So, imagine a really exciting football match between two teams: Brentford and Arsenal. Brentford is kind of like the underdog, and Arsenal is a big, famous team. Now, what makes this match super special is how Thomas Frank Brentford used some super clever tactics, like a secret plan, to win 2-0. It’s like they had a magic playbook that helped them beat Arsenal, and that’s what we’re going to talk about. Lets take a took at Thomas Frank tactics.
The Setup: Brentford Tactical Blueprint
So picture this, Brentford the team we’re talking about, had a clever plan for the match. They lined up their players on the field in a special way called a “formation.” It was like a puzzle with players standing in certain spots. Thomas Frank played a 3-5-2 they played it the season before and this really helped, Frank feels the team if better or more comfortable in back 3 or 5. They didn’t let Arsenal have the ball easily, so they ran after it and put lots of pressure on Arsenal’s players. This made it hard for Arsenal to do their fancy moves. Players like Ivan Toney and Christian Nørgaard had special jobs too! Toney would bully players and hold up the play for the team, an outlet, Nørgaard would try to break up the play slow the game down.
Arsenal’s Struggles: The Pressing Game
Now let’s talk about what Brentford did to make Arsenal’s game tricky. Frank knew out of possession and set pieces was going to be important. High pressure, forward pressing and be more aggressive, that’s kind of what Brentford did to Arsenal. They didn’t give Arsenal much time to think or pass the ball nicely. When Arsenal tried to pass, Brentford players quickly ran towards them and tried to take the ball back. Arsenal made mistakes because they were feeling rushed, and Brentford was very good at working together like a team of superheroes. So, Brentford’s plan was all about pressing and making Arsenal feel a bit confused on the field.
The Transition Game: Brentford’s Quick Strikes
Let’s talk about how Brentford turned into super-fast sprinters when they got the ball. When Brentford saw an opportunity to snatch the ball and break on the counter, they didn’t waste any time. It was like a 100 metre race, Brentford players zoomed down the field with the ball and passed it really quickly, like lightning. Sometimes when they did that they scored goals! It was like magic, they could go from defending to scoring in the blink of an eye. That’s what Brentford did with the football, and it helped them win the game!
Defensive Resilience: Stifling Arsenal’s Attack
Brentford’s defence was like a fortress, all the Brentford players stayed close to each other and didn’t give Arsenal’s players much room to do their fancy tricks. It was like they were all holding hands and making sure Arsenal couldn’t get through. Plus, when Arsenal tried to come close to their goal, the Brentford players made some really cool moves to take the ball away. Frank’s instruction was try to get the 2 strikers to mark the centre backs, if the ball goes back to Leno, one of the 8’s rush out to man mark the other centre back and the 6 and other 8 push up and every player is man marked, be brave and with the right intensities.
Set Pieces: Brentford Set-Piece Mastery
Brentford made set pieces their secret weapon. You see, when there were corners or free-kicks, it was like Brentford’s time to shine. When they had a corner, they kicked the ball really precisely into the box, and their tall players jumped up like superheroes to try and score with their heads and when there were free-kicks near the goal, they had these clever routines where they tricked the other team. Sometimes they’d pass the ball quickly instead of shooting, catching the other team off guard. They scored some goals this way, and it was like poetry in motion. So, those set pieces were like their secret plans that often led to exciting moments and goals.
Catch you in the next one.