I’m So Excited By the Way Things Are Shaping Up - Notes for Brentford Friday, 3rd Mar 2017 11:30 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving in their forums. “We’re pretty much there now”, “It has been a decent week all told”, “We are now an established Championship side, an achievement that should never be underestimated”, “I keep saying you only have to look a few miles to the east at Orient to see where we could be and how lucky we are now.” The Bees travel to Suffolk in good heart after recording wins away to Sheffield Wednesday last Tuesday week and at home to bottom side Rotherham on Saturday. These have elevated them 13th in the table, three places and one point above us. Many believe safety for the season has now been secured. “These are the days I spent 40 years dreaming about. I’m enormously appreciative that we continue to punch way above our weight, playing an exciting and progressive style of football. I love the fact that we have now almost certain to have secured a fourth successive season in the second tier.” “One could never say it’s dull watching us at the minute.” A combined total of 26 goals have been recorded in their last five games. “Skill, craft and creativity flow in our team”, “We must be one of the most entertaining teams, plenty of goals and drama even if it’s frustrating as hell at times.” “We have a good young squad that is playing lovely football at times”, “Our style is risky but we are magnificent at times”, “We are playing some unbelievable football in patches, a pleasure to watch”, “After a couple of seasons of regrouping next season could be the one where we decide to go for it.” Dean Smith“Dean has a philosophy of playing attractive football. Another great quality is his investment in the future, giving young talent the chance to play in the first team”, “Halfway through his third season at Walsall everything began to click. If we are patient, this trajectory should happen soon at Brentford.”  The 45-year-old quit Walsall in November 2015 to take over at Griffin Park. Bees have warmed to his entertaining brand of football but worry when this becomes too open and loose. Many want him to work on the team’s game management and for the side to lose their naivety and close out games. “I like Smith but have had one issue with him from the start. He takes too long to react to opposition substitutions”, “He does nothing to change things and often reacts minutes too late”, “He needs to be more cynical when managing games and have substitutes to come on and see the game out.” “Dean is a good fit for a club of our size”, “I hope he does well next season as the squad he’s building could be one of the best ever”, “He is starting to show what he can do given the right players”, “We have clicked because we now have the players to operate the formation Dean Smith wants to play.” Danger on the Flanks“Smith has switched to 4-3-3 for the first time with our new players, while starting others in their best positions”, “We now have proper class on the flanks and that is winning us games itself”, “We have a lot of talented skilful players. When they get it right they can be breathtaking in their play.” The arrival of three wingers in January combined with the departure of striker Scott Hogan to Aston Villa has allowed Smith to reshape Brentford’s attacking play. Florian Jozefzoon (Flo Jo) was signed from PSV along with Sergi Canos from Norwich, while Jota was recalled from a loan spell at Eibar. BentleyColinEganBjellandHenryKerschbaumerWoodsYennarisJotaSawyersJozefzoon
Brentford’s starting XI (above) for Saturday’s game against the Millers had their customary attacking 4-3-3 formation but three regular starters were missing from the spine of the team, with centre-half Harlee Dean suspended and central midfielder Josh McEachran and striker Lasse Vibe both injured. “Jota, Sergi Canos and Flo Jo can cause havoc.” The three wide players are using pace and good technique to stretch and unlock defences. They are readily supported by a quartet of young, pacy and technically capable full-backs in Maxime Colin, Josh Clarke, Rico Henry and Tom Field. “If you want to see five goals a game, drama and entertainment, then watching the mighty Bees is the place to be”, “With pace and trickery aplenty, we have lots of goals in us”, “Every team is now very wary of the pace, trickery and goal threat we now pose. It makes for an entertaining run-in.” BentleyColinDeanEganHenryYennarisWoodsMcEachranJotaSawyersCanos
The side (above) which started in Brentford’s 2-1 at Hillsborough had Josh McEachran as the focal point in central midfield. The former Chelsea man has blossomed this season and his presence has allowed Ryan Woods and Nico Yennaris more freedom to link with the striker and wide players. “We have not acquired the experienced holding midfielder we needed when we released Jonathan Douglas, who was past his best.” Many Bees would want a steely midfielder and strength in depth up front where midfielder Romaine Sawyers has struggled as a makeshift striker covering for Vibe. “Hogan made us far too one dimensional.” The departure of Hogan to Aston Villa in January coupled with the addition of three wingers not only altered the playing style, it improved the flexibility of the forward play. “This isn’t a dig at Scott Hogan at all, but we are much better collectively without him.” Defensive Frailties“One month boring, the next month not boring enough”, “We have gone from a side that was solid defensively and hard to break down but which couldn’t score to save our lives, to one both scoring prolifically but also prone to conceding. We will concede goals playing in the way we do.” “We are too naïve.” Bees were frustrated after they conceded two late goals in their recent 3-2 loss at Reading having been a goal ahead with over an hour played. “Defensively we were all over the place. There was too much space behind our full-backs who were 15 yards ahead of the centre-halves.” “Shape. It’s all about how we organise ourselves defensively, how quickly we regain our shape when we lose the ball and really about how we play as an 11-man unit. There is too much space between the lines and no organisation or discipline in the way the whole team plays when not in possession.” “We have to cut out individual errors out because they are killing us”, “We become too stretched and don’t do enough to recover”, “We often lose the ball a little carelessly when attacking and then look vulnerable, especially late on in games”, “Ugly football is not entertaining but it earns points.” Brentford 4 — 2 Rotherham“That was a real Brentford experience”, “We played some sublime football in the first half and should have been out of sight at half-time”, “Thrilling it was not, but the last few minutes were brilliant”, “We played wonderful silky football and defended like a Sunday pub football team.” Jota fired Brentford ahead from a narrow angle on 13 minutes to give the hosts a half-time lead. Aimen Belaid headed the Millers level on 67 only for Yennaris to put the hosts ahead 11 minutes later, but Anthony Forde equalised again on 87 from distance to give Rotherham hope of a point. “Jota scores twice in stoppage time.” The Spaniard bagged a hat-trick and won the game for the Bees with a penalty kick on 92 minutes and he finished off a counter-attack three minutes later. “We won it the hard way, but it was bloody great”, “A strange game saved by the last eight minutes.” “I felt a bit for Rotherham but how poor were they? They looked like they could struggle in League One”, “Rotherham will be gutted. They deserved a draw but that’s what happens when you are bottom”, “The majority would have expected us to turn them over easily. It’s never as easy as that.” Sheffield Wednesday 1 — 2 Brentford“There are away days that go down in history and this was one of them. A great performance with total control to start and a nail-biting backs-to-the-wall effort at the end, the stuff of legend”, “We were hanging on for dear life in the second half but it’s about time we got the rub of the green.” Set-piece danger John Egan headed Brentford ahead from a Ryan Woods freekick on 35 minutes and fellow centre-half Harlee Dean nodded home a second a minute before the interval from a corner. The Owls mounted a second-half onslaught but could only manage a late Fernando Forestieri consolation goal. “We were storming down both wings. Wednesday had no answer to this and it seemed to confuse their game plan”, Lots of speed and slick passing demoralised the Owls”, “A totally unexpected but great result”, “Sometimes a little bit of adversity has some unexpected and very pleasant results.” Reading 3 — 2 Brentford“All over. Thrown away”, “I feel sick as a pig”, “We handed Reading three points on a platter. They said ‘Thank you very much’”, “Another game where defensive errors helped in the manner of our defeat”, “If you don’t take your chances you will get bitten on the backside, that’s football.” Former Brentford loanee John Swift gave the Royals the lead on 22 minutes but Jota equalised on 66 and Vibe put the visitors ahead three minutes later. Danny Williams levelled the scores in the 77th minute before Roy Beerens won the game after a blunder by Bees’ keeper Daniel Bentley nine minutes from time. “We gifted three points to a very average Championship side whose position is false. We were too naïve in defence and need to brush out these silly errors as for 70 minutes tonight we were better than them”, “Reading barely threatened throughout most of the match yet came out winners.” BentleyColinDeanEganFieldYennarisWoodsMcEachranJotaVibeCanos
Brentford’s line-up (above) was close to full strength but many Bees were as frustrated with some of referee Keith Stroud’s decisions as they were with their poor finishing. “I will never understand how we lost that game”, “We taught them a footballing lesson and somehow they have three points.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Daniel Bentley was superb at Hillsborough and kept us in the game with some decent saves.” The 23-year-old ex-Southend keeper “is a commanding presence with fantastic reflexes at times. He’s a decent organiser but he concedes the odd soft goal”, “He typifies what we are trying to achieve.”  “Bentley started off looking like Manuel Neuer and now looks more like the work-in-progress we signed”, “He has a mistake in him but has saved the team’s bacon on many occasions”, “He must command his area better against whipped crosses and freekicks, something Brighton sussed out.” “Maxime Colin is a Rolls Royce of a player who cruises past opponents without breaking sweat.” The 25-year-old former Anderlecht right-back “is less reliant on pure pace, playing with more variety and he seems to work better with the players around him”, “Always looks like he has time on the ball.” “Colin is our most technically gifted player and a real athlete”, “He brings so much composure and attacking threat. He tends to play a few yards further forward as an extra creative midfielder”, “He’s good in the air and generally makes the right decision. We’re lucky to have such a classy footballer.” “Josh Clarke looks more of a natural attacking player who can also defend because he has the pace to get back like Moses Odubajo did.” The 22-year-old youth product and right-back “is more about raw acceleration. He stays wide to maximise his threatening pace”, “Very much a work-in-progress.” “Rico Henry is a left-back with a fantastic attitude and a ridiculous amount of potential.” The 19-year-old former Saddler “is quick, not just in pace but in how he moves the ball around”, “He looks the absolute business to me”, “He just looks so comfortable on the ball and he has bags of pace.”  Sheffield Wednesday's Ross Wallace v Rico Henry“I’m impressed by Henry’s energy, directness and confidence. He pays perfectly weighted passes and some great crosses all in the danger area”, “Walsall fans were critical of his defending and he hasn’t been tested in defence yet”, “A fabulous first touch and lightning pace”, “He’s 19, let that sink in.” “Tom Field is a natural defender. He uses his head, anticipation and quick feet rather than rushing in and fouling.” The 19-year-old youth product and left-back’s “first touch is exceptional. His crossing is excellent and he’s building confidence to take men on. His decision-making is way beyond his years.” Talismanic centre-half Harlee Dean will serve the second game of a two-match ban on Saturday but John Egan is expected to start. The 24-year-old ex-Gillingham man scored twice against us last August. “Egan is more consistent and has the threat of providing goals and assists from set pieces.” “Egan adds more pace, power and aerial ability”, “He deals with aerial balls admirably. The problem is that we become very predictable playing out from the back. He doesn’t carry the ball forward or look for an attacking pass so we become easy to press”, “He is not a natural leader or organiser.” Andreas Bjelland“I struggle to see Bjelland as a class defender. I read that people appreciate his reading of the game and his confidence on the ball. All I see is someone who consistently gets beaten for pace and fails to make vital tackles”, “He retains possession far better than Egan with his Sunday league headers.” The 28-year-old former FC Twente centre-half “has a wealth of experience and uses his positioning to cover for his lack of pace”, “He has a great touch but likes a sideways pass and kills our tempo”, “He is ever so slow, killing our momentum and he can be exposed if caught further up the pitch.” Central Midfielders“We are a different team with Josh McEachran in midfield.” The 23-year-old ex-Chelsea man picked up an ankle injury at Hillsborough and won’t feature on Saturday. “He moves us forward 30 yards with one pass. Without him it takes four or five which is far easier to for opponents to defend.” “Konstantin Kerschbaumer (KK) covers the ground well and gets involved at both ends of the pitch but he will not stand out in a team. He just gives a decent performance.” The 24-year-old ex-Admira Wacker midfielder “has stacks of energy and reads the game well. He is underestimated by many Bees.”  Skuse v Konstantin Kerschbaumer“KK never loses the ball. The way he traps the ball dead and tries to get goal-side in one touch is very good”, “He is not strong enough in the tackle and rarely wins any 50/50 challenges. He looks decent gliding around when attacking but never looks good defensively”, “A decent squad player at best.” “Romaine Sawyers looks like a fish out of water. Playing up front is not in his game.” The 25-year-old ex-Walsall man struggled playing out of position in the last two games. “He was truly awful up front and did nothing. He made it so easy for Rotherham’s centre-backs offering no movement at all.” “Sawyers does some good things which aren’t always noticed. His style is languid which is deceptive. He isn’t a physical presence and his touch can be dubious but at times he’s very good”, “He needs to contribute to our pressing game and make positive runs with and without the ball to win his place.” “Another late run for Nico Yennaris’s goal against Rotherham.” The 23-year-old ex-Arsenal youngster “has been getting into the box a bit more rather than purely looking to play on the edge of it. He puts his foot in more and gets tighter to opponents. He is more willing to drive forward and shoot himself.” “Nico gets around the pitch and because of this we can be exposed because he’s less disciplined at keeping his position”, “he is freer to get forward and support the front three in a box-to-box role in our new system”, “He has looked lately like he is running on empty and not as snappy in the tackle.” Ryan Woods“This is the Ryan Woods enigma. He’s an excellent squad player, reliable and versatile in many areas. He’s not incisive enough to shine in an attacking line, not mobile enough to be box-to-box and he can’t tackle in defensive positions”, “He’s energetic but you have to use the ball when you get it.” “Woods in usually in the heart of the action.” The 23-year-old ex-Shrewsbury man brings the ball out of defence making short runs forward and looking to offload to an attacking player”, “Hard-working and committed, he’s a decent join-the-dots holding midfielder but isn’t more than that right now.” Wingers“Florian Jozefzoon and Rico Henry gave the highly-rated Stephen Kelly an absolute nightmare for 45 minutes against Rotherham. As the first half went on, Kelly gave Flo Jo yards of space to avoid being shamed again”, “Flo Jo had Chris Gunter on toast at Reading when he appeared from the bench.” “Flo Jo is determined, competitive, fast and skilful.” The 26-year-old new addition from PSV “is just what we need from the bench, fast, direct, strong and effective”, “He has great movement, he works hard and is desperate to get on the ball”, “He did fade badly in the second half against Rotherham.” “Sergi Canos came on and changed the whole game against Rotherham”, “He livened things up and should have been on much earlier”, “He looks sharp and dangerous and a handful with his energy, skill and movement”, “I’m not sure about his movement, He is more an off-the-cuff player to me.”  Sergi Canos“Canos looks proper chuffed to be back.” The 20-year-old signed in January from the Canaries having previously played on loan at Griffin Park from then-parent club Liverpool in 2015/16. “He is looking a tad overweight but has done well given that he has spent most of the season on Norwich’s bench.” Jota“Will someone at the club please give Jota a big contract at a big price? He’s one of the few players in my lifetime who can light up a stadium. His return has saved our season from total boredom.” The 25-year-old left-footed former Celta Vigo man was recalled last month from his loan spell at Eibar.  “Jota has great control, he can hold the ball under pressure. He goes past defenders and find space, and he can create shooting chances in tight positions”, “He is a wizard on the wing or in a free role and his close control is excellent”, “He is lightweight and he does not tackle or put himself about.” “Forget any other issues, keep King Jota and build a team around him. We will be thereabouts most seasons”, “He is beyond special and even better second time around, which I didn’t think feasible”, “He flagged towards the end of the Owls game on the right, leaving Colin with a lot to deal with.” StrikersFormer Kaiserslautern striker Philipp Hoffmann remains sidelined with a back injury, so 19-year-old Justin Shiabu may feature from the bench. “Shiabu is a red-hot prospect, fast, strong, good in the air and he knows where the goal is”, “A long way from the finished article and not ready to start yet.” “He is raw but there clearly is potential.” The summer addition from Danish club HB Køge “is strong, has good pace and is quick and enthusiastic”, “For a young lad, he’s fast and holds the ball well. He made me laugh when he shouldered one Millers’ defender and sent him flying. What a lump he is.” Lasse Vibe“Unlike Scott Hogan, Vibe doesn’t sulk when you don’t put the ball where he wants it”, “He’s more of a chaser than Hogan, if a less lethal finisher”, “He is playing two roles as a centre forward and a number 10 in our new system. He passes, closes down well and combines deeper in build-up play.”  The 30-year-old ex-IFK Goteborg striker is expected to feature after recovering from a calf injury. “He scores goals and opens up defences, bringing chances to others. He is frustrating and isn’t always pretty to watch but he does a job for the team well”, “No physical presence but clever movement.” “Vibe will do for me at the moment”, “His work rate is tremendous and he panics defenders when he seems to close in on them so quickly”, “He is clever and makes great runs but he can’t do what we need which is to hold the ball and give our defence respite when we are seeing out a game.” Bees’ Views on ITFC and the Game“This is a winnable game. Ipswich are having an average season”, “A nice 3-0 away win. They are terrible and haven't improved since we beat them at Griffin Park while we have done so massively”, “Go with our speediest players and play our quick-passing game and Ipswich won't see us for dust.” With 68 per cent of Bees predicting an away win and everyone else predicting a stalemate, West Londoners are heading to Portman Road fully confident of taking something from the game. No fewer than 79 per cent of Bees expect their side to score at least twice. “Ipswich seem to be a bit more resolute recently but our football will leave them scratching their heads”, “They have been doing OK recently. It will be physical so it depends whether we play like shrinking violets or not. I am hoping for a point but fear they might bully their way to a win.” “Norwich supporters broke into applause on Sunday against Ipswich in the 15th minute to celebrate the number of years since Ipswich were last in the Premier League so perhaps we should do the same when the number of minutes correspond to Alan Judge's squad number.” A number of Bees have not forgotten Alan Judge’s serious injury in last season’s corresponding game and this has coloured their perception of us. “Maybe this time we will run at Ipswich and rip them apart and show them up for the clogging bunch of Neanderthals they are, 2-0 to the footballers.”  Judge v AMNTown target Jordan Hugill“Whatever team we put out against McCarthy's maulers, it ought to include Alan Mac, Terry Evans, Terry Hurlock, Paul Gibbs, and Tom Higginson. Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough”, “It will be a decent result if we get a point and no injuries”, “Black boots and double shin pads.” “Cloggers 1, Super Bees 1”, “I hope Jonathug Douglas doesn't play, not that he gets in their team very often now. If he plays his only chance of getting near enough to Jota to kick him would be if Jota decided to tie himself to Andreas Bjelland and play the game as a three-legged race.” “To be honest I am concerned about the likelihood of injury to our boys”, “Me too”, “Please don't play Jota”, “I’m not sure I would risk Jota or Rico Henry against them, horrible team”, “I just hope that Jota is able to walk off the pitch at the end.” WebsitesThe busiest Brentford message board is the friendly and knowledgeable Griffin Park Grapevine. Registration is required to access some sections of the forum. Additional news, information and humorous blogs about the Bees can be found on the wonderful and inimitable Beesotted.
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