We’d have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for that meddling defence.

Hmm. Move along, nothing to see here. Quite literally, thanks to the machinations of I-follow. Brentford went down 4-3 at Preston in a game which, by all accounts was nowhere near as close as the scoreline suggests. Then again, going three goals down in the opening twenty minutes will do that to you. Instead we are left with a second successive defeat for Thomas Frank. One which is now followed by Saturday’s trip to play-off chasing Norwich City – themselves midweek victors over Dean Smith and Aston Villa. One which in the heat of being beaten, produced the greatest bit of photoshop since Marinus and the unicorn.

Marinus and the unicorn. Has it now been bettered?

I can’t say too much about the performance. If indeed it was one. Prior commitments meant a midweek trip to Preston was never on the cards. Lack of access to Sky TV meant the ‘red button’ option couldn’t be brought in to play. Instead, it was the iFollow route which was taken. Albeit despite prior confirmation and subsequent purchase, then declared ‘Video blocked in your country’. Hmm, that’ll be the same country and device I was able to subscribe from/on? Go figure. Perhaps it was just driver error but the net result was no action on show. But enough about the Brentford defence.

Small mercies?

Crisis? Meltdown? Missing Ryan Woods? Or simply a better than expected start to the season now seeing the balance redressed? Whatever the answer, 7(seven) games without a win isn’t the best form yet, equally, is the sort of blip we saw at least twice in the Dean Smith era. That this straddles two head coaches and comes immediately after such a magnificent start is probably bringing things even more into focus. Yet, and this has been said on these pages many times already over 2018/19, the talent in this squad is vast. Channeling it and getting them firing at the same time is the challenge Thomas faces in the immediate short-term.

I’m not panicked. I’m not throwing the toys. I truly believe this team will make the play-offs. Albeit a return to winning ways would be nice.

Yet at the same time, I’m not hypocritical enough to pretend that Ryan Gaffney’s effort on Twitter at half-time didn’t have me smiling. A lot. The greatest use of social media since Ross from Friends went shopping for beer. Regardless of whether views are shared, one can’t help but admire magnificent use of photoshop. Ryan’s hit all the right social media buttons, that’s for sure. If ‘Jim’ll Paint It’ did football….

We’d have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for that meddling defence…..

Harsh from Ryan? Or spot on satire?

There’s not much more really to say here. Neal Maupay got another goal whilst Sergi had hit a first half stunner to give faint hope. Yet chasing a game from 3-0 down is a Herculean task beyond just about any team. And last night was no exception despite a final five minutes of hope after the division’s leading scorer had added to his haul. Sadly, there was to be no repeat of the miracle at Burton this time.

Norwich City are next up in a few days time. Our trip to Carrow Road at least having the recognition of being too tough to call. Certainly, if you follow the bookmakers where there’s no huge favourite – for any result. That, if anything, as much an indication of the potential and ability in this team.

How Thomas can unlock that and return both confidence and winning ways to his boys will be compelling stuff to watch. Preferably, after last night’s attempts, at the game itself. Does he stick with the captain’s musical chairs or hand duties back to the clear leader, Yoann Barbet, aided and abetted by a core sub-group?

Bring on Saturday for an idea of how he starts. See you there.

The bookies can’t call Saturday

Nick Bruzon

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Jota : There has been no bid. Bees win as Oxford go down by the odd goal in 7 (seven)

Despite a brief second half scare when a 2-0 lead turned into a 3-2 deficit, Brentford had sufficient in them to leave Oxford United with a 4-3 win under the belts. Yet, as ever these last few weeks, the talking point was that man Jota. With the trip to Sheffield United just over two weeks away, could he still be our player when the season begins?

For all the info on the game itself, then ‘official’ has the match report. Early goals from Flo Jo and Lasse Vibe were book ended by the late equaliser and subsequent winner from Reece Cole and Sergi Canós respectively. But for many the key stat was in the starting XI where Jota was not only named but lasted until the 66th minute, at which point Dean Smith took advantage of the rarely available opportunity to make a 7(seven) man substitution.

View from the stand – Jota gets a 66 minute run out

Talking ‘human resources’ to Dean Smith after the game, that virtuoso of gentle probing Billy Reeves went straight to work to ascertain the status of Spanish wing wizard (Jota. Not Sergi).

“Unless somebody makes a substantial bid he’s staying at Brentford and he’s happy to do so – I think you could see he was happy to be out there.”

Not my words but those of our head coach. Seems clear (for now) but for complete certainty, Billy probed further. “Just to be absolutely clear then, there has been no bid?”. the answer was as definitive as one could hope at present, short of revealing that the player had actually signed a contract extension. “There has been no bid. No.”

You can hear the full interview below. Aswell as talk of Neal Maupay, of whom Dean enthused, and the versatile Ollie Watkins our head coach also discussed the wider midfield situation. Great work Billy, as ever.

 

But with inward transfer activity seemingly completed (you did listen to the interview) what of outward? Your guess is as good as mine at this juncture. All I can say is that the footballing romantic in me is crossing his fingers that Matthew Benham can work some more magic. That we can both afford to hang on to the player and, likewise, he’s prepared to give it a shot with us – should this oft mentioned ‘substantial’ bid ever materialise.

As for Oxford United, I wasn’t there. Kudos to the 376 of you who did make it. Having never been to the Kassam before, it was an opportunity missed. Moreso as , in my own mind’s eye, the club are synonymous with their compact Manor Ground. Now, in the name of progress, they have three fine looking new stands and a car park.

Yet talking to one fan after the game he enthused about it, describing the new stadium as “Open spaces, interrupted by some surrounding outbuildings. Somehow and I’m not sure how it’s possible, the stadium architects have perfectly captured the spirit of the manor ground”.

Here’s hoping that when Lionel Road is eventually built, we can somehow capture some of the charm of our own Griffin Park. Here’s hoping….

Nick Bruzon

The good, the bad, and the ugly. Bees thumped, Newcastle and Preston see red whilst Jose should be worried. A week in football.

Brentford were spanked 5-0 by Norwich City whilst at the top of the table Newcastle United made it two defeats in a row as Nottingham Forest ran out 2-1 winners. Fellow Championship newcomers Aston Villas also lost, 2-0 at high flying Leeds United, although The Magpies remain six points clear of third placed Reading who also went down 5-0, to Fulham of all teams. Brighton failed to take advantage, a 0-0 draw at Cardiff perhaps a case of two points dropped as the Bluebirds, along with Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic, all remain in the bottom three. With only three teams (Burton Albion, Wolves and Blackburn) between us and that unenviable triumvirate), our own game on Saturday with the Brewers is one of huge psychological importance .

That’s the latest Championship action in nutshell. Yet there has been so much more going on in the division and beyond. In the latest of our regular, weekly feature we look back at those things you might have missed from the world of social media.

Whilst normally we’d start with Brentford, it is a week which has been dominated by the tragic news about Chapecoense. One can’t begin to even imagine what the families of those involved or the supporters of the club are going through with some truly heartbreaking images coming out of Brail. Yet it has transcended even that, with the whole of the footballing world coming together to offer condolence and make whatever gesture they can. Domestic games at the weekend were preceded by a minute’s silence as fans paid tribute to a team that should have been celebrating one of the proudest moments in their existence.

There’s nothing can be said to change how distraught and raw everybody feels. Football is our game – the most popular sport on the planet. We’ve all played it and all had dreams of lifting the cup high into the air. For the vast majority of us, dreams that have gone unfulfilled yet there’s always that thought at the back of the mind. So when something as unexpected and awful as this happens, it really puts everything back into perspective. Social media has been awash with images and tributes whilst mere words can’t even begin to offer any form of solace. Our hearts go out to everybody impacted by this terrible news.

Whilst whatever came next felt somewhat secondary, back in England football continued. As such, our own first stop on the domestic catch up can only be Brentford, where the game at Norwich was one of those which will go down in Bees related infamy. Did one of the senior players swear at the fans as is alleged to have happened (I guess, if so, it would have been labelled ‘passion’ in certain quarters) , why did Dean Smith’s team fail so spectacularly and if we’d been in a ‘blip’ previously, how does he now define our situation?  Certainly, that latter point one which had been hammered home prior to the game.

Brentford official seemed to be watching the game through rose tinted glasses. ‘A bad afternoon’ being perhaps the understatement of the decade whilst the next day’s video ‘highlights’ ( I’d take exception to that word alone) enraging more than just Bernard Quackenbush.

Still, things could have been worse. At least we ended the game with 11 players (I mean men. I mean boys) on the pitch. This, an experience enjoyed by neither Preston or Newcastle United. The former having two players dismissed for fighting with each other.

As for Newcastle United, referee Steve Martin has now brought down the wrath of the Geordie faithful upon himself after showing two red cards in Friday night’s defeat at Nottingham Forest. Except, he hasn’t. Quite A very confused Steve Martin (the comedian of, amongst others,  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Three Amigos fame) was bombarded with tweets from Newcastle supporters angry at his decision to reduce them to 9 men.

Elsewhere, a very familiar line was trotted out in regards to Forest’s victory .

And in our footnote on the Championship for this week, a shout out to Leeds United where supporters were given unintentional comedy gold c/o the match day programme.

England appointed a new manager in Gareth Southgate. Thankfully, former Brentford boss Terry Butcher was on hand to give his own brand of analysis on that one.

BBC Billy Reeves is filling his time before a return to match action well. This week, he turned detective to rat out former DJ David ‘Kid’ Jensen.

Sunday saw more Premier League action, with Bournemouth recording that incredible 4-3 win over a Liverpool team whose lurid yellow kit was the only thing worse than their  capitulation.

But at least they are well placed in second. Things continue to go from bad to worse for Manchester United. In what seems to be a weekly visit for them to these pages, Leighton Baines grabbed an 89th minute equaliser for Everton as Jose Mourinho’s team emulated Liverpool’s late collapse.

For all his bluster, Jose might be starting to get worried. His Manchester United points record not one to inspire confidence at present.

North of the border, there was an early Christmas present for everybody’s favourite mascot that isn’t Buzzette, Patrick Thistle’s Kingsley.

But we’ll end in the now usual place. Ian Moose and his birthday friend of the week. Which of his good friends from the world of football did the Talksport DJ wish happy birthday to, via the medium of a Twitter post and picture of them together?

This week: George Graham.

Nick Bruzon

Brentford have their very own ‘Tourjansky’ moment

I wrote last season about Victor Tourjansky, the scene stealing ‘extra’ from the James Bond movies.

For those who missed it, his signature move was to look bewilderedly at his drink as though inebriation could be the only explanation for the amazing feat he had just seen 007 pull off. An unsung hero of mine, he performed this routine in the three successive films (montage, below) running from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ to ‘For Your Eyes Only’.

Then, whilst digging out a picture of Roger Moore for

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.