Frank full of admiration for Steve Cooper’s ‘fantastic’ work at Nottingham Forest

Thomas Frank has heaped praise upon familiar foe Steve Cooper ahead of Brentford’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Frank came head-to-head with the former Swansea City boss no fewer than seven times across two seasons during the Bees’ time in the Championship, including during a 2-0 win for the west Londoners in the 2021 play-off final.

Saturday’s fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium will be the ninth meeting of the two head coaches, and Frank was keen to stress the quality of the job the former England youth coach has done in reaching the Premier League.

“Steve is a coach that I admire a lot,” he said. “I really love the journey he has been on. He went into Swansea and got them into the play-offs two times in a row at a club that didn’t expect to be in the play-offs.

“Going into Nottingham [Forest] and winning the play-offs, and now in the Premier League doing well. I think he has done fantastic.

“We have come a little bit from the same background, managing our countries youth national teams and then had the opportunity to go into senior football.”

The Dane has lost just once against Cooper but felt his positive record against the 43-year-old will count for little on Saturday, adding: “I think the law of statistics suggests that means we are close to losing”.

Forest moved out of the relegation zone on Wednesday courtesy of a 3-1 victory against high-flying Brighton. It was a first win in 12 matches for Cooper’s side as they continue to look for consistency after signing 30 players since earning promotion last year.

Yet Frank was in no doubt as to the quality of the job his opposite number has done in the East Midlands in trying circumstances, with two sporting directors also departing in the space of six months.

“I am privileged,” he said. “I wish most coaches could experience what I have experienced [at Brentford] in terms of clear strategy and clear alignment from the top. It is even more impressive what Steve and his coaching staff have done with the amount of players and changes they have had to manage.

“We all know they had a big turnaround in the summer for various reasons. To create a team that is working together and in sync is incredible.

“I said that the last time we met them but I’m actually a bit more impressed with them now. Being in the situation where you are in a relegation battle and you don’t win, and being consistent to keep trying in very close matches is very good.”

Another win against Cooper at the weekend would only strengthen Brentford’s hopes of ending the season as the dominant side in west London.

Wednesday’s 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge ended a run of six matches without a victory, helping the Bees leapfrog local rivals Fulham in the league table.

However, Frank was adamant that he is more interested in finishing as high as possible in the standings regardless of who suffers at his team’s expense.

“It would be a fantastic thing, more for the fans than for us,” he said. “We just want to end as high as possible and if that means our two rivals are below us then of course that’s fine but it doesn’t really matter who is below from my perspective.

“I said to the players before the Chelsea game that it is big for us to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but for the fans it will mean everything.”