Is the pressure telling? Brentford managed to salvage the unlikeliest of points against Millwall in a game that saw us 2-0 down with only five minutes left on the clock. It was a game which saw the Bees put in a sub par showing against a team who, whilst fighting for their survival, deserved nothing more than the win based on the performances of our respective teams.
But that’s football. It’s a 90 minute game and the Bees played it to the death.
To read the rest of this article, season 2014/15 is now available to download onto Kindle (and other electronic reading device) in full. Containing additional material and even some (poor) editing, you can get it here for less than the cost of a Griffin Park matchday programme or Balti Pie.
Thanks for reading and all your comments over the course of the season. For now, I need to make more space on the site for any follow up. However, ‘close season’ will continue in full, further on.
View from the terrace – Alex Pritchard takes the penalty for 2-1 on 85 mins
Tommy Smith tries to understand why he has been booked rather than awarded a penalty
BrentfordFC 
Sadly, couldn’t agree more. Unlike last Saturday when we could perhaps feel we were hard done by, if the ref had blown full time on 84min nonone could feel anything other than 2-0 was the least Millwall deserved. They were the hardest working team I saw all season with a straightforward game plan which many other teams now adopt as well – press and harry us as high up the pitch as possible to prevent us playing and play high balls over our back four. You will get your reward either catching the two centre backs flat footed or forced into an error – do we not have a better balance when Craig plays?. There were so many below par performances today that lets hope batteries are recharged for Good Friday.
I also agree with your assessment. To go the whole hog regarding sideways and backwards passing, I think you left out our gentlemanly approach of slowing things down when we are on the break to give Millwall the chance to fallback and re-group. I also sensed a lot of frustration in the crowd with the wya we played. We didn’t seem to have a plan b against a team who had done their homework and defended really well.
At the moment I am in two minds if the el Dorado of promotion would actually be in our best interests. Yes I know it is better to have loved than not loved at all, but do we really want to “do a Leicester”, or even worse. As it stands our defence would not survive in the Premiership, and arguably our best players are the ones on loan.
I’d like to see us just go for it every game till the end. We really have nothing to lose, and if we don’t make it, we can consolidate our position in the Championship, and strengthen the squad where it needs it most.
Thanks Michael. I think going up would be a combination of brilliance and horror show. But,equally we’re not going to have a better chance of doing so and the team deserve a shot at it given the way we’ve played for huge swathes of this season.
I
‘d love it to happen and we cope with the challenges then. I don’t think we’d do a Leicester although perhaps the Champion’s League is a a few seasons off.
Main downside for me would be leaving Griffin Park to groundshare. I just can’t see us being able to stay, whatever the positive noises coming out of the club. But given how much we’ve been surprised this season, could that be the one to top the lot…?
Cheers Daniel. REally appreciate it and you’ve hit the nail on the head re their work rate . Could one make a case for this being ‘Brentford’s year’ – to play so,so badly yet still come away with something?
I’m really surprised Tony Craig hasn’t started in the last few games. I don’t want to get overly involved in a ‘slagging off’ / scapegoats scenario but the defence is most definitely missing his presence.
Still, Fulham up next….
Yes, yesterday’s match was a very strange and at times tired physically and mentally performance. I think they put so much into the Blackburn game and to add to the I think the new manager at Millwall, Mr Harris, is Millwall through and through and has instilled some grit into some players who had nearly given up. I think their 0-0 against Brighton on Tuesday showed this. A draw in the end was lucky as Millwall could of had 6….although as poorly as we played so could we. I was at a loss why Long did not come on…any ideas? The central defence scares us all at times, James is very skillful but has some lapses and Harlee is just like Bob Booker, Brentford through and through but not good enough at this level. Anyway, positive thinking and 100% effort for the Easter matches. The dream lives on!!
John – you’ve hit the key points. the dream lives on indeed. No idea about Long but I thought he’d appear at some point, if not start, after Tuesday.
Full credit to Mr Harris and without wanting to overly castigate either Harlee or James, Tony Criag must be wondering what needs to happen for him to get back in the team.
Don’t forget, either, that Bob Booker has played in the top flight…. 😉
I think your assessment was spot on. Neil Harris really did his homework on us and pressed high up the pitch. I thought Gregory was excellent. We seemed to play sideways pass after sideways pass, then backwards, then roll the ball out to Dean or Tarkowski. Start all over again. I think Michael Ohl also makes a perfect point, that far too often we break and then slow it all down allowing the oppo to defend in numbers, for the ball to finally be passed to Andre, by which point he has got 2 or 3 defenders around him, and then the crowd to get on Andre’s back.
Im sure if there was a fat lady around GP with a likeness for singing, then Warbs obviously keeps her locked up. His side never gives up. We have seen it so often this season, fighting to the end, and one wonders whether the introduction of Toral & Smith with his experience & ability to drive & pass forward, was the catalyst for the comeback
Thanks Bernard. I had a worry it was just me so glad I’m not alone. I’m still flabbergasted by our approach but, as you say, Neil Harris did a number on us.
That said, Warbs does keep his team going. Who knows what would have happened had we been awarded the penalty when Tommy Smith was booked ?
Playing the ball out from the back, sideways and backwards all season whats new its stood us in good stead all season yes on paper we should have beaten millwall, yesterdays stats suggest that as well. We did not deserve to loose that game they got there just reward for there blatant time wasting.lovely