Hurry up 3pm. Brentford host Stoke City this afternoon, with everyone wanting to put the defeat at Preston behind us (2-0 last weekend) and get back to winning ways. Well, d’uh! Cliche alert and copy/paste your basic football soundbite by rote. Yet sometimes the simplest and most basic sentiments are the best and today is no exception. If any further morale boost were needed then it has come in the formal confirmation of the much touted Kurupt FM shirt – and then some. Not only is the limited edition top now available (we hope, still) but next month’s home game against Bristol City sees a very special tie up. I’d go so far as to describe it as a crossover that hasn’t been bettered since Scooby Doo met Sonny and Cher.
Come on Fred, don’t be so bashful
First up, Preston. We lost. They’re in the play-off zone and we’re six points off it. But the season is still early and still three games short of that magical point when the table can formally have been declared to have ‘taken shape’. Let’s just file that game under ‘Move along, nothing to see here’. The only other take away being that we got a look at the orange goalkeeper’s shirt in action.
There’s been nothing on these pages since that game which is probably a good thing for all concerned. Instead, there’s been a bit of down time but now we’re set for the visit of Stoke City. Bottom of the league Stoke City. With the televised trip to fellow basement club Barnsley a week later, the next 8 days represent an excellent opportunity to push us into the upper reaches once the current nascent state of the league has become almost ‘fully formed’.
Will Thomas stick with the same or utilise the numbers at his disposal? He has pretty much the full squad available to him with the main question being when we get a look at front man Nikoloas Karelis. Brentford have looked magnificent going forward and the return of Said Benrahma has been a more than welcome one. Along with Bryan Mbuemo, who is finding his feet very quickly, Brentford haven’t been afraid to try their luck in front of goal. Even if the results have been mixed at times. Yet with the BBC telling us that Stoke have conceded the highest percentage of their shots faced (23.3%), could this be the game to try our luck from distance? It almost worked last weekend.
Benrahma – does everything. Even helping the fans with their ‘selfies’
Look, I’ve no idea which way Thomas is going to jump. We’re all full of conjecture but, for what its worth, I’d keep the same starting XI. When we’ve fired we’ve been imperious. Two wins out of the first seven isn’t prolific form but that can soon change. We were magnificent against Derby County last time out at Griffin Park and with Stoke struggling, I’m going to stick my neck on the block and say that I expect more of that form we saw against the Rams. Another game packed full of attacking intent from Brentford and another three points. The Potters have shipped 17 already, the leakiest defence in the Championship, and I wouldn’t be surprised if full time saw that figure take a further battering. Just bring on the afternoon when we get our chance to go for it.
The other news to put a spring in the step is that around the Kurupt FM shirt which Matthew Benham and his family first unveiled. It has finally been confirmed as being made available with all profits going to the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust. Even better though, Brentford ‘official’ have now revealed that the local stars will be joining us for the game at home to Bristol City as they takeover Griffin Park. Cripes. #BeeTheDJ could be very interesting….
You can read about it all on ‘official’ whilst, of course, don’t forget to pick your shirt up – assuming there are any left (at present the online store only has these remaining at either end of the size spectrum). It promises to be special. Until then, though, here’s to Stoke City.
This really is happening
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Leave a Reply