With Brentford due to entertain Rotherham United this Saturday, the game sees a much heralded anniversary being marked – fifty years since the Loftus Road mob failed in their attempt to cast the Bees out of Griffin Park and take over the club. Whilst the club are understandably, marking this date with all the correct protocol and build up, it has overshadowed another anniversary. Namely, Friday 24 February being two years to the day that the Bees enjoyed 74% possession and an incredible 43 shots in a 4-0 Championship defeat of Blackpool.
Of course, the club have numerous articles on the doomed QPR affair. You can see the latest on ‘official’ at present (well worth a look) whilst the Rotherham game sees the event being given formal recognition.
Yet the Blackpool game also deserves a look back. If only for the manner in which Brentford played so soon after the news that Mark Warburton would eventually be moving on, unable to co-exist alongside Matthew Benham and his (then new) ‘mathematical model’.
Warbs – more popular at the time than the prospect of the mathematical model
Of course, nobody knew then what we do now. It was decision which seemed crazy at the time . Moreso, given that the Blackpool game seemed a vindication of everything the club had done to get to that point. Equally though, it is one which now sees us about to embark on a fourth season of Championship football. The thought of any QPR style buy out nothing but a bad memory as Matthew Benham’s investment in Brentford continues apace.
So with Saturday seeing us prepare to play Rotherham United and (frankly) jeer QPR, the Last Word takes the chance to step back in time and remember, as if ‘live’, what we did against Blackpool. It was as close as we’ll get to those wonderful brackets that come with 7(seven) goals. Then again, with the divisional whipping boys next up, could Brentford do the same again two years on…..?
25 February 2015. 4 goals, 43 shots, 74% possession. That’s some mathematical model.
Brentford blew aside Blackpool last night like a crisp packet caught on the breeze as they recorded a second win in as many games. The 4-0 scoreline does little to reflect the one sided nature of a game in which we registered 43 shots to the visitors 2 and had 74% possession. Blackpool, who spent much of the game with ten men following a red card for Charles Dunne, offered nothing and, being honest, could have made the long journey home on the wrong end of a bracketing had we been that bit more clinical.
Those shots in full
As it was, Jon Toral recorded a hat trick with two early goals starting proceedings and looking as though the floodgates might open. With the crowd exhorting Toumani to shoot at every opportunity, expectation was high. Even ‘the left side, Ealing Road’, joined in with the cheering before meeting the good natured retort “You only sing when your winning” from the rest of the stand.
Instead, it stayed at two until just after half time when Andre Gray’s effort eventually squeezed though, and off, a sea of legs for 3-0. And that was it until Toral was forced to make room on his mantelpiece for a match-ball as he stabbed home from close range just before the final whistle.
4-0 was no more than we deserved but with everybody above us (barring Bournemouth who play tonight) winning, it was an essential result. Yes, we could have had more but three points had to be the priority against a team who were desperate for a result and, for a moment, looked as though they might even grab the opening goal.
However, it was just a moment and, with the threat gone, Brentford recorded a victory that sees us sitting immediately outside the playoff zone, just two points off third place. All talk of Matthew Benham’s mathematical model has been pushed firmly to the back of the mind as 7(seven) goals in two games suggest something is working just fine as things currently stand. Hey, we even scored from a corner (albeit, the traditional ball into the penalty box rather than the much maligned ‘short’ variety).
In the interest of balance I’m looking for a negative about our performance but it is hard to be truly objective when the opposition offer so little. You have to really feel for their fans making that journey for that level of resistance.
Being über critical, the only thing to elicit any form of inward groan, short corners aside, was some of David Button’s distribution. Whilst we used to think even Natalie Sawyer’s feet would be better suited to clearing the ball, that part of his game has still improved so much that a rogue effort does really stand out now. There’s good reason the fans chant “England’s number one”.
Better than Button? Natalie Sawyer feet pictures feat Mark Burridge, too.
Warbs’ stock continues to rise as the post match discussion in the pub was very much one of “What next”? Matthew Benham has made his intentions clear and so certainly seems to have gone too far down this track for a reversal of opinion. The popular Mark Warburton, meanwhile, has said he won’t be able to work within such a structure.
However, there is an alternative which could keep both parties happy. If Matthew wants a mathematical model then I have two words which, I am sure, would prove a popular decision – Rachel Riley.
First look at the artist’s impression of a mathematical model etc etc etc
And, as ever, if you would like to read more about that incredible period then you can do so here…….
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
How keyboard warriors missed the point
24 NovForty-eight hours after Fulham were beaten by Brentford in the Championship , their keyboard warriors were still fighting a desperate rearguard action to try and salvage some pride from Friday’s derby defeat.
If it makes the Cottagers feel better then good luck to them. That said, if you fancy a smile then do go and check out some of the remaining comments from Saturday morning’s post game review. Personally, I’ve better things to do than continue trying to reason with opinion so blinkered and out of touch with the current landscape that it would be more suited to a North Korean propaganda leaflet.
If anything it has made me realise, even more, just how much Friday’s win meant. To both sides.
Having thrown away their chance of two local games after last season’s capitulation denied them the Chelsea and QPR showdowns, Brentford were their only hope of winning such a fixture. And Fulham weren’t even close to coming second.
I’m not going to pretend I wouldn’t have been upset had we lost but, at the same time, winning was a sweet, sweet feeling. Especially doing so in such fashion. That said, there’s a lot of hilarious comment on twitter and certain fan sites referring to this as our ‘cup final’.
That’s as patronising as it is bitter. Who wouldn’t want to win a local derby? Who wouldn’t celebrate a win over their neighbours? Who wouldn’t get excited about climbing to just one point off the top of the table?
This is nothing to do with perceived club size or our respective teams’ past successes but, simply, current season form and a fine victory in a local derby.
And it WAS fine, with Brentford having totally dominated the game to the extent that, per the BBC, we had almost two thirds of the possession. In layman’s terms, that just means our opponents didn’t get near the ball for an hour.
Brentford had hold of the ball for an hour. The BBC stats don’t lie
After Russell Slade’s sour grapes last season (also in a local derby) I didn’t think we’d be revisiting this territory so soon. The source may be different but the effect is much the same. And that speaks volumes about what Friday meant.
Anyway, that’s me just about done on this subject. Banter is close to getting out of hand and so, for now, I’ll leave Fulham (who are only one win clear of the bottom three) to whatever ambitions they have.
As for The Bees, I make no apologies for ‘bigging up’ Brentford on this Brentford related site. Billy Reeves nailed it later, noting about those ‘away’ fans who’d got upset: “That’s like criticising an autobiography for being self-centred...”
Well said that man.
BBC viewers got an extra viewing of the game on Saturday’s FLS
Tags: 2-1, 2013/14, Alan Judge, Alex Pritchard, anniversary, BBC, Bees, Bees up Fulham down, Beesotted, Betinho, Birmingham City, blog, Bolton Wanderers, book, Bournemouth, Brede Hangeland, Brentford, Brentford FC, celebrated, Celebrating like they'd won the FA Cup, Championship, Charlton, Charlton Athletic, Clayton, Clem, Clemwatch, comments, Daniel Radcliffe, Danny, Dave Kitson, Dave Whelan, david button, David Coote, Derby, Derby County, diary, FA Cup, Felix Magath, football, Fulham, George Tucudean, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Hugh Grant, Hugo Rodallega, ITV, James Tarkowski, jinx, Jon Toral, Jonathan Douglas, José Ignacio Peleteiro Ramallo, Jota, just don’t mention that penalty, Keith Allen, Keith Stroud, Kenny Jackett, kindle, Kit Symons, Leroy Rosenior, Lily Allen, Malky Mackay, Manish, Manish Bhasin, Marcello Trotta, Marcos Tébar Ramiro, Marcus Bettinelli, Mark Clemmit, Mark Warburton, Martin Jol, Matthew Benham, Millwall, Molineux, Moses Odubajo, Natalie Sawyer, Nick Bruzon, Nick Proschwitz, Nottingham Forest, own goal, penalty, Pointless, QPR, Ray Biggar, Rene Meulensteen, Richard Osman, Ross McCormack, Russell Slade, Sam Saunders, Sky bet Championship, Steve Claridge, Tarkowski, The Football League Show, Toumani, Trotta, TV, Warbs, Wigan, Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves