Bravery and aggression are the key as we look for Rico, Ivan and, err, Allan.

Brentford go into Sunday’s game at home to Everton with positive news on the injury front and the taste for goal after hitting three at Newcastle United last week (summarised here). The downside being our recent form has also seen defensive solidity thinner than the laughs in an episode of Mrs Browns Boys. With ten conceded in the last four games there’s only one way back from there. A battling point at St. James Park saw the focus very much being on the front foot and more will be the same when Rafa Benitez brings what is left of his injury ravaged squad to Lionel Road.

Thomas Frank used this week’s press conference to emphasise the importance, and intent, of taking the game to our opponents. The words brave and aggressive cropped up again and again with the mindset being that the best chance of beating Everton will be to outscore them. Obvious, perhaps, but why not throw caution to the wind and dictate the pace?

Thomas – come for the quotes, stay for the knitwear

Brentford are the home team and the desire to take the game to our visitors is, as Thomas noted, the piece of the puzzle that is in our hands. “It is very important that our approach is front-footed, aggressive, and brave. That is the bit I can control”, also nothing that “We need to consistently press high, be aggressive, and run in behind….we need to be able and have a mindset to take risks if you want to have a better chance of winning football matches. “

You can read that in full on Brentford ‘official’. The other good news to come out of the press conference is on the fitness front. Wissa will be on the bench whilst Mads Bech is available once more, as is Mathias Jensen. For me, Clive, this is nothing but positive. Mads gives that extra option at the back and, of course, has those long throws that cause mayhem in the box. As for Wissa, well we’re all familiar with his heroics. It’s as close to a certainty as possible that we’ll see him put in an appearance at some point. With Shandon Baptiste also getting a late run at Newcastle, all of a sudden there are options. 

This is even better news given that if ever there was a chance to get back in the saddle then today is the day. Mind you, we said the same against Norwich City and look how that turned out. Groan. Everton’s confirmed absences include Richarlison and Mason Holgate (both suspended) whilst Yerry Mina, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies also miss out. Indeed, there’s a stat on the BBC that highlights the importance of Calvert-Lewin, with the club winning just 21% of their games without him since the beginning of last season compared to 50% when he plays. Ultimately, stats don’t win games just as a single player does not make a team. Yet, at the same time, one can’t overlook the importance of a game-changer and, for Brentford, that absence can only be a boost.

The downside being the availability of Allan. Our H, just as with Lucas Biglia of Argentina during World Cup 2018, has become fascinated with a random player outside of our own. Whilst I’ve still no idea what drove the Biglia thing and nor does he in retrospect, it’s happened again.

Biglia. Why?

In the Premier League it is the Everton midfielder although at least this time we do know why. Much like our own Zanka, it’s the fact that he’s that rare breed of footballer known by a single name. Something that is very much associated with Brazil. And H is intrigued by it.

Pele, Alisson, Ronaldinho, Socrates, Zico….Allan (or some variant in the long list of exotic sounding South Americans) has become the refrain in the build up to this one. He’s certainly the one we have marked as a major road block to our potential success today. On a sidenote, my bookmaker (used purely for research purposes) has him at 14-1 to score at anytime today. I’m already terrified. Then again, for what its worth I’m calling this one 3-1 Brentford today so if anybody must score for the opposition then…

Allan – the main man for Everton and 14-1 to score at any time. Gulp…

The other stat of note in the build up to this concerns Lionel Road. Funnily enough, given the fortress that it has felt, less than a third of our points have come at home. This is the lowest ratio of any top-flight team and equally surprising given the way we played against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. Then again, the way we played against Brighton and Norwich City (in particular) perhaps tells a tale. Big games + big noise = big performance. The visit of Everton certainly fits into the former category so let’s hope that the rest, combined with Thomas going for goal, follows suit.

Off field, pre-match covid status checks aside (joy), the excitement surrounds the return of the Panini Adrenalyn XL cards swap-shop under the Family Stand from 1pm. Try saying that three times in a row. Fair to say H (definitely H) has taken to the trading cards with some enthusiasm. Despite the downside being a haemorrhaging of the piggy bank, he’s almost completed the whole Brentford team. Just Rico Henry and Ivan Toney (elite) to go. If anyone has either of these and is doing swaps, he’ll be there with the spares and the other ‘needs’ list from 1.30pm.

Until then, see you there. It was bitter standing on the sidelines for 90 minutes at football club yesterday so for crying out loud, don’t freeze your bits off today. Wind chill factor alone sure to dampen the spirits. No harm in wearing the pre-match beer jacket either. It’ll help the volume and keep the cold out. Bring it on. And bring your swaps.

Can anyone help complete the set?

Nick Bruzon 

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Next season’s home shirt revealed early and could this be the ‘away’ ?

Thursday morning. The usual eye in the storm of matchday build up. With Brentford not playing Everton until Sunday afternoon and the Newcastle game having been done to death, tools should have been downed. Cripes, we don’t even have the GPG’s exclusive fan led interview of Thomas Frank to catch up on as yet (although I understand that is currently in the process of being written up – type faster, Trevor). Then, last night, there was kit news. Big kit news. Next season’s shirt has already been revealed. Spoiler alert, it’s going to be this season’s. And a massive clue dropped about what we’ll be wearing on our travels. Get into your Tardis, channel your inner Liverpool ‘away’ and prepare to head back to the late 80s. Even better, we’ve already been treated to an artist’s impression of what what may look thanks to the amazing powers of the people behind @BeesShirts on Twitter.

Yess!!! Next season’s kit is revealed. It’s this season’s

The kit ‘reveal’ dropped yesterday afternoon. There was the story on ‘official’ and an email in the inbox. Chief executive Jon Varney telling us that in line with our core values, the club are listening to the supporters and even thinking about the environment.

“Whilst it is not normal practice for Premier League clubs to roll a kit over for two seasons, fans have told us that they would be in favour of the savings that a two-season shirt would provide. This season, our membership of The Premier League means that the income we receive from broadcast and commercial partnerships far outweighs the income we can generate from retail, therefore now is the perfect time for us to try something different without it having a material impact on our revenue.”

It’s a lengthy piece explains all the good reasons for doing this whilst also confirming that the sponsors would seem to remain in place, too, with Reg concluding: “I would like to thank Umbro for their support of this idea and also Hollywoodbets and SafetyCulture whose commitment to multiple-year relationships have made this opportunity possible.”

For me, Clive, the chance to save £50 is a wonderful one.  I love a kit reveal as much as the next fan. Likewise, the chance to add to the vast array of red and white hanging tin the wardrobe that have been accumulated over the years. At the same time, money is way tight at present and so means that, short of an absolute horror show, opting for ‘away and/or ‘third’ next season becomes a slightly simpler choice. If it helps the environment then all the better although if Brentford are serious about this as a club then how about we get rid of the single use plastic bottles from the matchday catering, too?

Yet the key takeaway from this was squirrelled away deep into the article. One line that caused this kit nerd to go off the deep end and the aforementioned @Beesshirts to do their thing. It was the declaration that: “We hope the new away shirt design will excite our fans who remember the 80’s and early 90’s, whilst the new third shirt is designed very much for the future!”

On the assumption that the chief exec knows his history, this can only mean a variant on either the Chad kit worn when we gained our one season promotion in ’92 or the Funky Bee equivalent. Blue on blue being our continual away variant over this entire period until the fractal blues of Hummel’s wonder shirt put in an appearance.

So many good memories gained whilst wearing these colours. Division three at its best. And worst. That cup run. Liverpool. Winning at Fulham. Nice work, Bliss 😉 Obviously, promotion. Indeed, when I wrote a piece about our best ever away shirts – and I caveat this massively with the fact it was done prior to us being gifted the sheer beauty of brown/orange – the Chad version came out on top.

This is wonderful news if true. Absolutely wonderful. Short of going ‘sash’ or Jaffa cake (hey, there’s always the ‘third’ kit to come) about as good as it gets. Even better, we now have that glimpse of how it may look. Oh to have such talent rather than my own shoddy photoshop. Oh to have these as our new choice of colours on the road. It may turn out to look something like this or, of course, we may have been sent off on a wild goose chase. However, if true then Brentford official may aswell just show us now. I mean, we’ve all guessed anyway. And if the Funky Bee or castle put in an appearance, somehow, then all the better.

Until then, marvel at these designs. Check out their website, too. And if you want anything match related, there’s the player piece here.

..and the modern take

There’s even room for the Funky Bee….

..and a Centenary special for @NickBruzon pic.twitter.com/WegWbHNXbi

— Brentford Shirts (@BeesShirts) November 24, 2021

The original and a personal favourite. At least, until the Jaffa cake became a genuine contender…

A present for my 21st birthday and still worth to this day

Nick Bruzon

There’s a player return and a deep dive incoming from Thomas.

There’s some cheer in the air from TW8. We talked yesterday, in part, about the forthcoming visit of Everton to Brentford. In part, the referee but as much the visitors’ current list of absences and injuries. Certainly, if their defeat at Manchester City on Sunday is anything to go by. Its not pretty and, actually, scratching below the surface of the names mentioned previously, the list of potential absences seems lengthier. 

Fantasy Football Scout (granted, as official a yardstick as Football League World telling us that “These are the three players your club should buy…..” – Ronaldo, Messi and Haaland. There, saved you the clickbait) currently shows a significant list of doubtful players.

The suggested opposition

Bernard, Broadhead, Calvert-Lewin, Davies, Doucouré, Kean, Mina, João Virgínia, Nkounkou, Rodríguez, Sigurdsson and André Gomes all show as missing. As it stands. Demarai Gray is only rated 75% with Richarlison and Mason Holgate suspended. 

Yet for the Bees, the opposite could be true. In the build up to the Newcastle United game Thomas Frank mentioned how one player was getting closer and yesterday saw that further hinted at on the club’s social media feed.

Whilst Wissa ultimately played no part at St. James Park, Brentford ‘official’ published this photograph on their Instantgram page on Tuesday afternoon. Accompanied by the title, “Yo, Wissa!” And, for good measure, a fist bump emoji. Oh, those crazy kids in the caption department.

Guess who’s back….

Exciting news indeed. His appearances form the bench and game changing goals against both Liverpool and West Ham have already sealed him a place in Bees folklore. Not to mention the accompanying celebration. As with Shandon Baptiste, his absence accompanied the recent glitch in results that ran from Chelsea to Norwich City. Now, this new signing could be back in the mix and there’d be no complaints from anyone around TW8 if this does prove to be the case.

Thomas Frank’s press conference this week will be telling. Whilst I don’t expect him to show his hand (neither Wissa or Matthias Jensen featured in the matchday squad at Newcastle despite suggestions hinting to the contrary in the build up) we may get more of a clue as to whether this was nothing more than a PR photo or a sign that our latest cult hero is all set for another run out.

Perhaps the GPG can offer more of a clue? They were also publishing photos yesterday, posting this one on Twitter that shows Thomas Frank doing his best to channel a submarine commander or the captain of a North Atlantic fishing trawler.

Let’s hope the interview is a deep dive

Got to love that jumper. It’s immense. More importantly, the accompanying message promised further insight into what’s going on behind the scenes:

“Excellent evening with a Premier League manager whilst we fired fans’ questions at him. Only at @BrentfordFC. Write up coming “soon”. Thanks to @chriswickham1 for making these things happen with fans and the top, top people at the club.”

Come on Trevor, get that write up ready. I want to know the scoop with Wissa. How serious David Raya is? What Thomas thinks of the season to date? Where does he get his knitwear? No doubt more to follow on this one. The story rather than the jumper. Although if there IS jumper news then all well and good.

Finally, many thanks to those who have been in contact regarding the new player performance feature. Very much a work in progress but it seems to be finding its feet now. Would appreciate any feedback: good/bad/indifferent. Likewise, who do you think should make the list? The latest one is here.

Otherwise, time to baton down the hatches until the Everton build up begins in earnest. That’ll be tomorrow, then.

Nick Bruzon

We have out next two refs. What do you think of where we are at?

The dust has settled. The point is in the bag for Brentford. A 3-3 with Newcastle United seeing some reward coming our way and now the prospect of midweek fixtures to look forward to once more. Back to back TV games, too. First up Everton at Lionel Road on Sunday afternoon (Sky), followed by the trip to Spurs next Thursday evening (Amazon Prime). We’ve had the referees named for both fixtures already. Everton sees Darren England at the helm with the trip to Tottenham overseen by Jonathan Moss. 

First up, though, the last knockings from Newcastle United. Whilst we don’t normally do full fat match reports on these pages, this season is slightly different. In an attempt to provide some more in depth analysis, we’ve started tracking the form – shot and long term – of those players doing their thing for Brentford in the top flight. Who were the main men on the day? Who is leading the season long charge in terms of being ‘first name on the team sheet’? Consistent good form that makes them the players Thomas Frank just can’t do without?

You can find the answers to those, here. Or, at the least, yours truly’s take. No doubt there’s some glaring omission or schoolboy error of judgement. Or have we got it right? Over to you…

As for those forthcoming games, Thomas Frank had gone into the fixture with Newcastles suggesting Matthias Jensen, Yoanne Wissa and Shandon Baptiste could be involved. In the end, we started with two centre backs and the only one of the aforementioned names to put in an appearance being a last minute cameo from Shandon. I’ll take that and party. His introduction to Premier League football had been a stunning one, that red card wobble at Wolves aside. Moreso given the lengthy absence he had suffered previously. So to see him leave the field at West Ham with that dislocated shoulder was, to be polite, frustrating.

Yet despite the usual protracted absence that goes with injuries to key players (Kris Ajer and David Raya, we’re thinking of you), this one has felt relatively brief. A four league game spell that has coincided with that much noted glitch in results. But with the LLLL put to bed and Shandon back in the mix, spirits are that bit higher going into the Everton weekend. 

Now, if Wissa can also do his medical thing, that would be quite the tonic. His appearances from the bench have been quite wonderful. As has ‘that’ celebration. Oh for another ‘W’ this Sunday.

Another of these would be a thing of beauty

Mr England is the main man for that one. As is usual in these situations, the name is familiar but is it for good or bad reasons? Well, a look back through the Last word archives suggests we’ve generally got away with it.

His key contribution to Brentford folklore being a red card administered to Sam Morsy of Wigan Athletic for poleaxing Yoann Barbet with a head butt.

Darren England has the helm when Everton come to town

As for Everton. Well we can look more at them closer to the time. If Brentford have had medical issues then the same can be said for our next opposition. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes all missed out on the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday. Richarlison picked up a yellow card which means he misses the game at Lionel Road. All in all, a bad day at the office for Rafa who, like Thomas Frank, will be very much hoping for better news on the fitness front.

Then we have Spurs where its fair to say we’ve crossed paths with Jonathan Moss several times over the years. Aswell as an opportunity to insert the obligatory Culture Club joke, he’s probably best known in TW8 for not sending off Neal Maupay at Aston Villa after, err, doing that thing on Mile Jedinak. Move along, nothing to see here. Even if a post-match red was understandably shown. That game ending 2-2 with Dean Smith subsequently suggesting his opponent may have incited the ‘challenge’, to the point of deserving some further punishment himself.  The Head coach noting, “If you remember the incident, Mile Jedinak fell over, got up and then smashed Neal in the back of the head so, if they are looking at retrospective for Neal, then we’ll do so for Jedinak.”

Plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks, that’s for sure. If nothing else, we’ve also got that marvellous opportunity of Leeds United being obliged to only charge us £30 to get into Elland Road. That alone being reason to brave the Sunday afternoon rail mayhem. For now though, time to catch our breath and reflect on where we are at present. That Newcastle United review is here. Enjoy.

Nick Bruzon

Who came out top of the pops after the weekend?

Brentford 3 Newcastle United 3. The votes are in. The table has been calculated. Who were the top five Bees on Saturday? Who missed out? Who do you think should have been included? Is there any case for the defence? With Everton up next, who are the current Bees’ danger men? The answers to all these and more can be found in our latest look at the team with club sponsors Hollywood Bets UK. You can read it all, here…. Enjoy!

Nick Bruzon

We’ll do our best to feck them over.

International break but its all happening around Brentford off the back of the Norwich City game. Manchester United tickets have sold out. Hardly unexpected. The GPG now waging war on touts and chancers crying in to Facebook. Newcastle United have a new manager in Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, just time for our visit on Saturday week. On the fitness front, Mathias Jensen has had to pull out of the Danish squad following a positive test for Covid 19 en-route to International duty. With that news being confirmed at Copenhagen airport, the rest of the squad remain unhindered meaning Christian Norgaard avoids isolation for now. What this means on the domestic front remains to be seen but if there is any consolation to be taken, at least this comes at the start of the two week window. Meaning that in theory he may even be back for the trip to Newcastle. That’ll keep the usual suspects happy on social media. Last year’s Sergi fast becoming this year’s Jensen. Groan.

What do you do though? Of course fans need to be able to express their opinions and discuss. The passion and the interaction are an integral part of the game. Yet after last season’s vitriol I thought we’d done with all that. Copious amounts of egg left on face as Sergi did his thing in the face of the morons and has only picked it up even more this time around. The Frank Out ‘campaign’ ending with the only ‘out’ being the club going out of the Championship and in to the Premier league. Now, after four defeats on the bounce the knives are being sharpened in certain quarters. Not that I can imagine the usual suspects are reading (can read) so we’re largely shouting in to the void.

FFS. It’s hardly the stuff of crisis. Overall, the start to the season has been beyond the expectations of just about everyone. Recent form of LLLL doesn’t look great on paper, that’s for sure, but let’s not forget that includes the full frontal assault on Chelsea and the pantomime villain theatrics of James Maddison when Leicester City came to Lionel Road. Both, games where there were the additional factors of obscene clock running down and woeful refereeing. Burnley was, granted, horrific, and Norwich City not much better. But two bad games do not a disaster make. Moreso given we are in the grip of a devastating run of injuries. 

He’s behind you….

As for Mathias Jensen’s form, thoughts on him and other performances were published in yesterday’s player review (which is here). We’ll never know if the subsequent medical update had anything to do with it or, additionally, if ‘The Curse of The Warm Up’ has struck again. As has been observed, everyone who has appeared alongside Stu and Marcus has failed to start the next game due to illness or injury. However, one thing has become clear over the years – Thomas Frank won’t buy into fan led demands for player removal. Or selection. See also Tariqe Fosu who is worshiped as some sort of game changing demi-god by a few whilst just about everyone else is wondering what has gone on behind the scenes to limit his appearances to just a handful of league cup ties.

Moving on to Manchester United, there was an odd (that’s the polite word)  post on Twitter yesterday by one ‘fan’ having a moan about being unable to get a ticket for that game. Whether this was the subsequent ‘joke’ he maintained it was, who knows? An attention seeking clikcbait tweet which required some serious back-pedalling after the obvious reaction or simply a case of nonsense blowing up out of all proportion? What we can say is the visit of Manchester United on December 14th is about as hot a ticket as has ever been seen at Brentford.

A joke. Apparently

And with such demand come the usual touts and chancers. It was always going to happen with the membership scheme eventually being open to all (and rightly so). This isn’t happy-clappy land and you’ll never get a perfect system. There’ always be people who want in on the action or tying to take advantage but the GPG are one the case.

Elsewhere, Trevor Inns has posted a quite to the point message.  

If any one has some spares for the Manchester Utd home game, please tell us about it. 

Especially if on sale above face value.  Twitter. Facebook. TikTok. Anywhere. Let us know.

Brentford Tickets for Brentford Fans 

Already got two that have a rude awakening tomorrow morning!

DM me or admin@griffinpark.org.  

Well said that man. Let’s get as many genuine fans in for these games as possible. F*ck the tourists and the touts. Let’s keep the noise loud and fill Lionel Road with Bees rather than away supporters. Keep this a fortress rather than a library. Here’s to more rude awakenings.

Finally, Eddie Howe. About as telegraphed a move as possible, he’s now in charge at Newcastle United. The only club in the top flight not to win a game after Norwich City picked up their first three points on Saturday, we’re first up for the new era. Howe’s first bite at the cherry. Whether his presence will be sufficient to turn things around this soon remains to be seen. All being well, we’ll have some better news on the fitness front (Wissa would be nice). Even if just at centre back where Zanka (our Urine-son as Match Of The Day called him) going off after just 12 minutes on Saturday added to the casualty list and hardly helped the game plan.

It’s a long way off at the moment and one that will no doubt be bigged up to the max from next week. Whatever your politics or thoughts on the club’s new owners, the focus on a  game that was already going to be under the microscope has only intensified further. All being well, everybody will forget about Bees and a party pooping will be in the offing. 

There wouldn’t be a better time for this to happen, that’s for sure.

Nick Bruzon 

That was something very, very special. In more ways than one.

Get the f*ck in!!! What a night. What a finish. What a result. Brentford beat Newcastle United 1-0 to make it into the league cup semi-finals. Josh Dasilva scoring the goal that means we’re now one round away from a game at the W place in North London. Aside from us there’s only Manchester City along with the winners of tonight’s games between Everton  / Manchester United and Stoke / Spurs left in the competition. It was an evening that saw Thomas Frank picking a team of familiar faces if not entirely made up of regular starters but certainly one well, well good enough to do a job. They didn’t let him, or the fans, down. Instead, the reaction from certain quarters and usual suspects to our team announcement left a hell of a lot of egg on face when the full time whistle went.

official capture the moment – and why not!!

It was a night to rank up there with the third round defeat of Everton. I was going to add ‘a few seasons’ ago but, incredibly, that was 2010. A decade gone already. Cripes, it feels like yesterday and perhaps even more highlights our lack of success in this, or any, cup competition. Early exits with nothing but a handful of memorable moments to test the grey matter. Fourth round defeats at Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City about as good as it has got. To date. Not now though. 

My word that was immense. Oh to have been there in person. Yet, in a bizarre way, we were all in it together. All suffering in isolation at home. All willing the team on to beat Newcastle. Most of us backing them. All of us desperate for the win. Of course, for the good cheer it would bring but as much as anything else to shut up the dickhead element. The legion of armchair managers doing their thing when the team was announced almost desperate for a perceived weaker team to be revealed so they could vent their usual bile.

Why why oh why! Disgraceful team selection for 1/4 final of cup!

Only a quarter final nothing important f&@k sake

No ambition.

What an absolute shambles – who do Brentford think they are? Quarter Final and a chance of Europe and he names that team??

What the actual f@&k has he done that for?

I cannot get over how much he has f@&ked up that starting XI. My head is gone.    

These, just a few of the erudite observations on social media. Nothing like a bit of loyal support but it made what came next even sweeter. A team with a spine of Pinnock, Mads, Sergi, Vitaly, Josh and Marcus Forss up top is one you’d quite easily expect (and be happy with) in a league game. Supplement that with a whole host of familiar faces from the bench, including captain for the night Luke Daniels, and this was hardly the stuff of capitulation. Hardly a team set up to fail. This was Thomas Frank doing what we’ve said , all season, he’ll have not choice but to do. Use his squad to see us through. Try everything possible to get us past December and the horror run that sees us backs up to play 9 games in 31 days.

He must be doing something right. It was one way traffic in the first half with Ghoddos hitting the crossbar, Marcondes coming close and Sergi somehow heading wide when unmarked just yards out. Hey, not even he can be perfect every time. Newcastle United riding their luck and the feeling that, perhaps, if we didn’t take chances then it could get tense late on. Anything but.

One sharp save from Daniels aside and a few jittery clearances (Dom Thompson solid as, too) I don’t recall much attacking intent from our visitors. Instead, Brentford picked up where we left off with Sergi Canos providing a delightful ball across the box which Josh Dasilva blasted home with just over an hour gone. Oh. My. Word. What a ball. What a finish. What. A. Goal!!!! Another beer? Don’t mind if I do. It went nuts at our place. I’m sure the same all over TW8 or wherever our fans were gathered. 

1-0 up and what to do? Hang on or go for it? Within moments, Thomas Frank had pulled off Sergi and replaced him with Ivan Toney. There was a statement of intent. A well earned rest for the magnificent Spaniard and a chance for Ivan to do his thing once more. He almost did, too. A chance late on producing a finger tip save and, as importantly, helping wind down that clock through an excruciating four minutes of mystery time added on.

Let’s not forget either the return to fitness of Christian Nørgaard. A player who has been missing for so long it would seem that even ‘official’ have forgotten how to spell his name. It’s amazing to think that we’ve gone on our mammoth unbeaten run despite the enforced absence of a player who would, ordinarily, be one of the first names on the team sheet. His entry into the field of play on the hour had been well telegraphed by Thomas but still produced a cheer from our sofa. Albeit. Not as as big as the one at full time. Yess!! My word !!!! F*ckin’ incredible ! A fourth Premier league team beaten this season. For context, that’s the same as Arsenal and double the amount FulhamL have in the actual Premier league. Two times better? Ah, who cares about them? This is about us. About adding Newcastle United to an ever growing list of top flight scalps. About now needing to sit through Everton – Manchester United in order to await the post match draw for the semi finals.

Christian who now?

Will it be Spurs? Might it be Manchester City? Oh for the chance to emulate our heroes of ’89 once more. You see what we were saying about cup moments being few and far between ? Truly, this is a thing to savour. Knowing Brentford it’ll end up being Stoke City which, for the record, I’m sure is something deemed as unpalatable in the Potteries as it would be down South. 

Destiny beckons. Thomas Frank and his team continue to earn the plaudits and praise that they richly deserve. To ride the wave of bull being directed at them from our twat element. Tap, tap, tap, tap. What’’s that noise? Oh, the sound of social media being deleted. The post match hypocrisy a thing of beauty to behold. The frank out hashtag having been early thawed out having to be returned to the freezer once more.

Oh dear.

Perhaps, this time, it might actually stay there. The whole thing has been an embarrassment and a colossal disrespect to the squad . F*ck you. This is OUR moment. And I’m not gong to let a bunch of morons ruin it.

Ah, you know what. It’s their problem. Hating is easy. Having a bit of trust much harder. Perhaps years of having to answer the question, ‘Brentwood? In Essex?’ makes the positive approach that bit easier. Not so much thinking that we’re ‘little old Brentford’ (because we’re well, well beyond that) but simply remembering our history and where we’ve come from.  Of recognising that the players, approach and mentality now instilled is nothing like anything we’ve ever had before.

This is Brentford 2.0 . And I love it !!! Now bring on Manchester City. Or Stoke.

Bliss doing his thing against Manchester City in the fourth round – January 1989

Nick Bruzon

Eyes down for a full house. Of sorts….

Here we go. Time for some festive cheer. A Christmas cracker etc etc etc. With London plunged in to Tier 4 and the next few weeks looking like the equivalent of being tied to a chair and force fed Mrs Brown’s Boys on repeat, could Brentford provide a much needed boost to morale? Tuesday evening sees our league cup quarter final with Newcastle United and I for one can’t wait. With doom and gloom all around us (but enough about Mrs Brown’s Boys) the chance of making the semis is a huge opportunity waiting to be taken. The chance to get closer to another appearance at the W place in North London. The chance to increase our lead over Fulham L of Premier league clubs beaten this season. The chance to actually qualify for Europe – via the medium of the Uefa Europa Conference League (UECL) place that goes to the winner. The chance to actually lift a trophy.

There are only eight teams left in this. The Bees and Stoke City sole representatives from outside the top flight. Flying the Championship flag but, equally, there in our own right. Tough opposition in Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Wycombe Wanderers have already been despatched. And also Fulham L. Thomas Frank’s red and white army unstoppable. Now, 13 games unbeaten as the goals fly in. Ivan Toney doing his thing. Vitaly Janelt our latest unsung hero. Sergi Canos back to his best. Bryan Mbeumo lashing in two top, top goals during the weekend’s destruction of Reading. Rico Henry, surely knocking on the England manager’s door from his left-back berth. The rest of the defence being picked with all the consistency of car keys being plucked from a bowl yet whomever gets selected, locking out those coming at us. 

Bryan did his thing in some style on Saturday

Expect more changes tonight. Ethan Pinnock has served Mads Bech Sorensen’s suspension for the red card at Watford (hmmm) and will surely be catapaulted straight back in to the team. Likewise, Christian Norgaard is fit once more. Could he and Vitaly start alongside each other? Will it be a straight swap? Or is the bench the best he can hope for at present? 

Up top, with coverage beginning at 5.00pm you can set your Sky bingo cards to 5.01pm for mention of ‘Ivan Toney proving a point against former club Newcastle United’. Personally speaking, one can only imagine his primary goals being to see Brentford make it through whilst adding to his own tally for the season.Not sure I could sit through another of his penalty kicks, though. The technique incredible although one that gives me kittens in the run up. Doing it in normal time would be just fine, please.

Positivity is great but let’s not forget who we’re up against. Newcastle United (are they still everyone’s ‘favourite second team’?  – thanks, Sky) remain a top flight club and pushing to win a first trophy since 1969. With the 5-2 tonking handed out by Leeds United still fresh in the mind and then, even worse, failing to beat Fulham L, Steve Bruce will be desperate to inject his own brand of good cheer into the North-East. He’ll have to do it without Allan Saint-Maximin and captain Jamaal Lascelles, both of whom are suffering from the fallout out of Corona Virus. Urghh, there we go. The C word. Just add  – Brentford’s longest run in the competition for a ‘full house’.

The one could go either way. For me, Clive, there’s no sense in trying to predict it. It’s hard enough knowing who is even going to start let alone who will emerge on top. Instead, let’s sit back with some snacks, with a beer and watch the action unfold. The kick off is at 5.30pm and its live on Sky. Grab your bingo card and let’s do this…..

Nick Bruzon 

Farewell Alan. And can Hank Marvin stop Aberdeen in the latest ‘The World Cup of….’?

No sooner had the dust settled on the weekend than the first departure has happened through the transfer window after it was announced that Alan Judge has left Brentford for Ipswich Town. It was a rumour that we’d seen circulating for the last few days and has now been confirmed. Elsewhere, there’s a question. Of sorts. What links Aberdeen, Newcastle United, two old women and Hank Marvin. But not Richard Osman or Fulham? More to follow, but first Judgey.

No more a rumour. No more a Bee

What can you say? The player affectionately known as ‘The Magician’ in the Braemar Road has performed his final trick and disappeared. Ipswich Town have picked up a star, that’s for sure. We all know what Alan did for Brentford. The eventual penalty that eventually took us up to the Championship. Eventually. The goals. The pace. The excitement. That free kick at Fulham to round off the famous 4-1 rout. The one at Arsenal earlier this season.

Not only a strike of the highest quality but also one of those rare occasions that a goal has been scored in a brown/orange shirt (although one can fully understand the first XI getting distracted by the incredible tops and being lulled into deeming themselves more catwalk models than a football team).

Thanks for the memories, @10judgey!

Alan has tonight joined @Official_ITFC for an undisclosed fee after 5 years at Griffin Park
👉 https://t.co/Vb3z754I4n#ForeverBrentford pic.twitter.com/AgHsZHOPKR

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 14, 2019

There was also ‘that’ injury. Ironically enough, suffered at Ipswich Town of all places. It put paid to Alan’s dreams of taking part in the Euro 2016 finals – something that was an almost certainty for a player who still ended up being nominated for the Championship Player of the Year award aswell as being named in both the Championship PFA and the Football League Teams of the Year at the end of that season.

Luke Hyam is plying his trade at Southend these days whilst the mental and physical strength Alan showed in fighting back is more than testament to his fortitude as a player – on and off the pitch. The welcome he received when he finally came back in last season’s FA Cup should tell all you need to know.

Good luck Alan. And thank you for everything! Especially that Fulham goal. You can read more here, on Brentford official.

What a shirt. What a goal.

Talking of Fulham, we all know that their ‘celebrity’ fan Richard Osman will stick his name to a “The World Cup of…..” anything at the drop of a hat. The World Cup of biscuits. The World Cup of books. The World Cup of crisps. The World Cup of teams having zero shots against but still managing to lose 2-1 to Burnley at the weekend. Granted, that last one’s a little niche but you get the drift.

So it was with great pleasure of the discovery being made on Monday lunchtime that one of THE twitter sites to follow, @TheSkyStrikers , have launched their own – The World Cup of programme covers. And it’s every bit as good as one would hope.

For those yet to discover this gem, in their own words it is summarised best by host Miles McClagan as: “Collating as many old football images as I can from a random bucket of programmes…” And, it would be fair to say, there are some corkers.

Taken largely from the 70s and 80s, it was a time when football was less politically correct but also an industry taking those early steps into marketing. With mixed results. But also a lot of fun and nowhere more is this emphasised in some of the covers now going head-to-head.

Your Game 4 choices pic.twitter.com/v7enH4aehy

— Miles McClagan (@TheSkyStrikers) January 14, 2019

There’s Hank Marvin popping up at Newcastle United. As you do. Paul Parker taking a trip in hot air balloon – in full kit. Two old ladies leaning out of a bedroom window at Aberdeen to cheer on their team. Indeed, that’s just one of a trio of covers to feature the Dons which take part in the first knock out round.

The competition launched on Twitter, yesterday, and the first few are below to get you in the mood. Hats off to Miles for a labour of love and a work of art.

But can anybody stop Aberdeen?

Hank’s Newcastle United and Aberdeen are amongst the early favourites.

Nick Bruzon

Could we have to make any tougher a decision? What a choice awaits.

Monday really was a day that saw us entering the final days of the current Championship campaign. Newcastle United confirmed their return to the Premier League, although the battle with Brighton to see which of the teams who achieved automatic promotion will be crowned champions is one which will could still go down to the final round of games. And on the subject of winning titles (oh, the subtly) Brentford have officially opened voting for the 2016/17 player of the year.

We all know what’s happened at Griffin Park this season. The second half of the campaign especially has seen some of the most free flowing and exciting football to be played by Brentford in years. This, despite the sale of top scorer Scott Hogan to Aston Villa in January.

Yet following that move, the Bees have flourished. Lasse Vibe has moved to within one strike of the former Bee in the Championship leading scorer’s table, with Jota just behind. Ah, Jota. To say he has had an eventful return to Griffin Park would be like saying the Titanic had a few stability issues.

Few of us honestly thought he’d be back after heading out to Eibar on loan, myself included. And even when there was talk of a possible return, being quite honest there was no way he could match former glories. Especially with the weight of expectation on his shoulders. Was there?

He hasn’t just matched them but taken his, and our, game to a whole new level. We’ve all seen the goals, the runs and the beautiful touches that have left opposition players floundering. Richard Keogh (Derby County) and Jake Bidwell (QPR) being just the latest to have been left with egg on face .

Yet Jota seems to play for pure pleasure. Something that could also be said of fellow Spaniard Sergi Canos out on the other wing. His return to Brentford has been an equally wonderful one.

Danni showed perfectly how Twitter can be used to capture the current mood.

Then there are the new boys. Rico Henry has hit the ground running at 100mph whilst John Egan’s performance have propelled him toward selection for the Republic of Ireland. Romaine Sawyers has scored some stunners whilst, at times, totally bossed the midfield. His defence splitting passes are a thing of absolute beauty whilst Saturday against QPR saw me wondering if he had no fear, no danger sense or just supreme confidence – such were the deft touches and trickery he demonstrated.

How about Dan Bentley? What can you say about him beyond a huge doffing of the hat? The prospect of losing David Button was one that genuinely worried me but he’s not even been missed, such is the huge impact Dan has made. You could probably count the mistakes on the fingers of one finger yet the world class saves have been legion. He kept us alive on more than one occasion at the start of the season as the team found our collective feet and, right up to Saturday, has continued to pull top draw saves out of the bag.

As for the (metaphorical) elder statesmen, it really is a case of unsung heroes. Ryan Woods has, at times, seemed to be filling three midfield roles in his constant quest to tackle and distribute. He really is a serious contender for this season’s honour. Yoann Barbet has proven just why he was picked out in our new look recruitment drive with wonderful tackles and a fair few goals being added to his game. Pity Dean Smith having to pick between him, John Egan and Harlee.

Ah, Harlee Dean. The player on a one man mission to become the new Mr Brentford. He has been incredible. A colossus at the back this season, up there with the likes of Terry Evans. He’s had to learn his game over the last few seasons but now it is complete, just what a player. The tackles, the voice, the leading by example, the goals, the back heels (hmm, maybe not too many of those). He’s doubled up as a last minute target man whilst those driving runs forward have been a wonderful development to his style of play.

Harlee – has led by example all season. A fine role model.

What about Nico? Josh? Max Colin? Any of them. It really is a tough call this time around. Reading the Ben Burgess article in the match day programme on Saturday, he was bemoaning the fact that so much player of the year voting takes place in February. Certainly, for the national awards. Yet this despite the season still having a third of the way to go.

It really was fascinating piece and, from a personal perspective, Ben’s column has been one of the standout features in the match day programme this time around. What an honour for the club to have some truly intelligent writing on the back page !

Well Ben, when it comes to Brentford you have your wish. The only question now being who to vote for. Good luck anybody trying to pick one out of those. And for those wishing to have their say, ‘official’ have the full details and form on the club website.

As for next season, the Championship has been nothing more than a one shot deal for Newcastle United. The Rafalution has been a triumphant one (despite the awful, awful hashtag) and at least we can rest easy in not needing to pack the mountaineering gear next campaign. Massive congratulations to the Magpies and, of course, Brighton for what was a supremely exciting battle.

Worst. Hashtag. Ever. But a great performance from Newcastle United

Despite being Bookies’ favourites, Newcastle haven’t had it all their own way with pundits being reminded, yet again, that the Championship isn’t the cake walk a big club might expect. Aston Villa, we’re looking at you. Indeed, even the title looks a long way off with a four point deficit and two games to play keeping the Magpies just about alive in that race. Whilst you’d fancy the Seagulls to scoop the title, anything can happen in football and nobody at Griffin Park needs any reminders about what can happen in the final promotion shootout. I’m pretty sure there was something about a penalty?

Instead, they look certain to be replaced by Sunderland and Middlesbrough, at the very least. The trip to Sunderland one already being anticipated by many at Griffin Park whilst Middlesbrough will be very familiar territory.

Still, all that’s for another time. We’ve got two more games and a higher finish than last season to focus on. And, of course, deciding on just who to vote for.

I now know what my decision is, but I don’t fancy yours much. What a choice.

Nick Bruzon