Thomas Frank: Brentford ‘forced’ Man Utd into change as Reds score ‘ironic’ goal in 1-0 loss

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has explained the different positives to take from his side’s 1-0 loss against Manchester United, mentioning how the winning goal was ‘ironic’ for one clear reason.

It was a dominant performance from The Reds at Old Trafford as they bounced back from their defeat against Newcastle on the weekend.

Brentford have been in excellent form, having lost just once since the return from the World Cup before the encounter. They currently sit in ninth in the Premier League – level on points with Liverpool and four points in front of Chelsea.

Frank, 49, explained how his team’s disappointment at the result shows their progression – the club made the jump to the top division last term and have settled well ever since.

He also took pride in Erik ten Hag’s tactical switch late in the game as the visitors turned up the pressure as he brought Victor Lindelof on for Antony.

“We’re very disappointed we didn’t get anything from this game and that shows how far we’ve come,” Frank told BBC. “When we go to Old Trafford against Man United and the disappointment is big among the players and me.

“In some ways, we didn’t play better, especially the first half. In the second half, we create the big chance for Kevin (Schade) and we forced them to change their system to a back five in the end – then you know you’re doing something right.”

Before the game, United fans were wary of Brentford’s ability from set-pieces. It is an area in which United sometimes struggle defensively. However, it was Marcus Rashford who benefited from a game-deciding set piece as Antony swung in a cross from outside the box after Jadon Sancho’s original corner.

“We didn’t play top first half and then we concede, it was a little bit ironic, we concede a set-piece that we’re [usually] very good at,” added Frank.

“Disappointed, but again I think it’s a very good sign of how far we’ve come.”