That’s five games against Sheffield Wednesday since Brentford ascended to the Championship and still the Bees are to record anything more than a draw against the Owls. Yet we’ll never have a better chance than yesterday after entering injury time 1-0 up despite having spent huge swathes of the game under the cosh, survived wave after wave of pressure and seen some glaring misses.
With Wednesday fans already calling the police to report the proverbial robbery, Sam Hutchinson stole in to grab a late, late headed equaliser from an injury time free kick. On chances created by the visitors it was probably a deserved result but chances count for jack if you don’t put them away. Instead, it was Brentford who ended the game feeling bitter disappointment after coming so close to making it three wins from three games at Griffin Park with no goals conceded.
To read the rest of this article, season 2016/17 is now available for download on e-book in the retrospective: Welcome Home, King Jota (Brentford FC season review 2016/17)
Priced at just £1.99, all sales are being donated to the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.
Likewise any sales from the previous titles – Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup (2013/14), Tales from the football village (2014/15) and Ready. Steady. Go Again. (2015/16) – are also now going to the BFCCST.
View from the New Road – the memo about managerial uniform had been received
The second half saw us outmuscle our opponents more
View from the Braemar – the upgraded gantry now visible
On personal note, I’d also like to offer huge THANKS to all those involved at Brentford for their help in making sure my son had such a wonderful afternoon as team mascot. He was made nothing but welcome by everybody involved – from Malcolm in the match-day team all the way through to Dean Smith, the players and even Wednesday mascot Lucy. It really was a wonderful treat and the attention of everybody showed yet again, as if any reminder were required, what a wonderful family club we have.
Sam Saunders has, I’m afraid to say, now been pushed into second place as his favourite player. It was 90 minutes of “Where’s Harlee?” and “Come on Harlee!” as our captain has now become his new number one.
Harlee – if you are reading (who knows?) then an extra big thanks from Harry and dad.
The new defensive line up still needs work
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Hey Harry, your boots are even cooler than Harlee’s!
even dad is jealous of HB’s shoes…
Even in the warm up, I thought to myself “I recognise that child!”. Hope he had a great day and he even seemed to gain the attention of the Wednesday mascot. The little devil!
I didnt leave the game too disappointed because Wednesday should have beaten us by 4 or 5. The performance as a whole was not too dissimilar to the Burnley one last season, except Burnley clearly took their chances. Joao’s miss was the worst Ive ever seen, everyone on ER were looking at each other laughing in disbelief. As for Westwood, well it was definitely all his fault.
It was the second game in a row at GP that an oppo player has fallen foul in the crackdown on dissent. Everyone has been warned and there really is no excuse. Indeed after Lasse’s first half booking, I thought he was walking a tightrope and may have been a tad fortunate not to have had his early bath before half time. Indeed Lasse was a ticking time bomb and came as no surprise when he finally did push things too far, although watching the sending off on TV I was rather distracted by the lady in the paddock dressed as a jester telling Mr Bankes to go forth, hardly lady like. It has to be noted that it seemed Josh Clarke was ready to come on just before the sending off, probably for Vibe. Personally, I think Smith should have made that substitution as soon as Jones’s sending off. The ref would always be looking to level things.
Also fantastic to finally see Bjelland, albeit very briefly. Here’s something to throw out there…We have 4 high quality central defenders. Why dont we play to our strengths? Why not play 3 centre backs with wing backs, particularly as Elder clearly cannot defend. A current back 3 of Dean, Egan & Bjelland would surely strengthen our team and making the most of our threadbare squad.
It does seem that Dean Smith lacks a bit of tactical nous. Yes, it was a commendable effort by Vibe to chase down and get the goal but he was largely anonymous yesterday playing in a position that does not suit and with a yellow card to his name was the glaringly obvious candidate for an early substitution. Disappointing tactics from Smith (almost as disappointing as his continued defence of the pathetic set piece ploy where three of our team try to obscure the opposing goalkeeper’s view by dancing around in front of him). To end on a positive note, outstanding performances from Messrs Bentley and Woods which surely should mean a field of just 2 candidates for this week’s MOTM.
Yes, I agree, and I can not see Dean Smith being our manager for much longer if he continues promoting dull football. We were too slow getting forward yesterday and of course the defending had more holes than a cyclist’s helmet in the first half. Our goal was a piece of luck, whereas theirs was a stunner. It all makes me pine for the days of MW and fast flowing football!
We are not so bad that we will go down, in my view, but I cannot see us setting the league on fire. Smith appears to be a journeyman rather than an inspiration, so I guess he will just chug on to the end of the season and then disappear.