HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s opening game of the season by delving into their forums.

“After a successful forward momentum over the last few years, this pre-season has been subdued in comparison. It has been disconcerting seeing something that was so successful being taken apart to a degree. It will hopefully be the discarding of a shell to allow something bigger and better to grow.”

With a new manager and a raft of new signings Bees are unsure how they will do this season after last year’s play-off run under now-departed manager Mark Warburton. Their mood is nevertheless optimistic from what they have seen so far in pre-season both on and off the pitch.

“I think of this club like a stock market. It will have some ups and downs but over time will out-perform the others around it”, “This season may or may not live up to expectations but this is a great time to be a Brentford fan”, “I love this club and love how we are still punching above our weight.”

“[Owner] Matthew Benham has done a remarkable job that has exceeded my expectations. I go to watch players I never thought I would after watching atrocious football over the years. When asked, I have always said that to be an established Championship side would be an amazing achievement.”

Marinus Dijkhuizen

“I’m warming to the chap. I think he’s going to be quite a find”, “I think he’s going to be a blinding appointment”, “He may be the next best thing or he might fail, but I’m delighted we’re going down this route rather than appointing tried and tired former Championship managers.”

“He’s a hard guy not to like.” The new boss is going through a honeymoon period at present and his has been helped by is friendly and engaging manner with fans. “It is easy to warm to his Dutch straight-talking but said with humour”, “He is a very cool character and I wish him all the best.”

“No idea from anyone and no argument can just be swept off the table. I cannot say ‘I am the coach. We do it my way’.”

This quote from the former Excelsior manager was warmly welcomed. “We have a mindset in England that football is still not far from 1966. The manager being king is part of that.”

The Boys in the Lab

“To most outsiders it appears that we are just attempting to play with the big boys by buying lower league players because we can’t afford anything better. It eludes people that we are embarking on a totally different way of finding these players. The next two seasons will hopefully be our best yet.”

“Unreal — it know it has been said but is this really Brentford? You know, the team we love but are a bit rubbish, where you go along hoping for some football but will really just take some points, where you sit in pubs in Northern towns watching it rain outside and thinking, ‘Shall we just stay here?’”

Brentford’s statistical methods for recruiting players are well-known, their manager shed some light on the depth of the training and analysis being used to both to evaluate and improve the team’s performances on the pitch. It is a world away from the Brentford many fans have known for years.

“Marinus has 25 employees”, “I now have three video analysts. At Excelsior I had a half. There is a mental coach, a coach for analysing freekick variants, a coach for taking freekicks and even a throw-in coach. Throw-ins! Statistics show that they almost always lead to a loss of possession.”

The Summer Transfer Window

With 10 players (and a possible 11th) leaving Griffin Park this summer and three loan signings returning to their parent clubs, the summer has seen a major squad overhaul. The eleventh player is last season’s top scorer Andre Gray who has been the subject of several bids from Hull City.

Two departing Bees, utility player Kevin O’Connor and keeper Richard Lee have retired and veteran striker Tommy Smith is unattached. Two strikers have left this summer, Nick Proschwitz (to SC Paderborn in Germany) and Will Grigg (to Wigan Athletic).

Two defenders, Tony Craig (to Millwall) and Alfie Mawson (to Barnsley) have moved to lower-league teams and three have joined Championship sides - winger Stuart Dallas (to Leeds) and full-back Moses Odubajo (to Hull) with midfielder Jonathan Douglas arriving this week at Portman Road.

“Up to 10 days ago I would have said we were nailed on for another promotion push. With Moses, Dallas and Douglas going are we being too negative to aim for a safe mid-table place?” The departure of these three and the timing of this has been the one fly in the ointment for many Bees.

Attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard (returned to Spurs) will be the most missed of last year’s loan signings. Arsenal midfielder Jon Toral is on loan at Birmingham City for this season and striker Chris Long, on loan from Everton last season, has now signed permanently for Burnley.

Eight new players have been signed this summer. Defenders Yoann Barbet (from Chamois Niortais), Ryan Williams (from Morecambe), Denmark international Andreas Bjelland (from FC Twente) and Austrian midfielder Konstantin Kerschbaumer are seen as adding to the squad’s solidity.

Up front, two strikers - Denmark international Lasse Vibe (from IFK Goteborg) and German Philipp Hofmann (from FC Kaiserslautern) - have been joined by two attacking midfielders Akaki Gogia (from Hallescher FC) and Josh McEachran (from Chelsea), with the latter injured for Saturday’s game.

Pre-Season Friendlies

Brentford have had mixed results in their pre-season outings, winning 2-0 at home to Stoke two weeks ago but losing 2-1 at Carrow Road last Saturday. Bees were happy with both the quality of the individual play and the technical ability of their new signings but felt that the team lack familiarity.

“No continuity — we gave the ball away too easily. The Norwich result flattered us as they could have had four or five”, “We look like we need a few games with our preferred team playing together to settle down and really gel”, “With a new manager and a new team, it’s going to take time to bed in.”

One repeated concern from the Norwich defeat was a vulnerability to balls played over the top or through the channels to runners. “The back four looked vulnerable at times, particularly from over-the-top balls, just like last season”, “Is Murphy still at Ipswich?” “Murphy is still at Ipswich.”

Line-Up and Formation

The new Dutch head coach has set the team up playing 4-3-3 and there is an emphasis on building moves out from the back. The most popular forecast starting XI (below) is included with a number of caveats.

In defence, departing right-back Moses Odubajo may be replaced with Alan McCormack or Nico Yennaris, with McCormack the safer choice. Bjelland is seen as the strongest defender but although he missed the Carrow Road game with a groin injury he is expected to play against us.

Toumani Diagouraga and Kerschbaumer are seen as the defensive and box-to-box midfielders and Jota is expected to play on the right, but some Bees see Alan Judge and Gogia swapping. Andre Gray is the favoured striker, but Vibe has been widely chosen given the uncertainty over Gray’s transfer.

Defence

“I’m sure everyone at Brentford knows that with Moses going our right-back is going to be our new Achilles’ heel.” Bees were happy with the shape and quality of their defence until the news broke earlier this week that Hull City had triggered a release clause in the 22-year-old’s contract.

David Button

“I hope we keep him. He is the best keeper in the Championship.” Whatever their concerns about their right-back, fans have been delighted with the pre-season form of their goalkeeper. The 26-year-old “is essential to our style of play and one of the most important players for our future”.

“One of his former Spurs coaches said this week that he thought Button would play for England. He really is that good and we should do our utmost to hold on to him”, “A sensible and well-grounded fellow”, “He had a brilliant season and is vital to the way we like to play out from the back.”

“Button is a brilliant shot-stopper but isn’t very good on crosses and his indecisive footwork wouldn’t work in the Premier League.” His distribution is a regular discussion topic. “In the pre-season game against Stoke, he has been practising kicking with both feet and was faultless in the game.”

“If Tyrone Mings is worth £8 million then I would suggest that Jake Bidwell (below) isn’t far off that. He is one of my favourite players and has played so many games at such a young age”, “We don’t have an out-and-out left-back as cover for him, do we?” “He is an unsung hero and is consistently determined.”

“We were all comfortable with Bidwell’s performances last season.” The 22-year-old former Everton man “had Glen Johnson in his pocket in the Stoke friendly”, but “He was caught upfield or pulled inside too often against Norwich”, “Needs to work on his crossing to progress but has the potential.”

“On the evidence of Saturday’s friendly against Norwich, Alan McCormack is a far more convincing right-back than Nico Yennaris”, “It’s pretty much agreed that we would rather see Mac than Nico. I’m happy for him to do a job there as long as we get a new man in by the beginning of September.”

“McCormack was instrumental in helping us get promoted, an excellent right-back who was tough and hard to beat, reading the game well and crossing the ball beautifully.” The 31-year-old ex-Swindon man “started well last season despite being targeted only losing his place when injured”.

“Nico Yennaris is a good prospect and nowhere near as bad as some people make out considering his lack of game time.” The 22-year-old former Arsenal man “is a more traditional full-back than Moses. He doesn’t look comfortable in the opposition half”, “His first pass is consistently poor.”

“Yennaris played as a defensive midfielder on loan at Wycombe [last season] and some thought he was quite useful there”, “He’s not on the same wavelength as Jota and we could lose a lot on the right in attack”, “If he starts against Ipswich then we really have made a mess of this.”

“Harlee Dean was outstanding against Stoke. He appears to have worked on his fitness and definitely looked up for it.” The 24-year-old former Southampton centre-back “can be very good when he avoids the errors”, “He was our best defender in the final quarter of last season.”

“Dean did finish the season well but his pack of pace will keep him at this level or League One”, “Going forward he is great and can tackle strongly but did fall down badly against good attacking moves from teams like Boro and Bolton”, “He is a top defender and deserves to be in our plans.”

“This could be a breakthrough season for James Tarkowski (above). I hope he will be better protected from midfield which we help him reduce the silly mistakes”, “His biggest fans mention his potential.” The 22-year-old former Oldham man “should be a regular alongside a more experienced centre-back”.

“You play from the back when not under pressure but as soon as you are you launch it.” Despite him being seen as error-prone, he has his supporters. “Tarks did well enough as a right-footer playing as a left centre-back last season but it did reduce his effectiveness playing the ball out from the back.”

“Yoann Barbet showed Bidwell that he will have competition at left-back.” The left-sided centre-back “is very cool, calm and a good option as a dangerous attacker at our set-piece plays, running to either post”, “For a centre-back his first touch is sublime”, “What a fantastic find.”

The 22-year-old French defender “looks very composed and uses the ball well”, “Barbet is not the biggest but looks up for it. He reads the game well and has a huge composure. Continental centre backs can pass the ball very well and don’t often have to resort to hoofing the ball.”

Andreas Bjelland

“A massive signing and a real statement of intent”, “A top class Danish international — what a superb signing”, “We need a leader at the back”, “We needed a defensive organiser, we needed a captain and we needed experience — now all three boxes have been ticked, brilliant stuff.”

“Bjelland is as good a signing as we have ever made.” Bees are more delighted with the 27-year-old’s arrival from the Dutch Eredivisie this summer. “He’s a smiling assassin who likes to kill for the cause”, “He was captain of FC Twente, is a regular international and is one of our older players.”

Central Midfield

“Very bad news for Josh McEachran — it could be November before he is ready for selection. Let’s hope there are no complications.” Fans were upset at losing their 22-year-old signing with a broken foot in a training accident. “He finally got his move from Chelsea looking to settle and now this.”

“Toumani Diagouraga sits deep for most of the game but drives forward and passes well.” The 28-year-old ex-Posh man’s “ball-winning in midfield, turning and getting us forward were invaluable so often. He lacks a bit in the final third but that can be forgiven because of everything else he brings”.

“Without Toumani we would have dropped many more points last year”, “If he could score he’d be our Patrick Vieira”, “Not being great in front of goal never did Claude Makelele any harm”, “You can count the number of poor controls and bad passes he had last season on one hand.”

Konstantin Kerschbaumer

“If Jonathan Douglas played every available minute last season, well, here is his replacement. Box-to-box, never stops running, he will be a regular in the side. The amount of miles he clocked up running, chasing, tackling bringing the ball over halfway to set up counter-attacks at speed was noticeable.”

“How did the human dynamo go today?” The 23-year-old Austrian ex-Admire Wacker man “played a key role in setting up attacks from deep against Stoke”, “He got up and carried on despite some rough Stoke challenges”, “He struggled to get involved against Norwich and was less dynamic.”

“Another gem unearthed”, “Has he warmed down yet or is he ensuring every blade of grass is covered?” “The guy is like a super-powered Duracell battery. He’s not the trickiest player, not the most physical or creative but he is going to run through brick walls for us. His work-rate is just silly.”

Alan Judge

“The first name on my teamsheet — he had most assists last year but we missed him when he was injured”, “I think we would all love more goals from Judge but would take a whole season of the quality he showed in the first half of last season with no goals, to be honest.”

The 26-year-old former Blackburn attacking midfielder and one-time Town target is praised for his tenacity in winning possession or set-pieces in the final third of the pitch. “He has won more freekicks than he has given away and he hits his tackles despite his height”, “Our best player by miles.”

“Judge played a number 10 role before switching to the left-side position. It’s an interesting switch if needed”, “When he’s on his game he breaks with the ball at his feet and is so quick over the ground. He runs at and terrifies defenders, dragging them out of position and he can pick a killer pass.”

Wide Midfield

“Every time Jota gets the ball I’m out of my seat wondering just what he’s going to do this time.” The 24-year-old Spanish ex-Celta right-winger “might drift out of games now and then but he has that something special”, “A truly class player at this level”, “You really can tell how one-footed he is.”

“Ninety percent of the time he likes to cut in from the right and shoot with his left foot”, “I don’t see why it matters which foot he kicks the ball with. Surely it’s about what he does with the ball?”, “Jota is so one-footed it hurts. He was so predictable at the end of last season after he was worked out.”

“Akaki Gogia is very impressive but a touch raw. I can see him being a regular starter by the end of the season.” The 23-year-old German, who is of Georgian descent, “bamboozled the Stoke players and showed great skill, but he frustrated his team-mates when several of his passes went astray”.

“A dead-ball specialist with an excellent shot”, Bees have been pleasantly surprised by this discovery from Hallescher FC in the German third tier. “As games go by he will get used to playing on the left and swapping with Judge. Quick, comfortable in the challenge, has a good shot and a team player.”

Strikers

“A big unit might give Ipswich something to think about”, “I would like to see how Philipp Hofmann shapes up against Ipswich. A bloke with his size and aggression would give defenders something to think about”, “As well as his physical attributes he appears to have a good poacher’s instinct too.”

The 22-year-old former 1FC Kaiserslautern front-man “is clever on the ball, strong and good in the air. Hoff shoots on sight and has good vision. He is energetic but lacks the pace and dynamism of Gray”, “He plays with his back to goal and brings other players into the game. He looks promising.”

Lasse Vibe

“I can see Vibe starting and finishing the most games out of our new triple strike-force.” The 28-year-old arrival from IFK Goteborg “is a great finisher, hard-working and mentally strong”, “He’s the older head we need up front to provide support for the younger pair of strikers.”

“Vibe is a poacher, always seeming to be in the right place at the right time and he can score a classy goal as well”, “He has arrived match-fit from the Swedish league but doesn’t seem to have played many minutes with his Brentford team-mates yet”, “We have got one hell of a player here.”

The Andre Gray Question

“Andre Gray has been training with the Brentford squad today and yesterday”, “We need to keep Gray if we want to go for promotion”, “I really hope we keep him as I expect him to have a massive season. Even if we replace him quickly, our chance of promotion this season is much weaker.”

Hull have tabled a number of bids for Brentford’s top scorer from last season and Bees are annoyed with both the value of the bids and timing of the intervention, coming so close to the start of the season. “Let’s start putting bids in on Hull’s best players”, “Too late, they have already been sold.”

“I think Hull need to get a bit real. If they want to poach the star striker from a strong rival, they will need to match our valuation”, “Hull think of us as ‘little old Brentford’ and inexperienced in the ‘big’ transfer market. They think they are a top flight club and underestimate our very astute owner.”

Many believe that the 24-year-old should start against us, but others advise against it whether any transfer deal does or does not go through. They see a risk of injury and also a question mark over how mentally prepared the striker would be with this speculation hanging over his head.

Bees’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Firmly believe this is a real tough start”, “With all the bad news this week I would be happy with a draw. We might sneak a win though”, “Ball over the top, Ball over the top, Ball over the top.” Given the uncertainty in their camp, many Bees would be happy with a draw on Saturday.

“The new boys will come up against a big strong powerful opposition on Saturday and I hope they don't get a rude awakening to the task they face this year”, “I hope we start quicker than we did on Boxing Day”, “The main thing will be for Button not to give the ball away in the first 30 seconds.”

“I do worry that as an early fixture that the physical approach and directness of a team like Ipswich might be the trickiest style of football for our new recruits to deal with. Our defensive midfield and right back are going to have their work cut out and Bjelland will certainly have a tough introduction.”

“Interested to see Ipswich have got Ryan Fraser on loan from Bournemouth who played well against us as a second half substitute last year in the home game. It will be a very good sign of where we are. I expect Ipswich to put us under pressure”, “Fraser was Bournemouth's best player that day.”

“Ipswich have kept their squad together bar the left-back and have added well. They have also tied Murphy to a new deal and McGoldrick is fit again. He's arguably their best player”, “They've just signed the next Rory Delap apparently. Moments like that make me so grateful to be a Bee.”

Jonathan Douglas

“I will never forget what Douglas has done for us, a genuine top-quality footballer”, “We need a younger more aggressive version to protect the youngsters and allow the flair players do their stuff”, “If you saw Kerschbaumer, you would have seen that Douglas wouldn’t have played for us again.”

Many Bees felt that the team ran out of steam in last season’s play-offs and that Douglas was one of the players who epitomised this. “He was a warrior for us for the past four seasons but went missing for us at the end of last season, most of all in the play-off games when he looked out of his depth.”

“He was less effective towards the end of last season”, “Maybe it has been coming. I’m gutted as he has epitomised everything great about Brentford in the last two to three seasons and will have been one of the most important players in our meteoric rise to the top of the Championship”

He is held in deep affection at Griffin Park and will be given the same warm welcome as was afforded last season to the returning Jay Tabb and Stephen Hunt. “I will miss him. I always thought he was a great player”, “I hope it goes well for him at Ipswich because he is a quality midfielder.”

“Douglas may be in the twilight of his career but you need some experience around the place. Mick McCarthy is no mug so Douglas clearly has something to offer”, “He’ll be on the bench at best on Saturday given his lack of match practice”, “He will certainly be able to give some hints to Mick.”

Websites

The Beesotted website run by the inimitable Billy Grant Dave Lane carries a wide range of interesting, insightful and often humorous articles on all things Brentford. Griffin Park Grapevine also has a busy forum but registration is required to access some sections.

You can hear Harry joining Beesotted for their pre-match podcast here.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

vanmunt added 11:20 - Aug 7 And so it starts, thanks Harry as usual. Nothing against Brentford there lacked the arrogance of Bournemouth but have the feeling they will find it a bit tougher this year. Tough start for both teams and would hope for a well earned draw.
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backwaywhen added 11:59 - Aug 7 An automatic place this year will mean last seasons results bettered or matched , so its a win for me ....COYB !
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BlueandTruesince82 added 12:14 - Aug 7 Just don't see this experiment working, could be wrong but Moneyball tactic was developed specifically for baseball. Its all about stats and when all the teams play each other at the same level its far easier to assess them. Its all very well looking and saying well apparently some bloke in l2 manages to put in 10 crosses a game, but will that be the same against stronger opposition? even I can score against the under 12s down the road but I it doesn't mean id beat Bart on a regular basis. it will be an interesting season God to have you back Harry

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Bergholtblue added 12:21 - Aug 7 Probably the best time to play them, while they are still finding themselves as a team. Its a win for me but only a narrow one.
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jpring89 added 12:22 - Aug 7 Too many ins and outs for them I fear I think we should get something from the game I don't think anyone would want us on the opening day some of their new players will be in for an eye opener to championship football. Think we may sneak a 2-3 win but wouldn't be disappointed with a draw
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MeenoITFC added 12:44 - Aug 7 To be honest, not much can be predicted on a first game of the season. Teams change, chemistry is dropped/increased. A win would be lovely but we can not grumble with a draw.
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Len_Brennan added 14:36 - Aug 7 @BlueandTruesince82 - Stop muscling in on those u12 games down the road. You're impressing nobody with your goal stats and it's not fair on the kids.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 14:54 - Aug 7 awww come on Len, how else are they going to learn what losing feels like
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Millsey added 14:55 - Aug 7 Way to many foreigners
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slaughteredskipper added 15:37 - Aug 7 enjoyed reading about 'massive' Bjelland!!!!
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JimInGreensboro added 03:41 - Aug 8 Wonderful work, as always, Harry. Cheers!
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flashblue added 08:12 - Aug 8 I have this feeling that Douglas will become a bit of a boo boy's target this year. Could be one of Mick's worst signings.
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