Thomas Frank hopes Wigan can survive Championship drop but warns Brentford won't hold back at Griffin Park

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has expressed his sympathy for Wigan Athletic over their financial woes, but says there will be no charity on offer when they visit Griffin Park on Saturday.

The Latics were placed into administration earlier this week as the effects of the coronavirus shutdown begin to be seen in the EFL, a situation Frank says is a ‘slap in the face’ for manager Paul Cook after his ‘unbelievable job’ in turning around the club’s fortunes on the pitch.

Cook’s side have charged clear of the relegation zone with a terrific run of six wins in seven games and have not conceded a goal in that time, but are now facing a 12-point deduction, which puts the threat of the drop back on the table.

They meet another of the division’s form side’s tomorrow in Brentford, with the Bees once again looking to pile the pressure on the top two in the race for automatic promotion.

“I think it’s very, very sad when a club goes into administration,” Frank said. “It’s going to affect so many people and we know that football is for the people.

“Paul Cook and his coaching staff have done an unbelievable job. In the autumn they struggled, but in 2020 they’ve been potentially the best side in the division in terms of points and performances. We all know the stats, seven clean sheets and all that, but when I watch the games and when I speak to Paul Cook when we meet them, they’ve just done an unbelievable job. To get this, a slap in your face, it’s a tough one to take.

“I feel for them. Of course, I can’t give them anything on Saturday but I really, really wish them all the best, they deserve to survive in the Championship.”

Brentford’s 3-0 win over Reading on Tuesday briefly saw them go within two points of West Brom in second, and while the Baggies soon restored the five-point gap with victory over Sheffield Wednesday, league-leaders Leeds faltered again by drawing with struggling Luton.

In comparison to the teams around them, Frank’s side have little experience of the pressures of the promotion run-in, but the Dane is confident they can make up for it in other areas.

“We are definitely less experienced, there’s no reason to hide that,” he added. “But I think on the flip side you see an unbelievable hunger, an unbelievable desire. If you see how they want to run, how they want to compete, how they want to do everything well, I think that’s a massive advantage.

“We are okay but I agree we don’t have massive, massive experience of playing year after year for promotion. But I think the hunger, the desire and the togetherness will help us.”

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