Brentford Boss Frank Eyes European Spot Ahead of Forest Clash

Brentford manager Thomas Frank discusses the team's push for a European spot ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest. Get the latest on Brentford's ambitions.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has addressed the media ahead of the team's upcoming match against Nottingham Forest. While Forest is focused on securing a Champions League spot, Brentford is pushing for a top-half finish, which could potentially lead to European football next season.

Frank's team is in contention for a European spot, contingent on other English teams' performances in their respective competitions this season.

Brentford ended a nine-game winless streak at the Gtech Community Stadium with a win over Brighton last week and aims to build on that momentum against Nottingham Forest.

Manager Thomas Frank outlined the requirements for his team to secure European football next season, a historic feat for the club. “There are five games to go; we want to finish as high as possible,” he said. ”We definitely would like to see if we could finish in the top 10 for the second time in the Premier League, which would be a remarkable achievement.”

Brentford manager Thomas Frank set his sights on surpassing the club's best Premier League finish, stating, “Can we do one better than our best season in the Premier League and finish eighth? That would be brilliant. And if that's Europe, that would be fantastic.”

However, Frank acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that the points are tightly packed in the top half of the table, with only one point separating 8th and 10th place, making European qualification a tough target to achieve.

"Everyone is available from the last game. Aaron Hickey and Igor Thiago are both training fully with the team now, for the past two training sessions which is positive. They’re not ready for Nottingham Forest but it’s positive"

Thomas Frank's Forest team update 💬 pic.twitter.com/hbizHiFMJV

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 30, 2025

“It's close, it's tight. There are three teams that are ahead of us right now - Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham - so we need to have the perfect run-in. But why not? 

“We have a very difficult game against Nottingham Forest on Thursday night, who have done very well this season. Nuno (Espirito Santo) and his coaching staff and players have done a remarkable job. 

”They play a style of football that is very difficult to play against and is proving to be very efficient. 

Forest our focus 💪 pic.twitter.com/AqP7xytggp

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 30, 2025

“If they can qualify for the Champions League, that would be fantastic for them. Of course, they have to win on Thursday against us... but we'd also like to win as well! It will be a good game.”

Brentford manager Thomas Frank provided team news ahead of the match, confirming the return of key players. “Hickey and Thiago are both training fully with the team now. They have done that for the last couple of trainings,” he said.

Although they're making progress, Frank noted that neither Aaron Hickey nor Igor Thiago will be ready for the Nottingham Forest match, but their return to full training is a positive development.