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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Andy Hampson

Brentford will be on ‘max power’ against Leeds, Thomas Frank insists

PA Wire

Thomas Frank has warned relegation-threatened Leeds United his Brentford side will go full throttle for victory on Sunday.

The Dane has no intention of easing up for the season’s final game despite the Bees having long since guaranteed their Premier League status.

That could be bad news for Leeds, who head to the Brentford Community Stadium in the bottom three and needing to better Burnley’s result against Newcastle to avoid the drop.

“The players train very hard, and I can’t see them taking their foot off the gas and not going max power on Sunday,” said Frank.

“There can be that little bit of freedom but when you cross that line you go into match mode and want to win.

“I know we will focus on trying to win it, as we have done any other game. We have a chance to go top 10 so we will do that. We will come with everything.”

A top-half finish would crown an impressive first top-flight season at Brentford for 74 years.

Frank, who guided the club to promotion from the Championship last year, is looking forward to a celebratory day with supporters.

He said: “I think our fans will be on it. In many ways it has been a remarkable season for us. There has been a lot to celebrate and now they need to cheer us on for the last time this season.

“I am pretty sure they can’t wait. Hopefully we can give them a good performance. I think this is one of the reasons we love football, because it means so much to people.

“Brentford fans will be ready to celebrate and have a party on Sunday. Hopefully, we can give them one last performance.”

It has been a tough season for Leeds, their second since returning to the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa, the inspirational manager who led them back from the second tier, was sacked in February but his replacement Jesse Marsch has been unable to pull them away from trouble.

Bielsa’s dismissal was not a popular one with supporters and Frank admits he remains a big admirer of the veteran Argentinian.

He said: “Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play is very aggressive and pressing-orientated, but when they play on the ball, they play extremely quick.

“A lot of other teams have similar styles of play, but it is more on the defensive side of play where there is a lot of man-marking. I haven’t seen any other manager doing it like Bielsa and that’s why he’s a big inspiration for both me, and a lot of other coaches across the world.

“Jesse Marsch still wants to press and combine but it is a little bit more zonal. They wait a little bit more now for the right moment and then they go.”

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