Brentford fans can be glad that the most exciting thing to happen to us yesterday was the residual fallout from Saturday’s mascot race with Barnsley. This a situation now confirmed by club insiders as a win for Buzz, and a possible rematch, despite the claims of the Tykes. Yet elsewhere it was sacking season. Wigan dispensing with Gary Caldwell and Wolves relieving Walter Zenga of his duties after just 87 days in charge.
87 days. Wow. That really is crazy. To a limited extent, one can understand the situation at Wigan Athletic. They’ve been spoiled in recent years with a long run in the Premier League and even an FA Cup victory. Certainly, something away from their traditional tier three days where the most they could crow about was a Freight Rover Trophy victory. I forget who they beat.
Now, with only basement club Rotherham beneath them, they already find themselves staring an immediate relegation back to League One in the face. Despite the alleged inferno in Northern Ireland International Will Grigg, Athletic have only won twice all season. Rather than give Caldwell the time to adjust to Championship life Chairman David Sharpe has decided that after eighteen months in charge, Wigan, “need to act now in the best long-term interests of the club.” With this decision, a fledgling career has been shot down in flames.
As for Wolves, that really is a shock. Nobody could deny the appointment of the, surprisingly, experienced Zenga was an unusual one. So for the club to set sail on this course but then abandon ship after less than three months is even more of a surprise. To an extent it reminds me of the Marinus scenario. An unexpected European manager coming in for his first role in England but barely surviving a couple of months. Yet can you compare the two?
Sure, immediate results hadn’t been great – four defeats out of the last five – but Wolves are, as it stands, only 7(seven) points away from the play offs. Marinus was a disaster. Zenga appears nowhere near that. Indeed with over 100 points still to play for then, from a Brentford perspective, perhaps Mark Warburton rather than Dijkhuizen would be a more accurate an comparison.
It was only around this time that Mark Warburton really hit the ground running during his first Championship campaign (although, of course, he also had a League One promotion under the belt). From a similar start that season we swept all around us aside as the Bees found form. The awful, awful #Novemberkings became our title as the Bees stormed up the table and came to within a Boxing Day win (thank, Ipswich) of topping the pile.
Marinus – didn’t last long
I just don’t get it. I’m not close enough to the action at Wolves to say how bad things really were. If, indeed, they were ‘bad’. Yet it was only last month the club recorded back to back wins over Newcastle United and then our own Brentford. Surely the situation can’t have soured that much? Indeed, outside of the top six, the most anybody has won is six games – that’s just two more than Wolves have achieved.
Wolves are, historically, a huge club. They have a fantastic stadium and wonderful support. But being ‘any good’ has to be worked at and isn’t a given just because you’ve won things in the past (Are you reading, Mr Mourinho? No – obviously – but the parallel is clear).
I can’t overly speculate on the situation at Moulineux. It certainly puts our own place into perspective where things seem massively stable. For all supporters can moan at times – and we are in our own mini blip at present with two points and one goal from four games – things are nowhere near that situation.
Who’d be a manager? And who is gong to take over at either club? Nobody comes out of this situation smiling except, perhaps, Steve Evans. The former Rotherham and Leeds United loud mouth is currently putting his feet up. Could we seen him back in action soon?
Here’s hoping….
Could it be time for Steve Evans?
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Hi Nick I understand the point about short lived managers but we have to be a bit careful discussing teams that even with these handicaps still have no problem beating us !
Too much apathy / complacency around us at the moment imo. I don’t know how good our squad is, or how good the coach will turn out to be and it’s fine to debate all of this. Yes we’ve gone a little flat after the heights of BHA, Villa & Reading – and the pilgrimage to Newcastle. So much so that some consider our biggest game of any season (QPR) as one to swerve. Why? This rivalry is part of our history, it runs deep for us even if they don’t care, and I long for the day when we regularly put this lot away at their place and ours.
Yes it’s a ball ache to do this on a Friday at the Bush, and it’s on the TV. No probs for those that can’t go, but I don’t understand those that can but won’t for some reason.
Still time to be there – you never know we may pull off a big result, what a night that would be if we do the bizzo.
Come On Brentford!
Maybe this is part of the reason why. I know a number of season ticket holders, including myself, who dont live a 237 bus ride away. Where every game is in effect an away game. So playing 2 Friday nights in a row causes its own issues. One of the main issues is getting time off on a Friday afternoon two weeks in a row. Its not going to happen. Its the time of the week that everyone wants off. So its either/or, and most people I know are going for the Fulham game. One consolation for us exiles is knowing there are going to be some very busy pubs full of Bees dotted around the country Friday night, and we will be part of it despite being over 100 miles away from Loftus Road.
It’s a pain for me but against them I wouldn’t be anywhere else. This is the one that maters for me, always will be.
As I said, for those that can’t be there fine, happens to us all, but to not bother when able to is disappointing when we’ve waited so long. Still time for stragglers to jump on board.
I recall a number of Wolves players criticizing the Bees for changing our manager so early in the season, i wonder if any of ours will do the same? Lets hope not and hope they stay well away from social media! Whilst Wolves have been inconsistent they’ve hardly been a disaster. So i think its a strange one, just like Paul Clement’s sacking by Derby last term.
I personally think Caldwell’s sacking was a little premature too, but their position is a little more precarious. Maybe Uwe can save them!?