….still a mystery. In what was the epitome of a ‘slow news day’, there was nothing out of the club on Thursday beyond a series of photographs showing the players ‘doing their thing’ at the Brentford training ground. And with the trip to Bolton Wanderers rapidly approaching, I suspect there will be more than a few lingering shots of the manager’s place in the dugout from the Sky TV cameras on Monday night.
That no announcement has been made yet is not, necessarily, a bad thing. I’ve mentioned several names on these pages to whom you could also add the likes of Walsall’s Dean Smith and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to the mix (although for the later, see also: QPR).
The club released several pictures – but is a new manager in sight?
The simple fact of the matter is that at the time of writing (Friday, 6.30am) none of us have a clue and the club have kept their powder very much dry when it comes to any updates. Which wouldn’t be such a bad thing except we all remember Lee Carsley’s announcement in Saturday’s post-match interview that he had taken charge of the team for the last time.
Once again, as with Villagegate back in February, there has been no tangible follow up to the immediate story and the football world is left scratching it’s head. Of course, the club is under no obligation to tell us who will be taking control, if they even know for sure, but it does beg the question of who is pulling the strings?
Likewise, who will actually pick, and prep, the team for the game at Bolton? Even if a new manager / head coach was announced today, how much time would they actually have to have a side they had likely never seen, ‘match ready’?
Was it simply a case of Lee Carsley diverting from the script – much as he did when he first took over and admitted he didn’t actually want the position? Will he find himself back in charge for another game or two – at least until we can finally tie up whatever deal is in the offing? Or could King Kev even step up into a temporary role as the new caretaker?
I have no doubt that whatever happens in the next day or so, Lee Carsley will retain a strong influence on Monday’s proceedings. He knows the players and they know him – it would only make sense to rely on his experience.
That said, aswell as regaling us with their pictorial player updates, it would be great if the club could make some sort of update – even to say there is no news as it stands – in regards to the vacant head-coach situation.
Instead, we have the usual tumbleweed coming out of the comms department when it comes to this sort of issue. It just all looks a bit amateurish when you have the caretaker saying one thing and the club saying nothing.
Then again, nothing about what Brentford do is ‘to type’. Whilst football fans have certain expectation levels about how things should happen, regardless of club, Matthew Benham has never been afraid to be different. Or nail his colours to the mast.
Behind the scenes, the head coach scenario is likely to be many steps ahead of what we know. However I do find his current lack of cryptic video clue somewhat disconcerting. This tradition is one which has very much tailed off this season and, if nothing else, has given us a sign that imminent incoming activity is due.
Still, it was great to see Jota out there in full training yesterday. Likewise, Max Colin. Whatever is going on off-field, one can’t deny the ever increasing quality in the squad as more and more of the injured are able to return to first team duty.
Now. If we just knew who was going to pick that team……
The club Twitter feed shows Jota back in action – phew
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Next manager, just another puppet to the “directors of football”.
Dumb and dumber , Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen Co-Directors of Football …… what exactly are they directing? A circus. The club is turning into one, complete shambles.
Left hand does not know what the right hand is doing apart from trying to create a toy town club. If we weren’t a laughing stock we are now, They strut around the place like big time Charlie’s and looking to do everything on the cheap. Mark Warburton must be grinning from ear to ear and rolling around laughing at what has happened to the club.
Why would a temporary manager make a statement that last week was his last game and then the club makes an announcement that they are not ready, Dumb and dumber were hoping Gary Monk would be sacked last week, His backroom staff asked to leave so that they could avoid having to payout compensation.
You have to feel sorry for Lee Carsley, Talk about driving him out the club slowly.
Firstly Cliff Clown tells us Carsley will be in charge for the rest of the season, then we hear after Carsley’s first game that he is at best a reluctant manager who has been pushed into the position without putting his hand up for the job, in his words. Then the club decides after all that he will not be in charge for the rest of the season and tries to recruit someone else. Carsley tells us that he has taken charge of his last game and an appointment seems imminent. Except it’s not imminent and the search goes on and Carsley (who with his honesty is about the only one who has come out with any credit from this) is back in charge for the foreseeable.
This kind of nonsense makes the club look very amateurish unfortunately, and like the poster above, you have to ask serious questions of our esteemed Directors of Football. I thought lessons had been learnt from the farce that was the beginning of the season, but clearly not.