Thomas on Mbeumo and United: "They're getting better and better - we know what to expect" | OneFootball

Thomas Frank knows we're facing a Manchester United team on the up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm UK) - and knows their key threat inside-out.

United drew 2-2 at Forest last time out having won their last three in the Premier League against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton - that upturn in form earned Ruben Amorim the league's Manager of the Month accolade for October.

Bryan Mbeumo's performances have played a huge part in that - and he was named Premier League Player of the Month on Friday.

Thomas signed Mbeumo for Brentford from French side Troyes in France in 2019 and the pair spent six seasons together before departing this summer for N17 and Old Trafford. Mbeumo scored 70 in 242 appearances for the Bees, including a 20-goal league campaign last term. He's also won 26 caps for Cameroon in that time, having been first called up in 2022.

Now they face each other for the first time - and Thomas was asked about Mbeumo and United in his pre-match press conference...

What do expect from Man United?

Thomas: “I think, first and foremost, you can see it's a Man Utd team that got more confidence, definitely. I think Ruben and his coaching staff have done a very good job. It's clearly been a tough year for them and for him. I admire him a lot for that, to go through a very tricky spell with a lot of setbacks. To get through that with that focus is well done. You can see the bits he's been working on, it's more and more clear. I think it's also clear that he plays not only a system but a specific way, which they are very good at and they're getting better and better at. Right now, they are in a moment where they have more or less every key player available and found his team. They played more or less the same team in the last four or five games, so we know exactly what to expect from them. I think they have an incredibly dangerous front three. They're starting to get more up to pace and we need to close them down. On the flip side, make sure they run a little bit more backwards because we're attacking.”

How pleased are you to see how well Bryan Mbeumo is doing? I imagine you're not surprised at that?

Thomas: “No, I'm not surprised. Of course, I'll step out of my role at Tottenham! When you work with a player for six years, you get a close relationship. To see him develop from being a young man, 19 years old when he moved to London and Brentford and left six years later, going into one of the biggest clubs in the world with all that focus and the way he stepped up. For me, looking from the outside, maybe a little bit biased, I think he's been their best offensive player. He can create, he can score, he works hard, he's a team player. He's the perfect example, in my opinion, for a player what I call about attitude, confident but humble. He's a top player. I think he will have fantastic success. I hope that for him, not tomorrow, but in general I hope and wish him all the best.”