Brentford can only focus on themselves as they aim to maintain their slim hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship, according to boss Thomas Frank.

The Bees currently sit fourth, nine points off second-placed Watford with a game in hand, and require results to go their way if they are to avenge last season’s heartache and gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. 

Four straight draws had seriously dented Brentford’s push for the top two, but they returned to form in style with a five-star 5-0 win over Preston last weekend and it is that performance level which Frank wants his side to focus on rather than what Watford or any other team are doing. 

“At this moment in time, we are in the play-offs,” he said. “If you look at it now, we have at least eight games, hopefully nine, to go to the end of the season.  

“The only thing that we can look at is the Millwall game and then we will, of course, check the results after.  

“If it is a good result from the team that we are competing against it needs to be an instant feeling, then done and out of the system. It is easier said than done but it is all about that. All we can do is try to top perform tomorrow.” 

And, with six games at least to go for Brentford, they now host a Millwall side which has improved after a tough run during the middle of the season to move away from the relegation places and up to ninth. 

Having only managed a 1-1 draw against their fellow Londoners earlier in the season, Frank knows just how tricky a challenge the Lions will provide come the weekend. 

“The difference between teams in the Championship is so little and that is why it is going to be a tough test,” he added. 

“We are full of confidence from the last performance, but we know every game has its own life. It will be a completely different game on Saturday; we are ready for it.” 

If Brentford are to mount a late bid for automatic promotion, it will surely be spearheaded by Ivan Toney, the league’s top scorer, who is one away from reaching 30 for the season. 

Speculation continues to mount about whether the 25-year-old will move on from the Bees at the end of the season but his boss certainly isn’t worried about that. 

“He is a very good striker, and he deserves a lot of praise for what he has done. Hopefully he can hit the 30-goal mark tomorrow which will be beautiful,” Frank said. 

“If not tomorrow, it will be one of the next games because one thing is for sure; he scores goals.  

“Throughout the season there have been a lot of rumours but I have never once asked Ivan about it because it doesn’t bother me.  

“Ivan is a Brentford player; I speak to him about his family and his friends and about how to make him better as a footballer. He has a big emotional intelligence, and he shows that with everyone.”