Brentford boss Thomas Frank admitted he was left ‘a bit emotional’ after Ivan Toney’s farewell address to his former team-mates.
The England forward’s move to Saudi side Al-Ahli was confirmed in the early hours of Saturday morning but he was in the stands at GTech stadium to watch the Bees secure a 3-1 Premier League victory over Southampton later in the afternoon.
Frank did not recall Toney shedding any tears but revealed the same was not true for himself.
3 goals, 3 points 💪
Happy days 😁 pic.twitter.com/BsY9weg4zl
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 31, 2024
“Even I was a little bit emotional,” said Frank. “I said a few things and then he said something to the players.
“He has been a great player for Brentford, a Brentford legend, and I mean that. When you are in a club like ours and you score 72 goals in 141 games that’s incredible, incredible numbers.
“He’s been on a fantastic journey with us over the last four years. I enjoyed working together with him on and off the pitch.
“I think it says a lot about Ivan that he wanted to come here and say goodbye to his friends and team-mates, staff members and everyone around the team and the club.
“Ivan has been a key player for us, especially the first three years, and then of course there was disruption with the ban and everything.
“I think he’s been one of our best players, if not our best player in that period, consistently with the amount of goals for us and I think we played some fantastic football with him.”
Bryan Mbeumo netted his second and third of Brentford’s league campaign on Saturday afternoon, breaking the scoreless deadlock two minutes before the interval.
Southampton debutant Aaron Ramsdale, immediately slotted into Russell Martin’s line-up the day after his own deadline-day transfer, conceded another to the Cameroon international in the 65th minute.
Four minutes later, Wissa bundled home from a throw-in to add to his own opening-day strike against Crystal Palace.
Saints nevertheless managed to avoid slumping to three successive losses without scoring when Yukinari Sugawara clawed back a consolation deep in second-half stoppage time.
Mathias Jensen and substitute Adam Lallana both added assists, while Frank singled out Mikkel Damsgaard for what he felt was a best-ever effort in a Brentford shirt from his fellow Dane.
Frank felt the team effort was perhaps a hallmark of Brentford’s post-Toney era. Responding to the suggestion that his team may have even performed better, he added: “I think it is credit to the players that they are stepping up.
“What I would give is that when a player goes that is so dominant in many aspects, others will grow.
“No one is the same (as Toney). It’s a little bit of a different dynamic and constellations and relationships, and that will create something for the team.”
Frank also briefly spoke with Ramsdale, a man he characterised as a “great keeper” and told the former Gunner he felt it was a “good move” for him to sign with Southampton.
Ramsdale’s new boss, who remained largely upbeat despite the loss, agreed with his touchline counterpart.
“I thought he was great,” said Martin. “Even in the second half, the ball was getting put back to him too much.
“3-0 definitely the lads lost a little bit of belief, and it’s really difficult with the crowds, when Brentford are in a good place, but he stuck to it.
“He’s going to be amazing. People will fall in love with him very quickly because of who he is, the person he is, how brave he is.
“He’s got a big character, so I think he is going to be a brilliant signing for us.”
