Thomas Frank pinpoints key to Brentford star's 'instrumental' breakout season
Brentford's thrilling front three may be hogging the acclaim. But Thomas Frank believes 'instrumental' Mikkel Damsgaard has been the central cog to his team's charge towards a record eighth-place finish.
Only Mohamed Salah and Jacob Murphy have provided more assists than the Dane's 10 this season.
But putting the ball on a platter for Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade only tells part of the story with Frank hailing Damsgaard for reaching a level of physicality where he can finally handle the rigours of English football.
He was signed from Sampdoria in 2022 but struggled with illness and injury and the slender creator admitted earlier this season he has had to work really hard to get stronger. It is finally paying off as Brentford also eye a record points total.
'Damagaard is definitely a key reason,' Frank said ahead of today's final home game against neighbours Fulham. 'The three front players, Bryan, Wissa and Kevin – they have been very good this season and all praise to them, they deserve that.
'But I think he has been instrumental, a big part of our offensive success, but also the way he links the game makes everything better.
'The big thing has been his fitness, not only not having injuries but him being able to play with a consistent intensity throughout the season. And I think he will come back even stronger next season because this has been his first full season for five years.'
No ground has seen more goals than the Gtech this campaign, with Frank saying some staff have started calling the ground the Goal Tech. And of the 38 they have scored at home, a particular move involving Damsgaard stands out.
'It's not only his assists, it's his second assists or his third assists,' Frank adds. 'One of my favourite goals this season is at home to Leicester where Damsgaard got the ball, played a perfect through ball to Kevin Schade and he played it on to Wissa, 1-0. He doesn't get the assist but without the first pass it's never a goal.
'He's not the most outspoken or a player you notice. But if you look at what he's involved in and how he makes the team tick, how he makes things happen, it's fantastic. Give the ball to the best player, give it to Damsgaard, something will happen.'
Frank went to yesterday's Cup final with a friend from home who happens to be a Crystal Palace fan.
And while their seats were in a neutral zone, the Brentford boss admits it was unusual knowing his team needed Manchester City to win if they were to have a chance of qualifying for Europe for the first time.
Yet Frank, as ever, would much rather focus on the process than the outcome.
'We always want to aim as high as possible,' he says. 'Eighth is the highest possible so we try to go for that. The key strength of ours has been a laser focus on the next game, then the next game and don't get carried away too much.
'Our highest points total would be nice but we need to win the remaining two. If we lose the next one we can't talk about that. We need laser focus.'
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