Saturday morning. 6.30am. It already has the feel of one of those days. No District line. No Piccadilly line. No South West Trains service. Even leaving Brentford to get as far as a station feels as though it is going to be epic. That’s nothing to do with Storm Dennis but simply the most ill thought out combination of track upgrades since – urghh, it’s too early for an analogy. Then again, time to grit those teeth, put head down and find a Plan C. Preferably one that doesn’t involve the four most horrific words in the English language – rail replacement bus service. The trip to Birmingham City awaits and it promises to be epic. With the added incentive of Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United hosting Bristol City, today definitely has the feel of, erm, one of those days. One to focus on the positive and what may be. Subject to the weather.
Cheer up Harlee Dean. etc etc etc. Been there, done that. Whilst I’ll be amazed if we don’t hear at least one refrain of that song following his infamous comments on that ill-fated ‘Blues Cruise’, there are bigger things to focus on today. The promotion race remains wide open and the primary concern for Brentford has to be in looking to pick up those three points. Other results going our way could, theoretically, see us finish the day in that second place we occupied briefly during the midweek fixture against Leeds United.
Don’t shoot the messenger. He said it. Not me.
Then again, other results could, theoretically, see Leeds United end the day outside the top six. Victories for the Bees, Forest, Fulham (a home banker against Barnsley) combined with Bristol City winning by 7(seven) goals at Elland Road will achieve that feat. There wouldn’t be a more beautiful set of brackets in football this season should that set of results play out. And whilst, of course, it won’t this serves more to show just how tight things remain. Just how how crucial those ‘other’ results could be as the top sides, and also Birmingham City, play each other.
Let’s not write off Blues though. My word, anything but. They are on a nine game unbeaten run and have picked up three Championship wins on the bounce. Despite the loss of Josh McEachran, they still find themselves chock full of ex-Bees. Maxime Colin, the aforementioned Captain Pugwash and of course Scott Hogan. He’s banging them in for fun once more and so we’ll have to be extra wary of that ball slotted through the middle. Christian Norgaard and, potentially, a returning Pontus Jansson will have key roles to play this afternoon.
I used to love a Scott Hogan goal celebration. Not today.
The game against Leeds on Tuesday was one where, being fair, just about everyone has acknowledged we were second best. The visitors will be disappointed not to have picked up all three points but, as we’ve said many times, possession and chances count for naff all if you can’t convert. They may have outplayed us but they couldn’t beat us. Brentford had an off day and still could have won. Perhaps we might have had things stayed at 1-0 rather than being pegged back just before half-time.
Ahh. Ifs, buts and maybes. The things that make football so intriguing. The things that provide for hours of conversation and conjecture despite having absolutely no impact on past results. The things that perhaps give us the inspiration to really go for it next time out and right any wrongs we may feel have been done to us.
A rare second half sortie on Tuesday.
For me, Clive, Birmingham City are an irrelevance today. I don’t mean that with any form of specific disrespect. Feelings for the team have been well documented before and I’d absolutely love to get a win at St. Andrews.
It’s more that currently they just feel like the opposition in the way and nothing more than that. A challenge to be overcome and points to be won rather than scored. There are no thoughts about relegation in 92/93, lack of promotion in 94/95 or ‘ten times better’ but simply whether we can keep heading towards the top flight. And the latest obstacle in the way is a Blue one rather than, all being well, a traffic jam or a tree on the track.
I can’t call it. Never can. I was 100% confident that we’d beat Leeds United on Tuesday and that didn’t work out. But we didn’t lose and we have the biggest incentive possible to go for it. Moreso with the Nottingham Forest – West Bromwich Albion game due to take place at lunchtime. By the time of our kick off we’ll have a little bit more of an idea how the table is looking and just what three points might do to our position at close of play. If we can pick them up.
Oh, I can’t wait for this one. Travel safe. See you there…..
Here’s to more of this
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
You really should get over your bitterness towards us.
Dean is an arrogant twat though, I’ll give you that, he’ll probably be on the bench anyway.
Safe journey, Kro.
Cheers. Appreciated.
Nick, as a Birmingham fan, I can understand the frustration you feel from disappointing reverses against us over the years but I have always looked upon Brentford as a proper football club with proper football fans, unlike the glory hunters of the Premier elite most of whom don’t even know where Manchester, north London or Liverpool are! I’ve been impressed with Brentford for a while now, not only with their endeavours on the pitch and the brand of football they play but the way the club has been run and the measured way of going about it; the advent of a new ground is but one example. Whilst you state that you mean no specific disrespect you then go on in your next sentence to suggest that we are just the opposition in the way. I hate to say this but from my perspective that sounds deeply disrespectful to me and serves only to spoil what is a very well written article which I enjoyed reading as I always do when I happen across your views. I suspect that the game at St Andrews will be challenging for both teams today with the wind being a major factor in the outcome. It tends to be a great leveller and mitigates usually against the better team; Brentford on this occasion. Finally, as for Harlee Dean’s comment about “ten times better,” I can assure you that no one I know believed that at the time and certainly not now. Good luck for the rest of the season fella and carrying on writing cracking articles but try not to take snide sideswipes against the opposition however tempting.
Yours ever,
Bazza
Keep Right On
Cheers Bazza. What I meant was that I have a lot of memories of Blues over the years (normally getting one over is). So games against City always have extra resonance.
However, this one is more than that. You aren’t the Birmingham that have broken my heart more times than I care to remember back in the 90s. You are just a team to (hopefully) be beaten.
Here’s to a cracking game…..
I’m looking forward to this. It is 10.15am and it is already pissing down though no wind as yet. This is going to go one of two ways a high scoring game like the 5-4 versus Leeds or a cagey single goal decider with possibly the weather having a major impact. I know you’d love it if it’s Harlee slipping letting one of the BMW to score. I’m hoping they are stuck in neutral today and it’s Hogan who is the beneficiary of a defensive lapse. He is being affectionately labelled as Hulk by some members of the blues fans. Tbh I’d love him to score, rip off his shirt and start doing muscle poses. Anyways good luck after today.
Cheers. I’m really looking forward to it. Got a huge soft spot for Hogan. He was magnificent at Griffin Park and so good to see him firing again. Think this one has a lot of goals in it. Which way, though……..
I’ve got over your ex striker Maupuy diving and getting one of our players sent off, and I have got over your now ex manager lying through his teeth at the time about what he witnessed regarding the incident. Isn’t it about time you got over Dean’s comment?
Never. It’s these sort of things that make football great. Good luck today. Here’s to a cracking game.
Roy, your wasting your breath.
This guy specialises in ignoring and frustrating any and all valid points of debate that don’t suit his biased and unbalanced agenda, and pursues his immature and weird hero worship ego trip.
Oh Brian. You are funny. A career in stand up awaits. But enough of your poison now