Thomas Frank wants Brentford to be at full throttle against Gillingham

The Bees boss is approaching the third-round Carabao Cup tie as he would a Premier League game.

Thomas Frank’s Brentford have lost only once at the Gtech Community Stadium this season (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has demanded another full-throttle display from his side against Gillingham in the Carabao Cup.

The Bees’ only defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium this season was against Arsenal in September and Frank is approaching Tuesday night’s third-round tie as he would a Premier League game.

He told a press conference: “We’ve lost one game at home and we’ve really tried to create a fortress.

“That needs to be the case against Gillingham, Wolves, Manchester City or whoever we play at home.

“We need to be really difficult to play against and that’s the plan for tomorrow.”

It is a daunting prospect for Sky Bet League Two side Gillingham, who have not travelled well this season and are winless in their last five matches.

The Gills have yet to win away in the league this season, but Frank is expecting a tough physical encounter with Neil Harris’s players.

Frank added: “They will come and play direct. We need to be ready for the second balls, set-pieces and transition against us, then it’s about us.

“We need to get tempo in the game, find the good positions, and we need to play with few touches.”

The Bees are 11th in the top flight following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest and only the top four plus Liverpool have scored more goals at home.

Frank named a largely second-string line-up for the Bees’ 2-0 second-round win at Colchester in August.

Gillingham followed up their 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon in the first round – their solitary away win this season – by beating Exeter 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw at Priestfield Stadium.