In the 19th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the Bees under Dean Smith this summer. Reports on QPR and Millwall will follow later today and all of the teams in the division will be covered between now and the start of the season.

“Exciting times ahead. We can improve on last year and make the top six but higher than that will be tough. I still pinch myself that we are competing at this level so I take nothing for granted. It would be nice to start well”, “The Championship is great and we’re doing it the right way on the pitch.”

Bees are optimistic about their prospects of improving on last season’s ninth place with 45 per cent predicting a play-off finish or higher in one recent poll. Their belief is mainly based on a settled squad and manager having had another year’s experience of operating comfortably at this level.

“I’m just enjoying the ride”, “This season we have the vast majority of our very young squad with not only another year's Championship experience but a year of playing a very specific style of football”, “We will see lots of beautiful football, but I do worry where our midfield goals will come from.”

“Roll on next week.” If Bees have any concerns, they are primarily about converting chances, cutting out defensive errors and especially not repeating last season’s slow start which saw the Bees pick up a mere four points from their first eight games. “I’m praying we make a better start than last year.”

“We need a good start. Our play-off chances were massively hampered by our start last season. We need to play with focus and drive from the first game”, “The quality of the squad we have stands out for me. We are still a few players short but I for one am quietly optimistic for the season ahead.”

Dean Smith

“If Dean Smith is pleased then so am I”, “He does us proud. He speaks well and comes across as a very respectable man. I hope we keep him for as long as possible. He represents our club well and suits our unfashionable club down to the ground,” “He is so well regarded by everyone at the club.”

“He is a real gem.” The 45-year-old former Walsall boss took over at Griffin Park in December 2015 and the continuity he has brought is seen by fans as a real strength of the club. “He is very much a head coach and implements a style of football which is in line with the overall club philosophy.”

“He fits right in here. He has an owner who believes in him, a system that works where responsibility is shared and is not squarely on the manager's shoulders, a vision the whole club and its supporters get behind resulting in a lot of stability for him.”

“He has a good relationship with the owner and seems to have really bought in to the long-term plan to establish Brentford as a Premier League club in a new stadium and in a sustainable manner”, “He has done well here but he hasn't yet demonstrated he can get a team into the promotion picture.”

A Typical Transfer Window

Bees have always understood that they are a selling club, so the departure of regular first teamers is not without precedent. Winger Florian Jozefzoon (to Derby) and centre-half John Egan (to Sheffield United) have moved on this summer while defender Andreas Bjelland has rejected a new contract.

Tom Lawrence v Andreas Bjelland

Fringe players departing include midfielder Konstantin Kerschbaumer (to FC Ingolstadt having been on loan last season at Arminia Bielefeld) and left-back Ilias Chatzitheodoridis (to Panathinaikos). Zain Westbrooke, a midfielder and academy product, has also departed for Coventry on a free transfer.

Two prospects loaned out to lower-league sides for the coming season are winger Theo Archibald (to Forest Green) and midfielder Reece Cole (to Yeovil).

There have been three new additions so far, two of whom are centre-halves. Ezri Konza is a 20-year-old arrival from Charlton and Julian Jeanvier, 26, has been bought from Stade de Reims. Striker or winger Said Benrahma, a 22-year-old Algeria international, has also been signed from Nice.

“Benrahma has something about him, good pace and decent skill”, “The Algerian winger looks tricky. We won’t miss Jozefzoon too much if he plays like that every week”, “He ‘fell over’ a few times, saw the ref was ignoring him and then got on with it. He has good vision and is comfortable on the ball.”

“Konza in particular should easily make the step up to the Championship”, “He looks like he could be a class act and him and Mepham could prove to be a very strong central defensive pairing albeit one lacking experience of course. He looks calm and collected and assured at the heart of the back four.”

Many Bees felt that they were a striker short of making the play-offs last season and would welcome reinforcements. “I do worry about the lack of competition in the three attacking positions. We are cutting it fine just having Neal Maupay with Ollie Watkins as an option for the central striking role.”

Pre-Season Results

Brentford won 2-1 at Boreham Wood in their first run-out. A 2-1 defeat in Germany to Karlsruher was followed by wins at Wycombe (1-0) and Shrewsbury (3-2). Their final game saw them lose 2-1 at home to Watford on Saturday. “It was a good workout, but defensive mistakes ended up costing us.”

Bees were happy with the balance of what many felt was an attacking starting XI (above) against Watford. It would surprise few if some of Saturday’s substitutes, including midfielders Ryan Woods, Alan Judge or Lewis Macleod, played in Saturday’s season-opener at home to Rotherham.

“Romaine Sawyers was on top form and controlled the game. McEachran also played quite well. I wouldn't start with Josh McEachran, Sawyers and Emiliano Marcondes in midfield. It only works if we actually have the ball. Macleod looked good when he came on and he should replace Marcondes.

Leeds United's Alfonso Pedraza v Romaine Sawyers

“Our neat passing football was played out from the back. We wasted attacking chances and passed around without penetrating into more dangerous areas. We were vulnerable from set pieces, too comfortable on the ball in midfield at times and we were counter-attacked if possession was lost.”

“It was lovely football but there was no cutting edge up front. We outplay teams but we have to find a proper centre-forward fast to put these half chances away”, “Defensively we look so naïve. If the Rotherham manager is watching, he will tell his team 'We can easily press Brentford into mistakes’.”

Being in the Mix Come the Start of April

“Many of the favourites are mentioned purely because of the money they have available. When you look a bit deeper, a significant number of those are in some sort of rebuilding, with new managers finding their feet, having lost of key players or still requiring some expensive additions to bring in.”

Brentford fans have got to know this league well and many are aware that money won’t guarantee success. “We all know that costly, well-paid players don't necessarily make for instant success and the Championship is littered with the obituaries of managers and owners who have thought that.”

“Success looks like being in the mix for a play-off place at the start of April”, “It’s certain that we will go about our business the right way and play enjoyable football. That said, I still expect opposition fans to continue to moan post-match that their team ‘should not be losing to a club like Brentford’.”

Websites

The busiest Bees’ forum is the friendly and well-informed Griffin Park Grapevine.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

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