Frank warns Mepham and Konsa ‘need to learn damn quick’

Thomas Frank declared that young centre-backs Chris Mepham and Ezri Konsa “need to learn damn quick” after Brentford slumped to another defeat.

Sheffield United’s 3-2 win at Griffin Park means the Bees have now lost six of their seven matches since Frank took over as boss following Dean Smith’s departure for Aston Villa.

Highly-rated duo Mepham and Konsa clearly have potential and have been on the radars of Premier League clubs.

But as a combination they have struggled badly in recent matches and were all over the place again against the Blades.

Frank said: “They will both be excellent Premier League players but right now they are making mistakes and they need to learn damn quick.

“If you’d said to me when I took the job that after seven games we’d lose six I would have said ‘no way, not with these players, not at this club’.

“But that is the status and the only way we will get out of it is to work hard to improve and get better.”

All six defeats have been by a single goal.

“We work so hard to score and every time we score, the opponents score and that is difficult to take,” Frank admitted.

“Sometimes we need to dig in for the draw and then look to get another goal, but at the moment It’s a case of tipping the fine margins in our favour.

“There is only one way to get out of this and that is by staying together.”