Hermann Hreidarsson knows a thing or two about being relegated from the Premier League. The Icelandic former centre half shares the record for the most top flight demotions with five. But the 47-year-old believes Brentford - whom he represented between 1998 and 1999 - can do what his Crystal Palace, Wimbledon, Ipswich, Charlton and Portsmouth sides couldn’t.
“I think that the key things for survival are in place already,” Hreidarsson, who also won the 2008 FA Cup with Portsmouth, tells FFT ahead of Friday’s Premier League opener between the Bees and Arsenal. “I think the base is there, with their clear style of play over the past few seasons, and Thomas Frank’s brave approach. The players know their roles and play the game the right way with their energetic style of play. I think they will hit the ground running and be very entertaining no matter what happens.”
Brentford were promoted to the second tier with Hreidarsson at the end of his only campaign in West London. But, even then the towering defender had the feeling the club was destined for bigger things.
“I could imagine they’d be in the Premier League someday because there was a great feeling at the club – I really loved my time there. We had a good run of form that season, the fans were great and it was just an amazing atmosphere every week. Of course, we were a long way from the Premier League back then, but you could imagine it.
"Since then, Brentford have become a modern, 21st-century football club," Hreidarsson, who teamed up with UK cryptocurrency exchange CoinJar at the launch of their partnership with Brentford, continues. "They’ve been moving in the right direction for a long time. They approach football in the right way. With their reliance on analytics and data, they’ve shown that it’s possible to reach the highest level without spending millions and millions. I believe they will beat the drop."
Brentford take on the Gunners in the opening game of the 2021/22 campaign – the Bees' first in the Premier League - on Friday 13th August at 8pm BST.
Hermann Hreidarsson previewed the 2021 Premier League season with CoinJar, Brentford FC's new Official Cryptocurrency Partner - the ultimate platform to buy, sell and spend Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Sign up in an instant and access digital currency wherever you go.
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