I'm not big on Maresca... he did the same thing as Frank. Promote a Championship team to PL and went to Chelsea.
He had the highest paid squad and barely managed to get in top 4 and already has 5 losses this season and left Chelsea.
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Manager Thomas Frank
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He had the highest paid squad and barely managed to get in top 4 and already has 5 losses this season and left Chelsea.
Some staggering attacking numbers and trends from this year's Brentford that together paint a very coherent picture, and also have strong implications for a hypothetical future where Frank is given the time and the resources to optimize this.
An optimized version of this could finish inside top 5 in a rather open season one day, after all he had two top 10 finishes in his 4 seasons already; but I don't think the whole endeavour would be worth it from a return on investment standpoint.
Success is not solely a matter of gradual improvement; opportunity costs of all the time and money that a manager receives during his tenure also come into the equation. I can see Frank passing the former test, by finishing let's say 12th, 9th and 7th respectively in three seasons including this one, while still failing the latter.
- 20th in total number of passes inside the opponents' final third. Teams that have mastered the art of possession play usually lead the way in this; Liverpool, City, Woolwich and Chelsea in that order constitute the top 4.
- 19th in pass success rate inside the opponents' final third. The same as above: City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Woolwich are 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th respectively
- 3rd in percentage of passes that are forward, as opposed to sideways or backwards. This correlates inversely, although imperfectly, with how much emphasis a team puts on possession play: City, Chelsea, Woolwich and Liverpool are 20th, 19th, 18th and 15th respectively.
- 14th in number of through balls. Teams that emphasize possession play lead the way in this as well: City, Woolwich, United, Chelsea and Liverpool in that order constitute the top 5. The correlation is once again imperfect though, as one of the most direct teams in the league in Palace are 7th for example.
- 15th in number of sequences that involve at least 10 passes: Another variable that correlates positively with possession play. City, Liverpool, Woolwich and Chelsea in that order constitute the top 4.
- 2nd in direct speed, defined as the distance the ball gets progressed by a team divided by sequence time. The inverse correlation between this and possession play is weaker but still discernible: City, Chelsea and Woolwich are 20th, 19th and 14th respectively.
- 18th in average number of passes made per sequence. Another variable that rather strongly correlates with possession play: City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Woolwich in that order constitute the top 4.
- 18th in average sequence time: Same as above.
- 20th in number of build-ups, defined as the number of sequences from open play where a team completes at least 10 passes before either launching a shot or getting a touch inside the opponent's box. Again, a strong correlation with possession play: City, Liverpool, Woolwich and Chelsea lead the league.
- 1st in number of fast breaks, defined as sequences where a team quickly turns defense to attack after winning the ball inside their own half. The name implies an obvious inverse correlation with possession play, but the evidence is rather mixed: Chelsea, Liverpool, City, Palace, West Ham and Woolwich in that order are the following 6 teams.
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Unless Keith Andrews in a matter of 6 months has completely reversed what he inherited from Frank, an explanation that would violate Occam's Razor quite badly, what we see right now is also what we would get from Frank even years down the road.
An optimized version of this could finish inside top 5 in a rather open season one day, after all he had two top 10 finishes in his 4 seasons already; but I don't think the whole endeavour would be worth it from a return on investment standpoint.
Success is not solely a matter of gradual improvement; opportunity costs of all the time and money that a manager receives during his tenure also come into the equation. I can see Frank passing the former test, by finishing let's say 12th, 9th and 7th respectively in three seasons including this one, while still failing the latter.
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As Vinai will just say “we need to give him time look at Arteta”
We have even done a big money signing from West Ham to try and emulate when they signed Rice, we really need to get this fucking ex gooner fraud out of our club!
You may as well be blaming him for the weather.
Theres so much to be critical of, and he deserves a lot but this is deranged.
Where am I blaming him?
Its not... but little more information would be nice. We are the only club who doesn't provide information on possible return dates.
I'd also say that they didn't take long to rectify the Nuno situation. It was clear from very early doors that Frank was a terrible choice, but the FO are reluctant to act. At least FP has shown that he can address a bad decision.
Not that I'm super bought in on FP myself.
According to what people have been saying to criticise Frank recently, Keith Andrews has
I'd cut me left nut off for a single "fast break" right now let alone being ranked first for that metric...
This is absolute gas haha so you go wayyyyy over the line insulting me, for me speaking against Frank, saying this would all hapoen, because ye know, it was fucking obvious. Now you're changing your tune, and reporting me for calling you out on it hahahaha
You're spare parts buddy, holy fuck.
I don't think our owners have ever been slow to act and I don't think the Lewis's will be either. Vinai can say he wants to give Frank time, but ultimately we know who calls the shots. Once the Lewis's decide he's finished, it's over.
No manager can outlast these types of results and performances. Frank has been a disaster.
The main consideration will be, who can we get as a replacement? and I think providing it doesn't become untenable, Frank will limp on until the summer and I expect Frank will be gone then.
The only way I think Frank keeps his job, is if we see a huge turnaround the second half of the season, and by that I mean really good performances AND results, and I just don't see that happening.
Affter the investment of the summer and the squad we have, the owner's 100% expected us to fight for top 6.
Frank could be a slow starter.
That is the big question eh? At this point who can we get after Frank in mid season?
Best to see out the season and retool offseason.
There's no reason as to why Frank is still here though. We're the worst we've ever been that I can remember. Absolutely nothing indicates it'll get better, yet he's still in a job. I think they made such a song and dance about their recruitment process, the ten boxes etc, that in this new regime, they've got the first call really badly fucking wrong and are trying to save face.
This conversation about replacements is irrelevant. We'll have no say in the matter. We should have got rid a while ago, but now we should with a caretaker in place until we can get the managerial target that we want.
Take a look at the fixture list from Feb onwards for a bit, the guy isn't turning anything around. Not sacking him and backing him with a huge window, despite knowing he's not the guy, is fuckin genuis. Worked so well at United in Ten Hag's last days. We need him gone so we can make plans for the future. This is just delaying the inevitable.
It's his cunning plan to keep the opposition guessing.
It actually makes some kind of sense but it shows the world he lives in.
Well, last year is a good reference don't ya think? We were hovering around 16th/17th and Ange didn't get sacked so I don't think Frank will. We will get 1 full year before being sacked and I think that is better for the club too.
Nice analysis but why are you using this years Brentford? Thomas Frank is no longer their manager. Surely last years Brentford, when Frank actually coached there, or any of the previous years is better data?
Ange had a whole XI of first team players out for a prolonged perioid.
You are utterly deluded I'm afraid. It's the system, Ange's system also didn't work. He's absolutely out of his depth, and the longer he sticks about, the more damage will be done. There is nothing good about what he's doing, absolutely zip.