Frank outlines Benhrama’s value to Brentford amid Chelsea links
Algerian winger Said Benrahma continues to be linked with a £22.5 million switch from Brentford to West London neighbours Chelsea, but Bees boss Thomas Frank has reiterated the 24-year-old’s importance to the club. After joining for a bargain £1.5 million fee from Nice in July 2018, Benrahma has been a constant thorn in the side of Championship defences. Not content with creating goals, he also has the propensity to get on the scoresheet himself, as evidenced by his recent 88th minute strike against Fulham.
Frank admitted to the press after his side’s late 2-0 win at Craven Cottage that Benrahma is a “top player in this top division”. He said that hanging on to the likes of Benrahma was vital if they “want a chance of achieving what [they] are thinking about”. The Fulham game looked to all football pundits to be petering out into a goalless draw. Nevertheless, Benrahma and Danish substitute Emiliano Marcondes were able to conjure up two decisive moments of magic later on to keep Brentford in with a slim chance of automatic promotion.
Frank & co keen to hang on to starlets for at least one more year
If Brentford are successful in their quest to bring top-flight football to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history, a recent report suggests the club’s hierarchy want their stars to remain loyal to the cause for at least one season in the EPL. A TEAMtalk report says that those in the upper echelons of the club have pleaded with the likes of Benrahma, Ollie Watkins and Bryan Mbeumo to try and help cement Brentford in the top tier first before being moving on to pastures new.
Brentford back in the groove after season restart
Project Restart certainly appears to have come at the right time for Brentford. They are getting players back fit at just the right time and their bench options looked impressive against Fulham. The likes of Marcondes and Shandon Baptiste brought renewed dynamism in the midfield for the final 20 minutes. Frank will be delighted that front pair Watkins and Benrahma came through the full 90 minutes unscathed ahead of a six-pointer clash with West Brom which could determine whether or not the Bees have what it takes to gatecrash the top two. According to bet365, which is one of the top five best UK bookmakers in 2020, the Bees’ automatic promotion odds have been slashed to 4/1, with Fulham’s odds drifting out to 12/1.
French wide man Bryan Mbeumo has been something of a sensation since his switch from Troyes AC last year. He has already been linked with top-flight moves despite signing a five-year contract with the Bees. Frank considers Mbeumo to be something of an ace up his sleeve, with Watkins and Benrahma the headline-grabbers of late, but it won’t be long before Mbeumo is more of a known quantity.
Bees bidding to say farewell to Griffin Park in fitting style
Promotion to the Premier League would be somewhat timely given that the West London outfit is readying itself to move into its new stadium for the start of the 2020/21 campaign. Griffin Park, which has been the Bees’ home for 116 years, will cease to exist and the club is anxious to give it a fitting send-off.
Frank admitted in a recent interview with Sky Sports that although Griffin Park is “old”, it was an “iconic” venue for Bees fans which “just smells of football”. Perhaps the biggest tribute that the Brentford first team could pay to Griffin Park would be to gain promotion through the playoffs, including a sterling showing in any potential playoff semi-final leg at TW8.
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