Thomas Frank’s Brentford side currently sits in the top half of the Premier League table in what would be classified as another impressive season in the English top flight since their promotion from the Championship back in 2021.
Defined by many as a hard-working, pragmatic and effective footballing side, teams have struggled to play against the vertical and direct playing tactics the Bees implement.
Beating the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and current Premier League champions Manchester City all in one season is no easy task.
Though the impressive run of results this year and potential top-half finish can not be down to the impact of any one single player, it’s hard to argue against the importance of Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
A talented striker who has a knack for finding the back of the net, Toney has scored a whopping 20 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring 37% of all Brentford’s goals this season.
Only Harry Kane (41.5%) and Erling Haaland (39.1%) have a higher share of their team’s goals in the English top flight.
With Toney now unlikely to see the pitch until early next year, the recent eight-month ban on all football-related activities means Brentford will have to do without their talismanic forward for the first half of next seasons Premier League campaign.
This tactical analysis will look at how Frank’s Brentford side plays.
The analysis will focus on Ivan Toney as his role at Brentford during different phases of the game, what he brings to his side and who the Bees might look towards as a potential replacement for the English international next season.
Ivan Toney’s strengths
When Frank was asked how much he thinks Toney is worth, he said: “100 million plus? I love Ivan and it’s fantastic what he has achieved here…what would you pay for a striker that guarantees you 20-plus goals? And this is 20 goals for a mid-table club.
What can he do in a bigger club?”
Besides ranking third in the goal-scoring charts in the Premier League up until his ban, Toney has also registered four assists this campaign in a Brentford side that registered the second-lowest amount of touches in the league ahead of Nottingham Forest.
What is obvious from the data visual is Toney’s all-round game, contributing as much defensively and in possession as he does when Brentford attack.
His obvious attacking talent is backed up by stats, showing incredible goal contributions per 90, ranking even higher than his xG per 90, demonstrating his elite finishing ability in and around the box.
In possession, Toney’s link-up play is important for Frank’s team.
Complimented by Brentfords style of vertical play, Toney’s dangerous passes per 90 rank him in the 83rd percentile in the Premier League.
This is marked by his recent development, dropping deeper to help facilitate Brentford’s build-up, but more on that later.
As good as he is at scoring goals and providing dangerous passes, Toney’s true strengths are in his ability to win headers at either end of the pitch, something Frank and Brentford rely heavily on.
Toney ranks first in aerial duels won amongst forwards in the top flight, and fourth overall behind James Tarkowski, Tomás Soucek and teammate Ben Mee.
With a preference for vertical passes, long balls and direct set pieces, Toney’s aerial prowess to win the first ball is pivotal to Brentford’s style of play.
Brentford’s attacking style of play, and the role of Ivan Toney
There is a fantastic article written by Ahmed El-Daly on Brentford’s style of play this season.
Characterised by pragmatic and dynamic football, the Bees play a very different style of football compared to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at the very top of the table.
Brentford rank first in long balls attempted this season, and 16th in average possession per game at just 43.7%.
This season, Frank has lined up his Brentford side in a typical 4-3-3 formation, but at times reverting to a 5-3-2 against stronger opponents, both with the idea of Toney spearheading attacks and forming the first line of defence.
- Tactical Analysis of Ivan Toney’s role, and potential replacements this summer" width="1476" height="742" />Although Brentford ranks top when it comes to direct long balls, they aren’t launching passes immediately into the opponents half during the build-up.
Instead, they start by progressing the ball slowly and prioritise short passes along the back four, with the purpose of attracting opponents towards them, baiting the press and then playing the ball up to Toney and bypassing the midfield.
