Brentford head coach Thomas Frank spoke of the importance of positive reinforcement as the Bees seek a crucial three points in their fight for Premier League survival against Luton Town on Saturday.
Following the soaring highs of last season, which saw the west London club achieve its best finish since 1938 and come within two points of a first-ever European qualification, the proceeding campaign has been a crash back down to earth.
At one point Frank had to contend with up to 11 first-team players unavailable, the most in the division at the time, no recognised left-back, with right-footed midfielder Saman Ghoddos filling the void - admirably, it must be said - and a period of ten defeats in thirteen matches.
It has been a season full of inconsistencies, including unprecedent points deductions that have seen the relegation battle become the most unpredictable it has ever been, with the league's confiscating and reapplying of points causing instability.
Despite all that's gone on, Frank has maintained level-headedness throughout, often preaching the positives when results were unsightly and no one could foresee when the next win would come from - something that irked sections of the fanbase.
The 50-year-old explained to VAVEL that it's "very rare" that there are no positives to take from a match and that it is paramount to use the few there were as a foundation to build upon.
"My approach is to, let’s say after a game we win or lose, [we] still take the positive out of it," he said.
"What we did well and, of course, always look on a few bits: we conceded a goal, or there was situation we worked on that didn’t work, we need to adjust it so, as always, we’re in the mindset of ‘okay, it didn’t work, it’s not like this was a catastrophe'.
"Okay, it didn’t work, we could’ve adjusted it by doing this and this, so it’s almost always adjustments or the small improvements we can do – that’s how I see it.
"When we do positive things, I try to reinforce it, reinforce it, reinforce it – and there’s always some positive from each game. It’s very rare that there’s no positive from a game. It’s more the narrative we create ourselves or maybe a little help from the media."
Following Personal Protocol
The trials and tribulations of being a head coach in the Premier League often take its toll and can see some of the best in the industry lose their poise.
The constant pressure to make the right decisions when millions of pounds is at stake, dealing with football's ever-changing landscape, while remaining a voice of reason when emotions want to take control.
Frank so often speaks of a '24-hour rule' - a procedure that permits oneself to acknowledge the successes or failures of a match for the subsequent 24 hours, before acting as a mental reset to focus on the next task at hand.
While Frank likes to give himself a constant reminder of the rule, he speaks of maintaining a positive body language that makes him an approachable figure, particularly during difficult periods of the season.
"[I] try to remind myself of the 24 hours," he told VAVEL.
"Normally I can feel my body when the day after you’re always tired, then one more day gives a little bit more rest, and you have a little bit more of a fresh head.
"I have that constant reminder to myself that when I walk in the building that I need to be as positive as possible – the body language, a smile, stay calm - then sometimes, of course, I’m more irritated and I think when I am that, that’s when I snap a little bit more but that’s not that often."
Learning from Past Experience
There are some parallels between this season and Brentford's maiden Premier League campaign.
Key players picking up long-term injuries, going on an extended winless run after the turn of the year that would see the Bees slide down the table, before starting to pick up important points in March, with the Bees on a four-game unbeaten run - their longest of 2023/24.
Most notably, however, is that should Brentford win on Saturday, it will take them ten points clear of 18th-place heading into the final four fixtures - a near-identical position to when Pontus Jansson's iconic 95th-minute winner at Vicarage Road all but secured their top-flight status.
While Frank expresses that it was "a long time ago", he spoke of what he's able to take from that experience as he aims to lead his side towards taking a huge step away from the relegation zone at Kenilworth Road.
"What I’ve learnt more and more, the more calm we can stay the more we can focus on the football – never speak about the occasion," he told VAVEL.
"This is what we need to do to give us the best chance to win the game. Then we focus on that and then train on that, and only speak about that, and then when I speak about emotions a little bit, we need be front-footed or [the] intensity – nothing else."
