
Frank on Hickey's return, being a 'selling club' and Europe
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Sunday's final Premier League game away against Wolves (16:00 BST).Here are the key lines from his news conference:Frank confirmed Aaron Hickey will be in the matchday squad for the first time since October 2023 with the Scotland international suffering several setbacks in his recovery from a long-term hamstring problem: "I'm very pleased for him. He's worked very hard and this is a little bonus before he goes into the summer."Ben Mee will not feature after playing his final game for the club last weekend: "We had a nice send-off after the Fulham game and said a few nice words to him in general for what he has contributed. The last three years have been a pleasure and I wish him and his family all the best."Midfielder Vitaly Janelt will not feature on Sunday after undergoing surgery to address an issue in his heel.Frank conceded the club "will have to listen" if offers arrive for Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa this summer: "We have a contract with them. So I think we can control that ourselves if we wanted to. As I said before, we are a selling club. So if teams are coming in, or clubs are coming in with the right amount, we have to listen to it. Then we have a decision to make. But right now they're Brentford players, and they're playing on Sunday."On the outside chance of qualifying for the Conference League if the Bees finish above Brighton on Sunday and Chelsea both finish seventh and win the Conference League: "We spoke briefly about it [European football] on Tuesday. Six weeks ago, we said we wanted to finish as high as possible; that was the thing that we could control ourselves, then we still needed to have help from other teams and other results."Frank stressed the importance of a win regardless: "We need to do what we can to win on Sunday. If we win and finish ninth, it will be the joint-best finish in the Premier League. Top 10 is a remarkable result for us in the Premier League. We'll do what we can to finish the season with a win and then we'll see what will happen."On the challenge posed by Wolves: "It's going to be another difficult game, they're playing at home and want to finish off the season well. Vitor Pereira has done a top job there, there's no doubt about that. I like the way they are set up, they are very structured and difficult to break down."Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football newsListen to live commentary of Wolves v Brentford on BBC Radio Sports Extra 3 from 16:00 on Sunday

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Thomas Tuchel won't panic after England suffer shock loss to Senegal
Among the favourites for glory in North America, the Euro 2024 runners-up received a wake-up call as the German head coach's honeymoon period came to a crashing end at the City Ground. England were booed off for the second time in four days as Saturday's stultifying 1-0 qualification win against minnows Andorra was followed by a first ever loss to African opposition on Tuesday evening. Harry Kane's early goal was cancelled out when Ismaila Sarr capitalised on poor defending in Nottingham, where Habib Diarra gave Senegal a deserved lead that substitute Jude Bellingham looked to have cancelled out late on. But the equaliser was ruled out as Levi Colwill was adjudged to have handled in the build-up and second-half introduction Cheikh Sabaly added gloss just one year and a day until the World Cup gets under way. Asked if they key message now is not to panic, England head coach Tuchel said: 'Yes, 100 per cent. We lost a test (friendly) match so there is no need to panic. 'We have (played) three qualification games, we have nine points and not conceded. We will be competitive in September, and we will go for two more victories – 100 per cent we will. 'We know more now, we are smarter. It's tough at the moment. I am the first one to dislike and hate losses like nothing else. 'But it's not next week. We don't go next week to the World Cup, we go in one year. 'I think by nature it will get more competitive in the nomination process and in the demands for the players to be nominated and to be with us in September, October and November because of the density, because we enter then a World Cup season. 'I think this comes by nature and from there we go.' England's performances this month have provided more questions than answers, including whether the weight of the shirt – something predecessor Gareth Southgate tried so hard to remove – was becoming an issue again. 'Not so sure what it means, this 'weight of the shirt',' Tuchel said. 'Expectations come naturally with results and the success that Gareth had with the group and with England. 'I think it was regular in quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals. It comes with it. 'You feel how opponents approach matches against us, what it means to beat us and to compete with us. I heard it because my changing room was next to the dressing room of Senegal. 'I just asked myself 'would we have celebrated in the same manner?' And I ask myself 'would I have been the first in the dressing room screaming and knocking my fist on some boxes?' 'Would the players then have joined or just said 'what's wrong with the gaffer? It is just a friendly match, he needs to calm down'. 'OK, I exaggerate a little bit but I include myself. I don't think my players would be so happy and so excited about it, and not because they are not, but maybe because they demand it from themselves. 'Maybe the latest history brings with it that they think everything is normal – we need to win, we need to win in style and we need to win comfortably, we need to beat everyone and it needs to look easy, we need to be exciting and everything mixed together feels a little bit like it holds us down because I see the smile, I see the liveliness in training. 'I tell you pretty much all the time that I am excited by what I see and I have a strong belief in what we can do. But we miss at the moment the translation to the pitch.'

Rhyl Journal
36 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Thomas Tuchel won't panic after England suffer shock loss to Senegal
Among the favourites for glory in North America, the Euro 2024 runners-up received a wake-up call as the German head coach's honeymoon period came to a crashing end at the City Ground. England were booed off for the second time in four days as Saturday's stultifying 1-0 qualification win against minnows Andorra was followed by a first ever loss to African opposition on Tuesday evening. Harry Kane's early goal was cancelled out when Ismaila Sarr capitalised on poor defending in Nottingham, where Habib Diarra gave Senegal a deserved lead that substitute Jude Bellingham looked to have cancelled out late on. But the equaliser was ruled out as Levi Colwill was adjudged to have handled in the build-up and second-half introduction Cheikh Sabaly added gloss just one year and a day until the World Cup gets under way. Asked if they key message now is not to panic, England head coach Tuchel said: 'Yes, 100 per cent. We lost a test (friendly) match so there is no need to panic. 'We have (played) three qualification games, we have nine points and not conceded. We will be competitive in September, and we will go for two more victories – 100 per cent we will. 'We know more now, we are smarter. It's tough at the moment. I am the first one to dislike and hate losses like nothing else. 'But it's not next week. We don't go next week to the World Cup, we go in one year. 'I think by nature it will get more competitive in the nomination process and in the demands for the players to be nominated and to be with us in September, October and November because of the density, because we enter then a World Cup season. 'I think this comes by nature and from there we go.' England's performances this month have provided more questions than answers, including whether the weight of the shirt – something predecessor Gareth Southgate tried so hard to remove – was becoming an issue again. 'Not so sure what it means, this 'weight of the shirt',' Tuchel said. 'Expectations come naturally with results and the success that Gareth had with the group and with England. 'I think it was regular in quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals. It comes with it. 'You feel how opponents approach matches against us, what it means to beat us and to compete with us. I heard it because my changing room was next to the dressing room of Senegal. 'I just asked myself 'would we have celebrated in the same manner?' And I ask myself 'would I have been the first in the dressing room screaming and knocking my fist on some boxes?' 'Would the players then have joined or just said 'what's wrong with the gaffer? It is just a friendly match, he needs to calm down'. 'OK, I exaggerate a little bit but I include myself. I don't think my players would be so happy and so excited about it, and not because they are not, but maybe because they demand it from themselves. 'Maybe the latest history brings with it that they think everything is normal – we need to win, we need to win in style and we need to win comfortably, we need to beat everyone and it needs to look easy, we need to be exciting and everything mixed together feels a little bit like it holds us down because I see the smile, I see the liveliness in training. 'I tell you pretty much all the time that I am excited by what I see and I have a strong belief in what we can do. But we miss at the moment the translation to the pitch.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson set for awkward encounter THIS weekend at Soccer Aid - three months after it was revealed One Direction star was dating his ex Zara McDermott
Sam Thompson is set for an awkward encounter with Louis Tomlinson at Soccer Aid this Sunday - three months after the One Direction singer started dating Sam's ex Zara McDermott. The men will be on the same England team for Unicef - the same charity Sam completed a 260-mile five-day long marathon for on Friday. And while Sam has insisted there are 'no hard feelings', the encounter is bound to sting a little. Sam, 32, and former Love Islander Zara, 28, confirmed they had ended their relationship in January after more than five years together. Zara moved on pretty quickly with singer Louis, 33, with the smitten couple appearing inseparable since their romance was made public in March. They have enjoyed a loved-up getaway to Costa Rica together after Louis flew his new flame out to the island first-class. Meanwhile I'm A Celeb winner Sam has moved on with Love Island beauty Samie Eilshi, 25. After their blossoming romance was confirmed when they shared a steamy kiss in Mayfair last month, speculation of a split grew after Samie was noticeably absent from Sam's highly-publicised challenge for Soccer Aid last week. Such rumours have since been squashed however, with their romance reportedly going from strength to strength as they 'love spending time together on their days off', a source close to the couple told MailOnline. During an episode of their podcast Staying Relevant's last month, Pete Wicks, 37, teased Sam about the prospect of the potentially awkward encounter between him and Louis. The TOWIE star asked his co-host: 'You're really going through it with the whole f****** body and dieting and training loads. Is that for Soccer Aid?' Sam laughed and assured he's 'loving it' but 'no, it's not' for the game, to which Pete continued: 'Are you sure it's not for Soccer Aid? How are you feeling? You're playing again. Must be really exciting.' He added: 'How do you feel about the line up? Do you think you've got a strong team?' Awkwardly laughing, Sam replied: 'Got a really strong team'. But, not dropping the subject, Pete then asked: 'Any kind of people in there who you're looking forward to playing with?' 'Loads,' Sam laughed: 'Tom Grennan. I'm really looking forward to playing alongside Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury's the manager. I can't wait'. Pete joked: 'I mean that's gonna be f****** amazing. Make sure you get him on side though because you may need him in your corner in case you fall out with anyone. Not that you will but just in case there's any rivalries or anything. 'You know, you have to train together and it's a lot, you know when you're kind of in close quarters with someone like that. All sorts gets brought up. Anyway...' Sam and Louis will join the likes of Tyson Fury, Jill Scott, Grennan and Paddy McGuinness in the star-studded squad, while Wayne Rooney will step out of retirement as one of the managers. However, whilst he is assured to be in attendance, Sam's ability to take part in the match itself is doubtful after he suffered an agonising ankle injury during his journey from London to Manchester on bike and foot last week. The former I'm A Celeb winner suffered the injury on the marathon's first day, but managed to power through five further days before reaching the finish line on Friday. Having raised more than £1.5million for Unicef and battled through a torn calf, the 32-year-old couldn't hide his emotions after completing his mission as he collapsed to the floor in tears. Speaking after the challenge, Sam said: 'My legs have completely gone but I feel good. I'm so grateful for everyone being here, I didn't think anyone would turn up. 'To everyone who has donated, I've said it before but I'll say it a million times, you are so heroic. The money will help so many children, I'm so grateful.' Sam may now have more time to pursue his romance with Samie, who recently opened up about their relationship for the first time. Sam first met Samie, who appeared on Love Island in 2023 and returned to the All Stars series this year, through his presenting role on Aftersun. Samie spoke about the blossoming relationship for the first time during an appearance on the Chloe Mediumship podcast. The show is hosted by a psychic medium and in the episode, the beauty revealed how she's previously had negative gut feelings in past relationships. She explained: 'I've had gut feelings with guys before. I've had a couple of relationships where I've known it was never it. Like this is gonna come to an end, I'll have something telling me every day it's coming to an end, this isn't for you. 'You put it to the back of your mind and then you start noticing the chaos increase. It's like the universe saying I'm gonna blow you both up if you just do not separate. Then I'm like if I only I listened all those months ago when I got that first message.' Then, host Chloe asked: 'Obviously, you don't have to talk about it too much but the guy you're currently speaking to, do you have that gut feeling? Like do you think it's gonna be really good?' Keeping her cards close to her chest, the former Love Islander replied: 'There's been no bad stuff at the minute so yeah I suppose it is all positive right now. It's early days.' Zara and Louis sparked relationship speculation at the start of this year before going public in March, three months after MailOnline revealed Zara and ex-boyfriend Sam had parted ways. Despite his heartache over Zara moving on so quickly, sources close to Sam exclusively told MailOnline at the time he holds no grudges against Louis over the new romance. A source close to the star said: 'Sam has no hard feelings towards Louis, that's for sure. 'As far as he's concerned, Louis is Zara's new man and he's just got to accept it. 'He's a positive guy and will just move on from this, throwing himself into work and getting stuck into the exciting projects he's got coming up. 'Obviously he was sad when their relationship broke up and, like anyone, when your ex moves so quickly it's tough. And if he was both angry and devastated, that would be understandable. 'But he's not sitting around wallowing in self pity, far from it.' Zara and Sam were together for five years before they split at the end of 2024 shortly after the Made In Chelsea favourite worked in Australia for I'm A Celeb spinoff show Unpacked. This year's Soccer Aid for Unicef match airs on the evening of Sunday 15 June on ITV1 and ITVX from Old Trafford, Manchester.