Thomas Frank’s centre-forward dilemma comes with ‘different pros and cons’ amid Wissa absence
Thomas Frank spoke to the media about his centre-forward dilemma ahead of Brentford’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday
“When it rains, it definitely pours,” Thomas Frank told reporters ahead of Brentford’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
It was an analogy presented to him to describe the club’s situation at centre-forward. This comes after the news that joint-top scorer Yoane Wissa will be sidelined for a ‘couple of months’ with an ankle injury sustained in the narrow defeat to Manchester City.
The landscape is now a lot different from the Bees’ 5-2 win over Wimbledon in July. Supporters were looking at their attack with great optimism following a display that saw club-record signing Igor Thiago net a debut double and was accompanied on the scoresheet by Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo, and Wissa.
That feels like a distant memory. Thiago has been unavailable since undergoing meniscus surgery in July and now Wissa’s addition to the injury list leaves Brentford without a recognised centre-forward heading into their visit to north London.
It puts the Danish head coach into a position of predicament.
Wissa’s strong start to the season has been a continuation of an impressive run form dating back to February, when he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, seeing him contribute 11 goals and three assists in 18 Premier League appearances since, three goals of which have come at the start of this campaign.
VAVEL proposed the idea that the dilemma is testament to Wissa’s development over the past eight months, which has seen him become an indispensable figure. Frank, on the other hand, had a differing viewpoint.
“Yeah,” he said in agreement.
“And also, a little bit down to too many injuries.
“Wissa’s been a key player over the last three seasons and, of course, last season he was very, very, very important.”
Replicating what Wissa offers will prove to be a tall order.
The DR Congo international has been a key component in Brentford’s build-up, dropping deep to receive possession, combing effectively with team-mate in confined areas, as well as drawing fouls and driving forward.
Upon his enforced substitution at the Etihad Stadium, Brentford’s ability to bypass the press dwindled drastically, with the west Londoners unable to mount much of a challenge in the second half, mustering up just one shot on goal for the remainder of the game – a scuffed effort by Yehor Yarmoliuk in stoppage-time.
A huge factor behind this is because Schade offers a different dynamic in attack. The 22-year-old excells in off-the-ball movement, pressing, and utilising his pace to escape defenders, but his ball control and link-up play, to Frank’s admission, is an area in need of improvement.
This could see the Dane make further tactical tweaks in order to accommodate another player that can act as the bridge between midfield and attack.
