Thomas Frank is expecting a tough test for his Brentford side when they face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final this week.
The Bees travel to Tyneside on Wednesday and will play for a spot in the semi-finals.
Frank’s men gave Chelsea a good game on Sunday, but ultimately fell short while Newcastle thrashed Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Leicester.
St James’ Park is always a tough place to go but even tougher on a big occasion, something Frank is aware of.
The Danish head coach admits there is a big challenge ahead for his players but insists they will not take their foot off the gas as they look to progress to the final four.
Speaking in his press conference, he said: “It is one of the greatest stadiums in the country and the fans will be up for it.
“It will be a heated atmosphere, I think they have fantastic fans and are coached by a fantastic manager in Eddie Howe.
🏆 Our Carabao Cup Quarter-Final comes next pic.twitter.com/pCVWwC05MF
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 17, 2024
“It is going to be a tough challenge in every aspect. We are up for it. We are really taking this competition serious and really want to progress to the semi-final.”
Elsewhere in the competition, Liverpool travel to Southampton, Manchester United visit Tottenham and Arsenal host Crystal Palace.
It is a tough pool across the board, but those that do manage to get through will be boosted by the fact they are only one game away from Wembley.
Brentford have not been in a cup final before but did make the semi-finals of this competition back in 2020-21.
And Frank had a positive parting message for the fans.
He added: “Everyone is available from the Chelsea game and [Igor] Thiago has trained which is positive.”
