Roy Hodgson greatly admires Brentford’s recent Premier League success – but believes Crystal Palace is equipped to topple West London rivals this weekend.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Palace manager discussed the Bees’ recent promotion under Thomas Frank and how they have successfully consolidated their position in the Premier League.
Since winning promotion through the Championship 2020/21 play-off, Brentford has finished 13th and then 9th in the Premier League table.
Hodgson says:
“That’s the kind of test you get in every Premier League game, especially when you’re playing against a strong team. We are fully aware of Brentford’s strengths. We know what a good team they are.
“We are, like everyone else, very grateful for everything Thomas Frank has done since joining the club and how they have progressed year by year.
“[We were impressed with] the way they really managed – even though they hadn’t been in the Premier League for a long time [74 years] – to put together a team that is certainly capable of challenging even the most demanding players. greatest player.” championship at the top.
“We know where we are going when we go to Brentford tomorrow, but we are looking forward to the game. We like to think that we also have certain qualities and that we will bring something to the game as well.
“Right now, if you look at it from a neutral point of view, it makes for a very good game with two teams both capable of taking points from the game.”
Brentford will be without the top scorer of the past three seasons, Ivan Toney, suspended until January for breaching the Football Association’s betting rules.
Despite losing their AD carry but only one team has scored more goals than Brentford in the first two weeks of the season, they have so far dominated Manchester City and Liverpool.
“It’s a strength,” Hodgson admitted. “Being able to ignore the departure of such an important player as Ivan Toney is in itself a tremendous force and I’m sure Thomas would be proud to do so.
“To the extent that [Brentford owner’s] trump card is to find Thomas Frank and support him, show him their trust and belief in what he’s doing, and at the same time give him He had the opportunity to build this team and give him players like him. asked [so] they could play the football they wanted. “They got a huge bonus from that, because they are not only back in the Premier League but in the top 10 in the Premier League. They are selling a lot of tickets to their stadium and they’ve built a new stadium.
“For Brentford, this is now a very fine period in its history and Thomas Frank has played an important role in this period of history, as has the owner.
The Eagles head to Gtech Community Stadium looking for their first win over Brentford in the Premier League, after drawing all four of their Premier League appearances on Saturday so far.
However, it is a statistic that shows how close Palace have come to clipping the Bees’ wings, with last-minute equalizers eliminating the home and away lads of the season. previous prize.
Hodgson reiterated:
“We also have a similar team that we are proud of and think they are good at. We haven’t spent as much money as some of the teams around us have spent, but it’s a very well established team. We believe in the team and believe in the way we play and what we try to do. “We believe that, throughout the season, we will be able to deliver the same form as we have shown in the last two games, so I can rest easy knowing that will help. for us every Saturday when it happens, whether it happens or not.” you are talking about Thomas Frank and Brentford, or Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool [or any other team and their manager].
