Preston await. Despite Brentford saying nothing (certainly by 10am on Saturday morning) we’ll be another man down. Just about every other source, including the player and his colleagues on Twitter, were talking about the sale of Toumani Diagouraga to Leeds United. The destruction of the team that took us to within a play-off semi final of the Premier League continues as fans have been left heartbroken by the dismantling of the side that served us so incredibly well.
Mark Warburton – gone
Andre Gray – gone
Moses Odubajo – gone
Stuart Dallas – gone
Jota – gone
Toumani Diagouraga – gone
Alex Pritchard – gone
Jonathan Douglas – gone
Nick Proschwitz – gone
Personally, and I know I’m in a minority, I’ve not shed any tears over the departure of Dougie. His time had come. Likewise, I can’t see anybody crying over the absence of Proschwitz from the team whilst Pritch was only ever a loan signing.
But you can’t remove this much quality and expect no reaction – on or off the field. Moreso when, Max Colin aside, those that have come in have hardly matched their predecessors in terms of ability and performance. With Toumani now gone I fear the midfield is going to be left with a hole you could park a juggernaut in.
Swift and McEachran are, currently, showing the solidity of tumbleweed whilst I saw one post on social media describing KK as having all the resistance of a wet piece of kitchen towel.
Whatever Rasmus and co think they are doing, you just can’t rip the soul out of a team, replace it with statistical niceities and sideways passing / ball retention then hope to pick up where you left off. There, I was rude about so-called, moneyball. Sue me.
No more Toumani at Griffin Park. Thanks
Frankly, I dread to think what would have happened had Alan Judge not been in such imperious form or Lee Carsley performed such miracles after Marinus was brought in (great research there) and then so unceremoniously dumped. This, just days after he’d been paraded at the fans’ forum where we’d been given the message that everything in the garden was rosy. Hey, Rasmus even told us at that session that we’d be in the Premier League within three seasons.
Carry on like this and I’d agree – the Ryman Premier.
Look, this might all work out but, right now, our club feels a very different place to 24, even 12, months ago. And I’m not sure I like it very much. Selling Toumani to Leeds United really has been the last straw. I thought there might be chance he’d follow Warbs to Rangers but this just feels all wrong.
Not for the player, of course. I can only wish him the very best and offer huge thanks for everything he did. He was supporter’s player of the year for good reason and our loss is very much Leeds’ gain.
We never did see that goal we’d craved for so long but lump your mortgage on him doing it on Tuesday night. When, of course, Leeds United visit Griffin Park.
As for today, Preston North End see Brentford having lost four games on the spin. Dean Smith has stated the obvious and noted that he wants to get back to winning ways. As one New Road observer has noted, he was hardly going to come out with: “Well, Chris, I was thinking that losing 5 or 6 in a row might give us that extra impetus going into February”.
Apologies, Dean. But I’m just not in the frame of mind to be happy-clappy, nicey-nicey about our top brass at the moment. Results aside, the way the season has progressed has been really unlike anything those who have supported this club for more than a year (me, 1979) have known.
I’d love success. But at what price?
Let’s really hope things start kicking in on the pitch again soon.
And finally, it seems Absolute Radio DJ Christian O’Connell has a rival. Following yesterday’s piece in which we talked about the sad end to the Cameron Diaz story, it seems that none other than Bees Player commentator par excellence, Mark Burridge, is adding his two penneth into the mix.
He notes: “ I met Cameron Diaz in 2005 when she was filming The Holiday, (filmed in Guildford I believe) whilst staying at Pennyhill Park. ‘What’s Brentford?’ she laughed when I asked her…..so I explained who we were and she replied ‘I don’t know what Brentford is’….I then explained it was a story in an English newspaper about her knowing Dan Tana and picking up the bug to support us…..’Oh yes, I know Dan but I don’t know Brentford’…….this story was relayed on messageboards and been mentioned on Beesplayer for years. I claim the Cameron ‘outing’ prize’ Nick.
I have no idea who has officially ‘outed’ Cameron but OC, Mark – if either of you are reading this then, to quote Harry Hill, “There’s only one way to sort his out…”
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Rasmus and Giles have slowly disbanded the team that Warburton built :
Mark Warburton – gone
Andre Gray – gone
Moses Odubajo – gone
Stuart Dallas – gone
Alex Pritchard – gone
Jonathan Douglas – gone
Nick Proschwitz – gone
Jota – gone
Toumani Diagouraga – gone
All GOING –
Tarkowski
Judge
McCormack
Dean
Saunders
Swift back to Chelsea
Whats left? Statistical robots
Dean Smith is no more than a puppet for the Giles and Rasmus, He is their yes man who they push out in front of microphones and cameras to portray the solidarity image.
Lee Carsley was the saviour of the club this season, At least with him the team could play with style or ugly and still got the results. What’s happened to Nico, under Carsley he was solid. New manager in and he has gone again.
With every game we get the post match Dean Smith line “Team played well but ” …. but what, The team has lost again, wake and smell the coffee it will not be long before the sporting directors will remove you from your post due to results. Ask Marinus.
Sooner or later supporters will wake up and realise what is happening, Rasmus and Giles are slowly ripping the heart and sole out of the club replacing them with robots. Great stats but going nowhere. Take your stats and place them where the sun doesn’t shine.
Rasmus and Giles ……. OUT!!!!! Sooner the better
Dean Smith watch your back, would not trust them as far as you could thrown them.
Nick, what concerns me is that by not informing supporters of events as they occur, BFC risk alienating the fans, and I suspect the players. I feel some weird connection with Steve Evans when he comments on Toumani’s arrival, whilst hearing nothing from our club. It’s a bit like the next door neighbour you don’t like telling you that your Mrs slept with the milkman. BFC really do need to improve their soft skills; and with Ankersen, self-professed enterepreneur, keynote speaker and all round great bloke, I am staggered that he doesn’t see this. Personally I currently have no faith in Ankersen, his website smacks of self-aggrandisement and egocentricity; and I want him to prove me wrong. Unfortunately, I see little in Smith to instil faith in me either; strange selections and odd comments that I have been paying deference to but now begin to question. If I feel this way, surely I can’t be alone. And that leads me to wonder if the mood is a little dour in the dressing room; most lately Toums, then Tarkowski, the Dean contract business. Two things the Club needs to do immediately is improve communication, and become a lot more ruthless both on and off the pitch. We are sleep-walking through the season so far.
Thanks Matthew. The club has needed to improve communications and general PR for years. This is yet another example. To hear this news from social media and Steve Evans is just appalling .
Rasmus and crew need to take a look at themselves. They won’t, of course. This sort of thing is so easy to get right and we can’t even manage that
Hi Nick,
First of all let me say thanks for all your previous posts ,some great comments and insight’s into the club we love and overall feel privileged to support.But must take issue this time about the soul being ripped out of club. Players leaving is part of the price we have to pay for being succesfull and not being able to compete with other clubs pay structure unless we want to go the way of Bolton, Leeds Qphaha etc.
Warbutgone- Applied for Norwich job, leaked leaving club to press, fortunate to keep job till end of season i.e Clarke @reading imo hindsight being wonderfull but think worked out best for both parties all things considered, don’t get me started on his poison dwarf (now at gers) sidekick who ended up with his best mate dyche, why is it burnley want all our players???
Andre Gray- Despite heroic efforts by his agent to keep him at the club the evil Giles and Anderson finally got their way and pushed him out the door. WE HARDLY GOT A PENNY!!
Moses Odobajo- Have to agree sad loss but we made a profit and have Colin
Stuart Dallas- Again have to agree thought he had bright future at club
Jota- Unfortunate and heartbreaking but club have done the thoroughly commendable and right thing. We live in hope.
Toumani Diarouaga- Sad to see him go but again we made a profit, agree though has to be replaced by better or fans will be rightly disgruntled.
Alex Pritchard- Inevitable loan player
Johnathon Douglas- Possibly went a year to soon but hey ho in the words of Billy
Nick Proschwitz- Gone enough said proof like Marinus MONEYBALL wont get it right all the time but give me two of them every year if we get one KING JOTA
Just trying to say us selling is inevitable lets pray we keep Judge till end of season but remember even man utd couldn’t keep Ronaldo as for fans who think MB and the staff employed by him hav’nt got the best interest’s of our club at heart might l suggest they go follow Charlton,Leeds, Qphaha Foolham etc. and then get back to me.
Fickle Fans …OUT the sooner the better
Cheers. Just putting an opinion out there.
Players have left – which I agree happens –
but I don’t think that those who have come in are as good. That’s my viewpoint -and I don’t expect everybody to agree.
The PR thing DOES upset me. A lot. To hear from Steve Evans that Toumani is going to Leeds….. To read the players’ own comments on Social media. All this whilst we say nothing – not even that a fee has been agreed and he is having a medical.
It’s just sloppy
I agree the PR side of things at Brentford is shockingly bad. One will never forget BigNew Ambitions or Football is like a village. Two bits of PR way off the mark.
Whereas, I see things differently to most others about the players.
Last season, we were a small club that ridiculously overachieved. We should have been consolidating, but found ourselves going for the big prize, when others grossly underestimated us.Like any team that overachieves, our best players will get picked off one by one by bigger fish. Its the whole nature of things, and exactly why this finance model was brought into the club. As always Matthew had accounted for this and was one step ahead. But will the likes of Leicester or Bournemouth next season be able to stabilise the loss of their best players, the way we have done. OK, the replacements arent up to their predecessors standards, yet we sit comfortably mid table, We have to build again, and the same thing will happen all over again in the future.
Ok, i like your stuff Nick – I find myself agreeing with alot of your viewpoints on a regualr basis. But this ‘kneejerk’ reaction to the Brentford policy is utter claptrap (to put it politely). Everyone ask yourself this. Of the players listed by Lanesra, how many are Premiership quality?
2? At best. One of which was on loan & the other is still contracted to the club till 2018 until his family problems reslove. Of the rest they had reached either their limit in ability terms (for this division).
Mark Warburton – would not sign a contract renewal (fact)
Andre Gray – fast, no left foot, 9m is monster money when Charlie Austin goes for 4m.
Moses Odubajo – upgraded (thanks Hull) – Hello Colin 🙂
Stuart Dallas – we got wrong, lets admit it.
Alex Pritchard – loaned
Jonathan Douglas – Leadbitter showed him up everytime we played borough (time to part)
Nick Proschwitz – who?
Jota – still contracted
Toumani Diagouraga – cannot distibute forward passes, guaranteed to make a mistake at this level once per game, which is why hes not valued at 8m. (reached limit). Good player mind, just not going to reach top 3 with him. Easliy upgraded.
All GOING –
Tarkowski (perhaps – not clubs fault)
Judge (not from what i have read)
McCormack (33 next season)
Dean (not premiership standard – yet)
Saunders (33 next season)
Yeah, it’s a real bad policy that upgrades your back four with Danish internationals, players from top european divisons (colin) & offs 1 footed forwards that per minute played convert less chances than austin at twice the price.
The policy is fine & until we fill a 20,000 seater stadium week in week out, we as supporters should wind in our necks a little (me included). Category 2 academy, new 450m stadium! (say that again to yourself 450m stadium), operating at a profit & playing good football in the process. Makes me wonder whether some fans think that spending is the only way to run a football club reading some of the negative comments. Perhaps Bolton would swap places with us right now?
I hope for all our sakes it is not. Otherwise we are doomed to underachieve & we can all forget doing a Leicester.
Come on Nick. This is not stats, this is common sense.
Cheers Gary. One person’s opinion is another’s claptrap I suppose.
The players that have come in aren’t up to the same level as those that have exited – that’s my thought. Moreso as we are still shipping without replacing.
We have discord in the ranks (see: player 26 ) and on the terraces. To learn from Steve Evans of all people that Toumani is joining him isn’t a great way to treat our fans.
Neither is the expectation that we’d all want to embrace the FCM parade.
It’s all an emotive subject and I respect every opinion . Really appreciate you taking the time to respond and offer the counter view to this piece.
Cheers
Great comments Gary and Mattdabee ,at least you know what side the Bees bread is Buttered, unlike some of our blinkered fickle fans. DONT PANIC MR MAINWARING.
After today’s performance,where you there?some what dilutes your article which I think is a complete over reaction of the current situation.You are looking back to the golden age of last season to the gloomy picture you paint of where we are now.With out checking but I would think we are 3 wins different from this stage last season.What does that say?maybe we weren’t as good as you are making out or maybe we aren’t as bad.Like others have posted saying our new players aren’t as good as what we had last season how good were the hub of that side when they first joined Dallas,Jota,Pritchard,Gray,Mosses took time to hold down a regular place and Toumani a couple of years.Today we had woods,Swift and josh in midfield all young and improving players that is the trade mark of what MB is trying to achieve at this club something I also believe the vast majority of fans support.
Just my opinion of course
Hi Bill. Many thanks. Likewise, just my opinion on what isn’t, in my eyes, a great period for us – on or off the pitch.
We did win a game today – against a lower team (that’s 4 in the last 12 games including Walsall) . It’ll take more than that to convince me this is the right way and, of course, that may well happen.
My bottom line here remains that a great team – and you are right, it was a golden age last season – has been replaced by a less effective one.
I’m all for what MB is trying to achieve and the monumental help he has given this club but I’m not going to pretend our team is stronger at present.
Likewise, I’m not going to pretend I’m in agreement with all the methods or things we are seeing from those at the club.
That said, I’m convinced we’ll do well long term. How we get there could continue to prove a painful journey. Our star player is reportedly unhappy and another refused to play. On top of the sales, I can sympathise with some supporters’ concern.
Appreciate your observations and , likewise, that you haven’t resorted to the abuse of some observers today ! Cheers
Nick, the scales have fallen from your eyes!
I appreciate your article, which states some well grounded questions, [which attempt] to encourage some thoughts within the ranks of those of the rose tinted spectacles brigade; as I have found, this is stony ground with those untutored in debate and hostile by rote, towards contrasting opinions; for example the woefully unpleasant “Hobo”; “blinkered fickle fans”, as he barks, means anyone who doesn’t agree with him and his ilk, who are the enemies of free speech and lively debate.
The Championship show worryingly reported that Judge is unhappy at BFC; if he goes, the pack of cards will implode.
The problem I have Nick is after an excellent performance against a form team in their backyard the flow of Twitter/gpg traffic seems to have decreased or like yourself a bit of grudging praise.”just 4 wins in the last 12″ I would counter that with some good performances against Boro,Cardif and Brighton the Burnley games we were poor and played off the park like our great team were the same time last year when Ipswich swept us aside and were 3 up before half time.
I would ask people like yourself who seem to enjoy putting out stuff like there are problems behind scenes be a bit more specific.Was everything great behind the scenes when Warburton was here,I believe his influence is playing a big part in unsettling some of our players.
We could very well end this season with a better side than the one that finished last.
Out of interest did you go yesterday Nick as I can’t understand you not having the same confidence as me.
Nick – sorry to point this out but Brentford are now an established top half tier two side – something almost unthinkable even 4 or 5 years ago – we’ve had a bit of a blip & you start crying like a baby – “Nasty mans let my Toumani go – boo hoo”
What do you want? The moon on a stick? When do you want it? Tomorrow?
This has been a horrendous season at times (the transfer windows in particular create a horribly depressing atmosphere) and I am frankly amazed that despite all this we’re 10th in the league. Shows the resilience I guess.
I agree 100% that the recruitment last summer was very poor and I remain totally unconvinced by the two DOFs.
The idea of Judge moving on is seriously worrying. That could have a major negative effect.
As for this “Warburton to Norwich” thing, was this before or after he and the club had decided to go separate ways? In the case of the latter, I wouldn’t see any problem with it.
Deary me. Seems like a lot of hand wringing going on here Nick.
There are logical explanations behind why all of the players you have listed have moved on. These range from money, disrupting influence, loanee or simply not good enough.
This season has been far from perfect but the fact we’re still 10th in the Championship, with an outside chance still of reaching the PO’s, suggests that despite the mistakes and difficulties that MB and his band of merry men have faced, we’re still heading in the right direction as far as I can tell.
If, as many expected, last season we had simply avoided to escape relegation as opposed to the heady heights of 5th place, then I suspect you and many others who appear to have a big of a downer on the club fight now, would be rejoicing at currently being 10th. It strikes me that some people have forgotten where we have recently come from, and who’s been financing our dreams.
MB is not perfect and will make mistakes, but let’s not be too quick to cry when things don’t always go the way we want, that to me comes across as spoilt child behaviour.
I remember the words of a not too distant manager who used to say ‘Keep the faith’. The reality is we have never had it so good but sadly many seem to have lost sight of this with the recent pace of success we have enjoyed.
cheers Paul. After over 35 years of support I’ve anything but forgotten what has happened.
Having a wonderful benefactor who has, frankly, saved us doesn’t mean I must be obligated to agree with everything I see going on around me. That’s my take but, equally, I’d ask you read today’s column which continues the theme and my own, personal, viewpoint.