so far.
“The interesting thing is that I have perhaps one of the best football jobs in the world,” Frank told Sky Sports before the season started.
‘I mean that, because the working environment is so good. It’s such a good owner, it’s such a good club.’
Dysfunction and muddled thinking are often words that better sum up a club the size of Manchester United, but which has seemingly gone off course.
Frank is respectful; He is a smart man and will be well aware that he is firmly in the frame if United want to make a change.
“We know Man United are a great club, a great team, they have top players and we know that if we are not there, they can create a big moment or a big chance in just a second,” he said. week.
Privately, he and his players will know there is nothing to fear about heading to Old Trafford this weekend. In fact, it is United who may come in with some trepidation.
Frank’s Brentford side go into this weekend’s Old Trafford match in 11th place
For the time being, Frank can only handle his business and that starts on Saturday at 3 p.m.
But more than ever, Frank gives himself a glimpse into what life can be like elsewhere.
“We all have an ego, it’s nice to feed the ego, but it’s always the ego that gets in the way of good things in life,” he said. “I think it’s about keeping your feet on the ground and doing the hard work.”
