David Raya backed to impress Spain boss despite mistakes against Newcastle

Raya was at fault for two goals last weekend but can bounce back when Brentford play Brighton on Friday night

David Raya has been backed to bounce back by Brentford manager Thomas Frank (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has backed David Raya to respond against Brighton on Friday and impress Spain boss Luis Enrique.

Raya was at fault for the first two goals in last weekend’s 5-1 thrashing at Newcastle during an uncharacteristic sloppy display by the goalkeeper.

The 27-year-old will get the chance to bounce back on Friday and there will be more riding on the fixture with compatriot Robert Sanchez in goal for Brighton.

Only last month the pair were colleagues during Spain’s international camp where they provided competition for current first-choice Unai Simon and continued to stay above the likes of David De Gea and Kepa Arrizabalaga in the pecking order.

“Hopefully Luis Enrique is watching and David is doing fantastic, keeping a clean sheet,” Frank joked. “That is the hope. I think Luis Enrique is a very privileged manager to work with a lot of good goalkeepers and players in general.

“If you are a goalkeeper you need to get used to that you make a mistake once in a while, you don’t save one or make a mistake like David did.

“But one of his biggest strengths is his ability in games, from training-to-training, to move on quickly and don’t get affected by it.

“That is a key thing as a footballer in general, even more important as a goalkeeper. Maybe he didn’t play it short the next three passes but the second half he did again and that is key.

“It is like when you fall over on the bike, you need to get up and then you move forward again.”

Frank admitted his analysis in preparation for the clash with Brighton has seen him focus on what new Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi did with Shakhtar Donetsk and Sassuolo.

Frank added: “They played two, both Liverpool and Tottenham. Obviously we looked at these two and then I am looking always more on the manager.

“I look more at Roberto and I think he did a very good job at Sassuolo, also at Shakhtar he did fine but it was the Sassuolo job that is the most impressive.

“Of course he inherited a good squad, a well-drilled team and now he needs to put his own ideas in.

“I think it is an interesting signing for the Premier League, very interesting but we know what Brighton will come with. They will try to dominate possession, be very flexible and we need to close that down.”

Brentford have failed to win any of their last three matches but Frank knows his squad are raring to go.

“I can see the frustration and anger in their eyes after the game on Saturday and the energy and determination they are coming in with this week,” he insisted.

“We won 5-2 against Leeds, then we meet maybe the team in form in Arsenal and lost 3-0 where actually we did a lot of good things but they are just flying.

“Then 0-0 Bournemouth away and finally kept a clean sheet for the first time in 19 games so decent. Then this, I would call, a freak game against Newcastle.

“Because we are never, and I mean never, going to make an own goal and two big individual mistakes in the same game again. It may take 100 years of Brentford history before that will happen again hopefully, so that’s a freak one.

“For me there are underlying bits we always want to improve but we will come flying out tomorrow, there is no doubt about that.”