Brentford boss Thomas Frank has spoken of his admiration for Rafael Benitez and believes the Everton boss is one of the greatest coaches in football.
The Blues meet Frank’s side at Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon and are looking to end a six-game streak without a win.
Benitez’s side was comfortable Manchester City beat him on Sunday And he hasn’t picked up all three points since his 2-0 win over Norwich City at Goodison Park again in September.
Benitez has been replaced Carlo Ancelotti During the summer, after leaving the Italian Goodison to return to Real Madrid.
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The 61-year-old arrived at the club with a wealth of experience having worked in Spain, Italy, England and China in the past.
However, his appointment is arguably the most controversial in Merseyside football history due to his abuse with Liverpool.
But Frank thinks Benitez, who’s been named twice UEFA General Manager in the past, has achieved some amazing achievements in the game.
He said, “I think Rafa is one of the greatest coaches we have seen in the world. His CV speaks for itself, I think what he has achieved is incredible. I admire him very much.”
Brentford finished a set of four Premier League Defeats with a 3-3 draw away to Newcastle United on Saturday, Frank calls on his team to better defend the crosses inside the penalty area.
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“We need to defend better in duels and crosses inside the penalty area, something we usually do very well,” he said.
“It’s something we focus on and talk about a lot, especially defensive set-pieces. To be fair, we only gave up two lucky ones after the ball went down for the second time.
“One of them was Tillmann (Leicester) in the top corner and that was the first contact in the penalty area where we actually conceded in the first 12 games, so we put in a very good performance.
“And the rest of the set pieces were done, so their first goal was a bit random, but the rest we need to keep moving forward and keep training.”