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
BrentfordFC 