Thomas Frank bemused by Newcastle players trying to intimidate Ivan Toney in post-match rant

Brentford boss Thomas Frank was bemused by Newcastle players trying to intimidate Ivan Toney in his post-match rant on Saturday.

After the defeat to the Magpies, he called out the “dark arts” of football and criticised Jason Tindall, Eddie Howe’s assistant.

Toney missed his first penalty in almost five years. Nick Pope saved his 29th-minute effort, and Toney scored a second spot kick in the second half of his team’s 2-1 loss.

Frank said: “Every single time we have had a penalty, someone has tried to get inside Ivan’s head and referees need to be aware of that.

“It wasn’t why he didn’t score today because the law of statistics says that one day he would miss one.

“But instead of trying to think of a strategy to protect him from the abuse, maybe we should ask where is the sportsmanship?

“The penalty decision has been made so why not have a man to man duel between the keeper and the striker instead of all that mental stuff?

“Today the ball moved just before he took the penalty so maybe there was a bit of doubt that affected him, so it took a lot of mental strength for him to put the second one in the back of the net.”

Frank was also dissatisfied with Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall, with the visitors taking all three points with goals from Joelinton and Alexander Isak.

He said: “Today we were deliberately more active towards the fourth official because we knew that Newcastle have that strategy.

“Jason Tindall always speaks in the fourth official’s ear throughout the game and we needed to be aware of that.

“Today we went toe-to-toe with Newcastle and did to them what no other team has done this season. We missed a penalty, had a goal disallowed or a marginal offside and could have been 3-0 up at half-time.”

Newcastle boss Howe said: “Today is a huge moment in our season. We needed incredible character to come back like that and we have proved time and again that we have the energy and fight in us.”

But he wasn’t happy with the angry reaction from substitute Anthony Gordon when replaced in the final minute of stoppage time.

He said: “Anthony is a passionate boy who wants to do well and I have no problem with that. But he needs to control his emotions.

“He was holding his ankle and we wanted to get the experience of Matt Ricthie on for the final 30 seconds. It was no reflection on Anthony’s performance.”

Twitter users had their say with Thomas Frank bemused by Newcastle players trying to intimidate Ivan Toney while calling out problems with sportsmanship in the Premier League…

@NUFCJP89: I liked this guy but, he’s coming across as a massive sore loser after yesterday.

@JonnyQ88: The absolute definition of irony this coming from the manager of Brentford.

@ShaneS1988: Talking to the 4th official is “dark arts” now?

@davidjovanov: Is he referring to when his player stayed down for 5 minutes to get a dodgy var decision, whilst his teammates surrounded the referee.

@ChrisLongstaff8: The Brentford players were at the ref all game!! They hounded him, dived constantly. They got a lot more go for them than us, that’s for damn sure. Two penalties, a perfectly good disallowed Wilson goal. They have NOTHING to complain about.

@Marky_Marc77: What are his thoughts about players being allowed to play, when they’re involved in match betting?

@jonnyh267: Probably should of told toney to miss the target in the interest of sportsmanship then, because it was never a pen.

@billyredhead1: Nobody bothered about our dark arts when we were happy to it in or just above the relegation zone. We beat them 7-2 over our two matches – they had three pens and converted two. Is he a fan of ETH?

@jonnypunk1965: The Dark Arts like betting on football and pleading Guilty yet still allowing him to play

@JayWilkes34: ������ When Brentford came to Wolves last season and deservedly won. I’ve never seen a side go down so much, (after every challenge), waste time (keeper swapping gloves) and generally cheat through the second half.

@iancr65: The way his Brentford players surrounded the referee screaming for a penalty that never was he wants to start practicing what he preaches then, coming across as very bitter ��⚪️��

@El_Cunto76: Everything was so much easier for the rest of the league when Newcastle “knew their place” wasn’t it? Every week, a rattled, bitter defeated manager has a whinge about nufc!

@Bob_Helpful: Might want to have his word with that number 9 of his who was diving all game then

@DerektheKopRed: Weak referees have allowed the dark arts to creep into the game. 3 or 4 opposition players stay around the penalty spot unpunished, they should get automatic yellow cards, as should the keeper for not going on his line. A few weeks of doing this would cut most of it out.

@JReadingAloud87: I hate whataboutery HOWEVER I remember Brentford beating West Ham and it being near the record for the least time the ball had been in play

@moymadethis: Nothing happened. I was laughing when the other player took the ball, like they were trying to be cleaver but no Newcastle player was saying anything to the Brentford players. They knew Toney would take it. Making more out of this because he missed.

@AndyinghamGym: It’s called tactics .. it’s part of the game always has been always will be. Too many teams and managers moan rather than utilising everything at their disposal.

@Springhill_CC: Obviously forgot the time his goalkeeper stopped the game to change his gloves 2 minutes into the 2nd half, without touching the ball in the restart

@stucarbuttLUFC: Getting an advantage to proceed to a win is part of the game – that’s what a ref is there for to sort out all the shenanigans – as for the time eating , just take a look at the World Cup/Rugby with stopping the clock ,implement this will soon put a stop to areas #StopTheClock

@chrisforster191: We are incredible. Not only are we the first team to ever spend money on players, we’re also the first to ever use delaying tactics to gain an advantage. Some achievement ������

@hayesya29: Has a player who is involved in match betting and also stops his run up in a penalty to put off the keeper. Anyone got the salt ��

@ToonToon1985: His star striker has 100+ charges against his name. He complains that tindal is in the officials ear all game. So they decide to do the same. But in the same sentence he’s saying it needs looking into. What a confused, bitter man.Thought he was above the Klopp level of salty’ness

@NUFCROSSY: Moaning about tindall for speaking to fourth official as a dark art? but ok with his whole team running at and surrounding the ref claiming a penalty, and getting the ref in the end to reverse his decision ��‍♂️

@KeithWhalen1969: Two penalties, the 2nd of which was questionable and a disallowed goal from Wilson which was also questionable. if we’re using Dark Arts we need to stop immediately, as they obviously are not working.

@foschops: Ever since football began players have been trying mind games with penalty takers , if you take that and the like out of the game then it takes more drama out of the game. And by the way his midfield were diving all over the place yesterday.