Brentford boss Thomas Frank felt a 1-1 draw was a fair result after Everton scored a late equaliser in west London – though acknowledged the away side had chances to leave with three points
Thomas Frank highlighted three Everton players he believes are helping David Moyes transform the club’s fortunes. Speaking after the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Brentford, Frank offered praise to James Garner, Beto and Jake O’Brien for the role they have played in leading Moyes to a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Garner was injured when the Bees travelled to Merseyside in November while Beto and O’Brien were out of favour under former manager Sean Dyche. Each have been influential in Everton’s longest unbeaten streak since December 2017 – one that has moved them 15 points from a relegation battle they were entrenched in when Moyes took over last month.
Asked whether the Blues were a different proposition to the one Brentford held to a goalless draw despite playing for almost an hour with 10 men, Frank said he could see slight “tweaks” that were enhanced by some of the players getting prominence following a change in the dugout and an injury crisis that has left Moyes with few options.
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They included O’Brien, Everton’s goalscorer at the Gtech stadium on Wednesday night, and Beto, who had been in fine form heading into this game but who missed three one on ones on Wednesday night.
Bees boss Frank said: “I think it’s tweaks, small tweaks, they are not too different to before. So small tweaks, a little bit in the personnel for various reasons. But I think Garner has done very well. I think O’Brien, who got his goal, has done very well. Beto has done very well.
“I know it sounds crazy when he got three one on ones, but we actually controlled him in all phases of the open play. So the last one is the one I will give them credit for. The two first two – Ethan [Pinnock] slips and then my two centr- backs don’t look too great on the second one. So tweaks and how they do it.”
Frank said he was disappointed Brentford did not use Yoane Wissa’s first-half goal as a platform to earn three points but conceded a point was a “fair result”.
While he praised his team, he also reserved praise for his goalkeeper. He said: “Mark Flekken was outstanding. He was probably man of the match in a game where he was not too busy, but in which he made three crucial saves. He gave us the opportunity to get 1-0 up and win the game. And then he made us make sure that we got at least a point.
“I felt it was a game we could have, should have won. But with the overall performance it is probably a fair result.”
