Luke Chambers has reflected on the “crazy” climax at Brentford on Saturday that saw Town surrender a two-goal advantage in stoppage time and return home with just one point.

Chambers said: “Crazy — that’s one way to sum it up. I don’t really know what to say. We’ve been in this morning [Monday] and seen the last five minutes of it, and it hasn’t made me feel any better.

“What can I say? We should have won the game; we should have seen it out comfortably.

“We saw it out until the 92nd minute or whatever very, very well. We played very, very well and to go 2-0 up away from home was a fantastic start to the season.

“To sort of throw it away like that, we’re on a bit of a downer, but we’ll have to bounce back against Stevenage. Luckily, we’ve got another game to look forward to.”

Tonight’s Capital One Cup first round clash with the League Two side provides Town, even with a much-changed starting line-up, with an opportunity to put Saturday’s disappointment behind them and achieve a win ahead of Sheffield Wednesday’s visit to Portman Road this weekend.

But Chambers revisited the Griffin Park nightmare to add: “We definitely threw it away. They didn’t win it but we didn’t defend properly and there were tiny little errors that led up to the goals that should have been stopped.

“It’s just one of those things but we’ve got to forget it quickly and make sure it doesn’t happen again. You’d rather it happen now than at the end of the season.”

One of many positives, despite the late double blow, was that midfielders Kevin Bru and Ryan Fraser, who was making his debut on loan from Bournemouth, were the men to find the back of the Bees’ net.

Chambers doesn’t need reminding of the lack of goals from midfield last season and said: “They were two very good goals plus Fraser’s had a shot that hit the post and came out. Josh [Emmanuel] was up there and he’s put in a good cross and Kev did a scissors kick to score.

“We could have been ahead before then and we’ve looked at the game so we know we had a lot of chances to put it to bed and win it. We know our strikers are not going to struggle to score goals this year so it’s positive moving forward.”

Not surprisingly, Chambers refused to join the chorus of criticism from a section of the large travelling support aimed at central defender Tommy Smith, who was outpaced by Andre Gray for Brentford’s first goal and then had the misfortune for a corner to bounce off him, allowing James Tarkowski to grab the Bees an unlikely point.

“You can’t blame any one individual player,” Chambers insisted. “I think there were so many things that happened before the first goal and the ball shouldn’t be going over us as a back four. Maybe we should have dropped all together and should have been a bit tighter.

“There are so many things we could change and maybe the ball shouldn’t have come back so easily the way it did, but we’re not a group to point fingers and we’re fully behind Tommy going forward.”

Photo: Action Images

Benters added 06:47 - Aug 11 As one of the 1600 towen fans that was there,it didnt take a lot to work out what happened,we seemed fairly comfortable at 2-0 but rather go for 3-0 we made subs and tried to see the game out ..sat to deep and it went tits up. Still never mind a great day had by all in London .
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Europablue added 07:07 - Aug 11 Of course I don't want our captain coming out blaming a particular player, but I can't see that Tommy is deserving of a starting place when we can have Berra and Chambers in the middle. Tommy hasn't quite proved himself at this level, but he is good back up. Having said that the general shape of the team probably invited the pressure.
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Fartman added 07:30 - Aug 11 @bentleybuh1: At least 2 of the subs were required as Bru carried an injury and AMN had camps. I guess you would have complained if they haven't been able to track back and that had lead to us conceeding. Get over it:)
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Thetruth added 07:31 - Aug 11 If we're honest Tommy Smith cost us games last season and we don't want him to start it again this season. Mick keeps playing him but I feel he isn't good enough for this side, he makes mistakes that lose us games and I hate two left footed central defenders when he partners Berra. I think he needs to be dropped and Chambo partner Berra with Emmanuel at right back and Parr when he is back. Time to remove our weakest link

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Benters added 08:15 - Aug 11 Fartman i wasnt moaning !! just saying as it was and while im at it what are camps ? We used to have camp during during the war ??
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tractorboybig added 08:20 - Aug 11 why blame tommy. Blame a crap goalkeeper and manager who cocked up the substitutions and YET again lost us ponits
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MeenoITFC added 08:32 - Aug 11 ^^Worst set of comments ive ever seen
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ChestnutSe added 08:36 - Aug 11 Tommy is great, get off his back. Go back to blaming Tabby for everything......
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muccletonjoe added 09:19 - Aug 11 Go back to blaming no one and just accept that these things happen
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GAZ1234 added 09:23 - Aug 11 I agree with bentleybuh1 - we sat too deep & it went tits up! We had to make substitutions, agreed!.............. however, they were sent on with instructions to 'hold on to what we've got', inviting them on to us. This comes directly from the manager..... last year Bournemouth would have won that game 4 or 5 - 0 as they would have gone for the kill.... hence they won the league. I feel that we have the squad to challenge for the title, we just need to be confident, keep doing the things we are good at & let the opposition worry about us, rather than all this backs to the wall, mad panic at the end of the game.

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OldClactonBlue added 09:36 - Aug 11 The sit back and invite pressure policy has never worked. Most times we get away with it but rarely without creating unnecessary tension. We've been doing it for a long time though, way before MM took the lead. Nonetheless, when you're running a game why stop and go defensive?
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BackTheBlues added 10:05 - Aug 11 Well noted one or two of you... 2 subs were enforced! Name me another manager in the world, who at 2 - 0 up away from home 1st game who has already made 2 subs due to injury effectively would throw another forward player on and risk it? As for Tommy - not proven at this level? You must be joking he's been at this level for 5 years! He is a bit slow, does make mistakes but until we find a proper decent right back (bless Emanuel, talented but never playing a whole season yet) Chambers will be our right back and Tommy Centre back. Nobody cares for the club like he does, nobody tried as hard as he does and takes it as personally when we lose. Give the lad some confidence and stop making him nervous! Note: Anyone who has ever played football will know the whole back 4 were too high Saturday for the 1st goal - Chambers would never had got to it, just happen to be on Tommy's side.

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RRanger added 10:14 - Aug 11 Good post BackTheBlues.
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topguy added 10:22 - Aug 11 Get off Tommys back at the end of the day hes human like us all we make mistakes, not many was screaming at him when he scored after we went 1 down to equalize at carrot rd, no matter what out of the team his heart is true blue and we should respect that, hes one of us, and you could see the passion and love he has for the club.
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blueherts added 11:16 - Aug 11 Back the Blues spot on !! As soon as Gray came on , we struggled and just before we got away with it - He is a decent striker but we should have adjusted for their tactics and not just push up en masse with three minutes to go - Gray plays that way all day and we played into hisand their hands But I take many positives from Saturday for the season ahead - If we can add the Hearts boy McGhee I think we have a great squad that can challenge top 2

1

Penguinblue added 11:23 - Aug 11 The players should not have allowed the lead to slip, notably the seniors Chambers and Smith. But as ever MM substitutions are partly to blame. Fraser was our best player. Why was he taken off? The balance of the team went, (admittedly the loss of Bru through injury contributed). When everything goes well MM is great. But lets face it, he lost us promotion last season due to his defensive negative tactics at places like Rotherham and Huddersfield not to mention the numerous times at home when we were negative and hoofball. His substitutions are often baffling. S Hunt at Blackburn, probably the most ineffective second half ever. He tried as MM players have to, but totally without end-product. Furthermore and finally for this sad rant, Chambers at right back. He is not one and never will be and everyone outside of Portman Road knows it. Josh E did ok (well done) on his debut but is a long way from the answer. Playing him and another young debutant in front of him was not clever even though M-Niles looked good.

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Fartman added 11:44 - Aug 11 @bentleybuh1: I guess they had cramps during during the war as well...
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hogster1970 added 11:59 - Aug 11 Well looking at the goals on you tube. I think people are being a bit harsh on tommy. He was only just out sprinted for the first goal. And can't see chambo or berra doing any different . The second was just unforchanant as it was a bit of a meila. Tommy has scored as many much needed goals to get us out of the cr@p as berra has. And both has cost us goals last year. People must have short term memory as carrot road away wasn't that long ago. It's a new season so let's stay posative. We actual had width and pace at brentford something we have been crying out for. It's easier to shore up the defense than to inspire creative forward thing attacking play. Just look at the fraser goal. Quick thinking from the keeper to bru. Quick pass to Freddie sublime pass to Ryan and booosh it's in the net. How many goals did we score like that. Let's hope it continues. And I hope josh starts on sat then we will have a balanced team with 2 killer flanks. Because last few seasons have all been down the left with cressy or mings and that's it

1

StowTractorBoy added 12:02 - Aug 11 Penguinblue those are very harsh comments about a manager who has performed a minor miracle with what he has at his disposal. Your comments re Rotherham match are mystifying as we should have been 2-0 up in 10 minutes with a notable sitter missed by Murphy. Also would you make the same comments about Emmanuel and Maitland-Niles had we won 2-0 I think not. They hardly cost us the game in those last two minutes did they ?

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runningout added 12:21 - Aug 11 we have taken leads for granted, and lost 2 points too flippin often.....
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Beattiesballbag added 13:26 - Aug 11 For the first goal if you watched it, Gray stepped across in front of Tommy so he couldn't get to the ball without fouling him! Most forwards would have just kept the same line & tried to out pace him, which would have given him a chance! Unfortunately for us very good play by Gray rather than a mistake by Tommy...........second goal what a shambles keeper included. Also we learnt to our cost on more than one occasion last season playing to keep what you've got will not reward you with 3 points, the games never safe with just a 2 goal cushion.

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afrodids added 19:21 - Aug 11 The problem is quite simple we can't keep the ball when we are in front to see games out instead off hoofing the ball back to the opposition time after time inviting more and more pressure , practice keeping the ball it's not rocket science. If the same player touches the ball 20 times it doesn't matter just keep the ball it's so simple yet we still can't do it!!! it's so frustrating that we can't grasp this. anyway a point is better than none , should have been 3 . onto the next game a hopefully a win on saturday against wednesday. onwards and upwards

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