Could Brentford's successful structure and clever people provide the blueprint for Manchester United?
Sky Sports takes a look at the structure of Brentford football club and the people behind their success after their 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United provided a stark contrast between the two club's organisation on and off the pitch.
Wednesday 17 August 2022 17:02, UK
Brentford are third in the Premier League - occupying a Champions League slot after thrashing Manchester United 4-0.
No, that is not a sentence from some dystopian future - it is fact - albeit after just two games of the new season.
The Bees may have found United in one of the worst periods of their history, but that victory on Saturday was about more than just new United boss Erik ten Hag struggling to get them playing his way.
It was also the sporting embodiment of two clubs who operate in stark contrast to each other; one with a clear strategy, philosophy and organisation, and one seemingly devoid of all three.
Brentford's starting XI in the game also cost just £45m - less than the £57m United have paid for Lisandro Martinez alone this summer, and a fraction of the huge £426m outlay on the team that was demolished in West London.
So who are the people behind Brentford and should Manchester United be learning something from the structure they have put in place? Sky Sports takes a look…
Matthew Benham (Owner)
Matthew Benham bought the club in 2012 and has overseen their revolution from League One to the Premier League.
Using his brainchild Smartodds - the cutting-edge software and statistical modelling service - Benham has installed the right people in the right jobs to make the right decisions, to bring about success on the pitch and raise the club's profile.
He has also helped to oversee the introduction and maintenance of a modern, progressive, diverse and fair working culture within the club, which has helped maintain a positive environment for all staff and players to work in and thrive.
He is a good example of an owner who knows his strengths and delegates to others where they have more expertise, giving them the room to make the most of their talents and make sound decisions.
Phil Giles (Director of Football)
Phil Giles has worked with Benham for 15 years and been his right-hand man at Brentford for more than seven of those. He runs the football side of the club on a day-to-day basis and is one of the architects of Benham's vision.
He did that alongside co-sporting director Rasmus Ankersen, who also deserves a mention, until he departed to be a co-owner of Southampton last year, and Giles has not sat back since being put in sole charge.
As well as overseeing their summer recruitment, Giles promoted head of recruitment Lee Dykes to technical director, and brought in performance director Ben Ryan this summer. He also hired Justin Cochrane as a coach from Manchester United.
Giles can be credited with having the foresight and planning ability for many things, including how they dealt with the pandemic and the contract stability among the squad. He overseas player purchases, sales, loans, and new deals, and makes sure all staff are all supported in doing their jobs.
He oversees the statistical modelling and progressive philosophy that helps Brentford make the best decisions, and Frank, Dykes, Ryan and club secretary Lisa Skelhorn all report into him.
Thomas Frank (Head Coach)
The Dane should be considered as one of the best head coaches in Europe now, and he has been considered one of the best coaches on the continent for some time anyway.
At Brentford, his focus is solely on the players; looking after them, coaching them, drilling them and motivating them towards the peak of their performance. Everything that happens on the football pitch - including that memorable win over United - can be credited to Frank.
He also has a huge impact on the day-to-day togetherness of the club - connecting with the fans and media via his effervescent personality - and entertaining everyone with his brilliant vision of how to play the game.
Frank masterminded that win over United by targeting their weak points and deploying a variety of different attacking methods including high-energy pressing and measured longer passes into the front players.
When it comes to recruitment, Frank works closely with Giles and Dykes on creating a shortlist of targets and has made his own suggestions recently from his native Denmark, such as Mikkel Damsgaard.
Lee Dykes (Technical Director)
One of Brentford's most crucial acquisitions in recent years has been Lee Dykes from Bury, who has twice been promoted within the club to now work as technical director.
While Frank concentrates on the day-to-day, Giles and Dykes work in tandem to deliver the club's long-term football plan - and Dykes is Brentford's walking encyclopaedia of football players, especially the best young talent in Europe, which is Brentford's target area.
He can be credited for identifying and bringing in a raft of the Bees' best players including Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbuemo, David Raya, Vitaly Janelt and Ethan Pinnock - and is behind the acquisitions this summer of Keane Lewis-Potter and Aaron Hickey.
Dykes, who has a masters degree in sporting directorship and is also a UEFA A licensed coach, looks after the club's recruitment and analysis, and plays a key role in the development pathways for young players from the B team.
With 16 years experience across various roles, he is highly-respected both inside and outside the club for how he operates and it is no wonder he has been linked with jobs at Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and RB Leipzig.
Ben Ryan (Performance Director)
Ben Ryan is still finding his feet at Brentford but has already made a positive impact according to many people at the club.
He is the former rugby union coach who is best known for leading the Fiji sevens team to a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
It is his job to route-out the barriers in the way of staff and players reaching their maximum performance, and introduce solutions to those in order to keep Brentford moving forward.
Lisa Skelhorn (Club Secretary) also deserves a mention for her positive and professional contribution during more than 30 years at the club, helping ensure Brentford stay true to their roots and traditions.
