No irony was lost as strikers Bradley Clayton and Scott Hogan turned out for the Brentford development squad against QPR on Monday. With Blackburn Rovers up next, was this a message? And, if so, from who to who?
I still don’t understand Dean Smith’s logic in starting our Championship game against QPR with no recognised striker but Flemming Pedersen certainly put his front men through their paces yesterday. In a 0-0 where the Bees were reported to have had the vast majority of the action, I’d imagine he’ll have felt slightly disappointed to come away without the win.
That said, a full game for Bradley and 75 minutes for Scott can only be seen as a positive. Was this with a view to one of them stepping up to the first team squad for the visit of Blackburn Rovers? Or have the likes of Lasse Vibe and Marco Djuricin now learned whatever lesson Dean Smith was trying to teach them?
Personally, I’m still not sure what he hoped to achieve or what that lesson was. This, despite the ‘explanation’ offered in the post match press conferences.
Given the current ‘form’ (as much a breach of trades descriptions as the previously used term, ‘explanation’) I hope Dean is able to return is to some type of normality. Whatever that is.
One New Road observer has shared the following graphic with me to illustrate the reversal of fortune we currently find ourselves experiencing . Points earned in our previous managers’ last ten games.
Point for point, both Terry Butcher and even Marinus (yes, you read that correctly), are showing as having inspired their teams to have out scored our current set up. The latter achieving this in a game less, given he was dismissed after a mere 9 Championship fixtures.
Being honest, I have had to call this graphic into question a little. If for no other reason than was Leroy’s record really as good as 3 points from 30? Those who sat through the sad end to his time at Griffin Park would probably dispute we even did that well.
But no, he swears it’s the genuine article and, frankly, I’m too lazy to trawl back through the record books and tick back through a catalogue of, mostly, doom and gloom.
Either way, it doesn’t make great reading and just shows to highlight our current predicament of sliding the wrong way down the table. 7(seven) points off relegation, surely that gap is too big to consider. Certainly the bookmakers think so, seeing us as 100-1 to suffer that fate despite the ignominy of the reverse at Loftus Road.
With a game in hand on the teams below us, who only have 9 left to play, it would need a pretty disastrous swing. Albeit one that is mathematically possible. But with Charlton and Rotherham both finding their form these last few games, and the Bees still to play 6 of those in that basement region, let’s not get complacent. A morale boosting win at home to Blackburn on Saturday will be just what the doctor ordered.
After season after season of good results, we had to hit a bump in the road eventually. Life isn’t always easy. Likewise, please don’t anybody take this as me calling for a return to the Dijkhuizen or Butcher eras.
I’m sure Dean would love to be able to picture a scene where things were that comfortable he could put his feet up, watch Natalie Sawyer read out the scores and relax as the results roll in whilst nibbling on a slice of cranberry and orange cake. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Instead we and he are just going to have to, dare I say it, “go again”. It’s time to roll up the sleeves and maybe wear a heart on them. Both at the training ground and then against Blackburn this weekend. The points will come – I’d just be a lot happier if it was sooner than later.
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
I think it was a poor decision on Saturday, but not because Dean played with no recognised striker….those guys are so out of form that it’s like playing with 10 men…but because he put our most influential player, who’s scored 14 odd goals from midfield, and who’s created a hatful of chances for others to ultimately fluff their lines, in an advanced position where he was less effective. I do understand that he wanted to accommodate Macca, but maybe drop one of the other midfielders for him. Personally if I wanted to make a statement, I would have had someone from the development squad in there and give them a bit of a run in the side.
Incidentally, I’d be interested to see the same statistic above for the development squad. I’ve been keeping an eye out for their results and that seems to have dipped from Carsley’s and dare I say it King Kev’s time in the hot seat.
The time for mid table chilling has long gone and without something being done to perk the squad up we will not be able to arrest the slide. The extensive connections and dossiers on players should have been used to produce a couple of loan signings weeks ago. Maybe the connections and dossiers aren’t enough – or have we been complacently sleep walking towards the drop?
DS has to produce something on Saturday – listening to Warnock on the radio coming in this morning was interesting – he said that the manger has to be extra bright, upbeat, a bit aggressive when in a scrap – and that the players feed off it. Even after a bad defeat. By the way i’m no big fan of Warnock but you know who you want on your side in a battle.
The story at BFC last week prior to Satuday was about the talking, this week it needs to be about the doing.
it seems to me that the management of brentford are wanting to do a holdsworth ;the last time we were in the championship it lasted just one season we sold holdsworth to wimbledon and got detzi kruzinski in return he could not hit a barn door Please god this does not happen again we have to sign on loan a striker and a centre half
While DS seems to be struggling at Championship level, he has inherited the weakest side so far, with the departures in the last months; who knows what goes on behind the scenes, in the somewhat. Machiavellian structure that has been created off-pitch, for sure, it cannot be ideal, operating in the neutered role as so-called, “head coach”.
Is DS being bullied by the above, are the Benham crew, statistically confident that BFC will scrape through, on nil points from every game, who knows, in the crazy world that reigns at GP?
From the interview with Benham the other week, he seemed to imply that he was waiting for Scott Hogan to come back in and be our 20 goal a season saviour. (which is naive given he’s been out 2 seasons with close to career ending injuries). And of course the return of Bjelland hopefully too. So I think he’s thinking that we limp over the line with what we have and start afresh next season. However, we need to arest this slump quickly as it’s nolonger looking like a cruise over the line. And heaven forbid that our talisman gets injured…..
I have also commented on this questionable statement, re- Hogan, given his catastrophic knees.
Obviously Tarky having gone was an issue but if the rumoured 3.5 million fee is true, it was good business. Barbet and O’Connell as individuals are no worse.
The defensive issues seem to be as a unit we’re shambolic. I’m unsure as to why but it’s crying out for leadership.
The biggest hole left was Diaguraga not being replaced. Woods has done well but he’s a player to carry the ball forwards and tackle higher up the pitch, not one to break down the play. I see Josh in a similar light so I’M hoping Macca is in the team to stay.
Too often in general and seemingly everytime at the scum opposition attackers are getting a free run at our goal with defence standing off far too much.
Blackburn will surely be physical and likely pack out the midfield looking to hit us on the counter.
We need to fight and show what it means.
DS needs to work on the defensive unit this week in training, get them organised.
I’m not confident but we need to step it up, sharpish!
What gets me is that we have Dean Smith and his assistant Richard O’Kelly. Three technical coaches. An assortment of analysts (is there a collective noun for analysts?). A head of football operations and in Phil GIles & Rasmus Ankersen, two directors of football.
And so for one of the biggest games of the season against our arch rivals, the collective opinion of all that ‘expertise’ was to play with no recognised striker!!!! And instead play our most creative player up front by himself where he will see a lot less of the ball than all the other games this season.
I propose that Matthew should appoint a ‘Director of Sanity’, who can look at all such inspirational ideas and say ‘What on earth is this idea you have shown me? Now go back, stop being stupid, and do your job properly!!’
You always make excuses for the owner; he is the source of all ills at BFC, because he has gained total control, after engineering MW’s departure. He, no one else, this person, is your culprit for this season’s calamity. Please stop calling this person, “Matthew”, as if he is your personal friend!
That’s told you, Mr Benham to you Bernard.
I think Matthew had total control of the club before during or after recent managerial appointments. By being the owner he can also engineer managerial departures by simply telling them that they are fired. Its one of the perks of being a business owner.
Roderic, if I cannot call Matthew by his name, Matthew, what do you suggest we should call him? Simon? Or something more to your taste like Diablo.
A bit harsh, but only a bit. MB set us up, created the foundations, took a chance on MW and DW in the hot seat, and we were rewarded with quality football and almost made it into the promised land of the premier league. He should rightly be praised for that…BUT….through a bit of ignorance and perhaps a degree of arrogance, has managed to bulldozer the whole lot! So yeah, he deserves our thanks for the ladt few years for getting us to where we are, but has to face the backlash for the fiasco of the last 15 months cos ultimately hes the one steering the ship.
Julius, Dorian , perhaps?
There is no logic or rationale to this season. As a business man I can see no logical reason why the owner has successfully gone about destroying all that has been created. At best he has only eroded the value of his own enterprise. I assume he can sustain the loss – frankly who cares. As for the recent interview it reminded me of a warm and cuddly fireside chat. Given the disaster that the owner has presided over I’d have thought a Hardtalk session was more I the order of the day. Surely we fans deserve more than the platitudes and nonsense currently on offer?
The thing with Benham is there is logic and rationale in everything he does, and hes made a mint out of doing so, i think it can only be to first put the club in a financially stable situation and then go again, i hope im right but must admit i find it hard to fathom.
I like your style!
The portraits I have seen, reveal degeneracy, untrustworthy character, louche nature, not someone to whom you can grant your trust.
Strewth, it is hidden in an attic, fire is needed to renew light and God!
Thanks Roderick
Nick, it was intended as an amusing play on names, not a disguise!