Thomas Frank expects goal-shy Ivan Toney to earn place in England’s Euro squad

Posted Sunday, May 05, 2024 by PA

Thomas Frank believes Ivan Toney’s goal drought will not harm his chances of being named in the England squad for Euro 2024 this summer.

The striker found the net on his second international appearance against Belgium in March, but he has not scored for the Bees since the middle of February.

Another blank in Saturday’s goalless draw with Fulham means Toney is now on his longest run without a club goal since playing for Peterborough in 2019.

But Brentford boss Frank brushed off fears he could be left out of Gareth Southgate’s final squad by saying simply: “Nah!”

He added: “I’m not Gareth Southgate. But if there’s a dip in form I don’t think that means something. If you’re fit going to a tournament, that’s the most important thing.

“I haven’t asked Ivan about it but I guess he’s not overly happy, knowing Ivan. But even Ivan, one of our best players, needs the team to click.”

With Brentford safe from relegation and Fulham nowhere near a place in Europe, this was a derby that had all the intensity of a springtime stroll along the three mile stretch of the Thames which separates these two clubs.

But Frank insisted: “I think it was still clear, even though it wasn’t a 3-3 game, that it meant a lot to the players. We just didn’t have the cutting edge.

“It was a day where the front players didn’t hit the highest level. Sometimes that happens.”

Bryan Mbeumo rattled the Fulham crossbar in the first half and Cottagers substitute Raul Jimenez blazed a glorious chance over in the second.

“A tough match as we expected, derbies are always tight. It’s normally a game with goals, this afternoon was the opposite,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva.

“I think the team which created the most chances, even though there were not many, was Fulham. I think we created enough to win the game but the last decision to put the ball in the net was missing.

“We kept them really quiet, a tough attacking line of Mbeumo and Toney, and we controlled a physical side really well. We should have scored at least one goal to win the match but we weren’t clinical enough.

“We came here to win the game. Both teams tried to win. It’s always a game both teams want to win because of what it represents to the fans.

“They saw a team fighting to win the match which is most important to us.”