Thomas Frank has never managed in a west London derby before but the Brentford boss is under no illusions over the ferocity surrounding a clash with QPR.

Taking a quick history lesson from club legend and the longest-serving stadium announcer in the country Peter Gilham, the Danish manager knows exactly what the fixture entails.

And if his experience of last year’s dramatic away draw is anything to go by, Frank knows exactly just how difficult it is to come out on top against QPR after witnessing the R’s spark an unlikely two-goal comeback against his side just under a year ago.

“I understand the game,” he said. “Every single time we go into a QPR game, you get a brush-up on the history and the importance of this game.

“It’s massive for us and there would be nothing better that going into the international break than three points and a big performance against QPR.

“[Last year] was a strange experience because we dominated the game and we were 2-0 up and everything just changed like that.

“They scored two goals in four minutes of extra-time. Statistically, I think we are in a better place now. If we go 2-0 up, we will not concede two in the last four minutes.”

Frank secured his first victory as Brentford manager last time out in a 2-0 win against Millwall, putting to bed a nine-game winless run stretching back to mid-September.

The former Brondby IF manager will still be without defender Kamohelo Mokotjo for the tie, with the South African not expected to return until after the international break.

Yet Frank knows it won’t be easy to gain back-to-back victories ahead of the international break, with opposition manager Steve McClaren’s side flying in the Championship.

“Steve McClaren has done a very good job there with his coaching staff and it must be, in this moment, their best league position in the last couple of years,” he said.

“They struggled at the start of the season and after that they have been much more solid. They are defensively very strong, and they have seven clean sheets in 12 games and four in their last six.

“They are very difficult to break down and everyone knows if you want to achieve anything, you have to be strong defensively.

“They want to play and they want to build from the back and press. I expect they will come to press us at Loftus Road on Saturday.”