The Brentford Saga

[CakeWalker]

Volume One: Stopping Second Season Syndrome
This will be a diary following the journey of Brentford F.C. who will start this story in what will be their second season in the English Premier League. In their first season the West London Club finished 13th in the EPL and now manager Thomas Frank has to now taken on the challenge of keeping up the club to prevent them from suffering from second season syndrome. Entries for Volume One end at post #65.

Volume Two: Is This What Dreams Are Made Of?
Brentford having done the seemingly impossible and finished 6th in the EPL and qualified for the Europa League. How can the team that not so long ago were playing football in League Two prepare themselves for the most challenging season of the club's history. Will Ivan Toney match his goal scoring regard and will "Frugal" Thomas Frank continue to sign players for the lowest prices possible? Entries for Volume Two start at post #66.

​

 

[CakeWalker]

​

Spoiler: [SEASON ONE | RECORD - ACHIEVEMENTS PAGE]

English Premier League​	P​	W​	D​	L​	GF​	GA​	GD​	PTS​
6. Brentford​	38​	17​	10​	9​	88​	71​	17​	67​

Emirates FA Cup [5th Round]
QPR 2-2 Brentford 2 [3rd Round] | Brentford 3-2 QPR [3rd Round Replay] | Bristol City 0-9 Brentford [4th Round] | Aston Villa 5-0 Brentford [5th Round]
Carabao Cup [3rd Round]
Brentford 6-3 Shrewsbury Town [2nd Round] | Arsenal 6-1 Brentford [3rd Round]

Target: Avoid Relegation
Record Transfer Fee Paid: £6.7m - Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (LA Galax)
Record Transfer Fee Received: £11m - Bryan Mbeumo (Newcastle United)
​

[SEASON TWO | SQUAD INFORMATION]
​

Goalkeepers​	Defenders​	Midfielders​	Forwards​	Players on Loan (11)​
#1 D. Raya (79) 45/EC #31 E. Balcombe (62) R #34 C. Ramos (74) BT #44 J. Butland (72) BT ​	#2 A. Hickey (79) 45 #3 R. Henry (78) 45 #4 C. Smalling (82) 45 #5 E. Pinnock (76) EC #13 J. Boateng (74) 45 #16 B. Mee (74) 45 #18 J. Gallardo (76) EC #20 K. Ajer (78) EC #26 K. Itakura (77) BT #28 M. Roerslev (71) BT #29 M. Sorensen (70) BT #30 K. Trippier (84) EC #37 F. Stevens (66) R​	#6 C. Nørgaard (77) EC #7 C. Rodriguez (77) EC #8 M. Jensen (76) 45 #10 J. Dasilva (75) BT #14 C. Aranguiz (75) EC #15 F. Oneyka (75) BT #22 M. Bidstrup (74) BT #24 A. Forshaw (73) BT #25. S. Dallas (75) BT #27 V. Janelt (74) 45 #35 R. Trevitt (61) R #36 P. Maghoma (64) R #39 Peart-Harris (65) R #40 X. Shaqiri (76) BT​	#9 L. Messi (89) 45 #11. Y. Wissa (76) EC #12. El Shaarawy (77) EC #17 I. Toney (79) 45 #19 T. Pukki (73) BT #21 K. Schade (72) EC #23 Lewis-Potter (74) BT #32. J. Hernandez (74) 45 #33. H. Dervisoglu (72) BT​	L. Romo (76) - Borussia Dortmund S. Baptiste (72) - Angers SCO S. Giordano (68) - Spezia Yarmoliuk (66) - Cagliari M. Martinelli (65) - AIK Young-Coombes (65) - Alanyaspor M. Cox (64) - Cremonese D. Oyegoke (62) - Cosenza D. Olsson (62) - Cercle Brugge A. Gilbert (62) - SV Darmstadt 98 E. Linberg (60) - Valenciennes​

45 = EPL XI
EC = Euro Cup XI
BT = Bench Team
R = Reserves


​

 

[CakeWalker]

Brentford manager Thomas Frank would have some thoughts to share ahead of the the season:

- Frank would talk about the options that playing in a Summer Series in Spain offered as part of preseason and that games against FC Koln, Mallorca and RC Celta would offer him a great opportunity to test out some different formations and lineups knowing full well that he had a squad of players that were all really looking to earn themselves starting positions this season.

- Frank would confirm that he only had his eyes on a couple of players, but as things stood his squad was already a complete package and there weren't many changes he was looking to make. He would then add to this, that he would only allow players to leave the club if the offer being made met his own valuation and not that of the market.

- Frank would confirm that ten players were already out on loan, but he would personally like to see a few more members of the team get a chance to get more first team experience that could only be earned by playing competitive games week in and week out. Frank would make the point though, that if it felt like it was needed he would recall players back to the club irrespective of any fines he may have to pay for breaking established contracts. ​

 

[CakeWalker]

Update One

Brentford were set to take place in the Madrid Summer Series, that would feature eight team. Only three fixtures would take place in the tournament, with Brentford's opponent confirmed as FC Koln, Mallorca & RC Celta. Prior to the the first game, the club would confirm that two players had signed with the club.

Mexican Star Carlos Rodriguez has been snapped up as a free agent, having not come to terms with Monterrey for a new contract. The 26 year old CAM (76 Rating) joins Brentford on a three year deal. Thomas Frank stated that Rodriguez is a proven international player as well as being two time CONCACAF Champions Cup winner which is the highest honour available in North America at club level.

A second Mexican footballer has been added to the Brentford squad, with former Manchester United, Real Madrid & Bayer Leverkusen star Javier Hernandez a.k.a. "Chicharito" ST (Rating 79) having been signed from LA Galaxy for a price £6.7m on a two year deal. Hernandez who won the EPL twice with Manchester United offers Brentford a tonne of experience and on paper will be the oldest member of the squad at 35. The signing likely means that Ivan Toney will be partnered with "Chicharito" upfront meaning players like Mbeumo, Wissa and Damsgaard will really be battling for their position in the coming season. Hernandez is obviously not a long-term option for the club, but he is a proven goal scorer and is likely to offer a different perspective to a relatively young team.




Thomas Frank would admit that he originally had only been keen to sign Rodriguez, but the two players shared an agent and the move for the money asked for had made sense. Frank would then confirm that it was unlikely that anyone else was added to the squad, apart from perhaps player from the academy during the season.​

 

[CakeWalker]

Update Two
​

Game One 5-3​

- The first game of the Summer Series would see Brentford use a lot of their first choice players in the line up and start the game in a positive manner by ending the first half with a 4-0 lead | Janelt [4], Hernandez [8] & Toney [32] & [45].

- The second half would continue positively with Mbeumo scoring early [53] in the half. FC Koln would not shy away though and scores three goals on the bounce, with the match ending 5-3.

- Brentford would end the match with 11 shots, with FC Koln actually having more shots with 14 - with David Raya supreme goalkeeping being an unsung hero in a total goal fest contest.

+ + + + +

- Estac Troyes made a bid for Keane Lewis-Potter, but the £6.7m offer would be rejected by Brentford for falling to short of the club's valuation having bought him from Hull for £16m.

- Nathan Young-Coombes getting a lot of attention from clubs with offer of loan with option to buy, but Brentford make it clear that they have no intention of NYC leaving the club at any point in the near future.

+ + + + +
​

Game Two 2-4​

- The second game in the Madrid Summer Series would see Brentford take on local Spanish side Mallorca. The Spanish side would come close to ending the first half 2-0 up, that had seen Finn Stevens score an embarrassing own goal against Strakosha. Wissa though would give the Bees something positive to work on by scoring [45] just at the stroke of half time.

- Brentford would end the match with a flurry of goals. Lewis-Potter [72], Ghoddos [85] & Janelt [90] would put the visitors back ahead, and despite the team made up of mostly bench players and reserves the English side showed some real potential by turning the game around and claiming the victory.

+ + + + +
​

Game Three 4-1​

- Brentford would take on their second Spanish side in the series - RC Celta de Vigo. With Mbeumo scoring the first goal of the game for Brentford [45+1] with a beautiful bicycle kick following a cross from Ivan Toney.

- Matt Cox would really impress, with Thomas Frank having given each of his three keepers a whole game to impress during the Summer Series with Cox picking up a number of saves throughout the game and really being on of Brentford's standout players, but RC Celta would finally manage to score towards the start of the second half.

- The West London outfit would put the game out of reach though with a second goal from Mbeumo [50], Tony [54] & Hernandez [89] to end the game. Cox would end the game with a total of 12 saves and a 92% save completion rate and would be recognized as the man of the match for his contribution.

- Brentford's time in the Madrid Summer Series would result in the team picking up three wins and ending topping the table of eight teams to earn themselves as the trophy that came with winning the series.

- It would also be confirmed that Juventus had made an offer to buy Ivan Toney, but there £20m offer had been rejected.​

 

[CakeWalker]

Brentford have announced their official squad numbers for the season. Players ratings are also display in the brackets next to their names.

Goalkeepers	Defenders	Midfields	Forwards
#1 D. Raya (77) #12 T. Strakosha (77)	#2 A. Hickey (75) #3 R. Henry (75) #4 P. Jansson (74) #5 E. Pinnock (76) #13 Zanka (72) #16 B. Mee (77) #20 K. Ajer (75) #30 M. Roerslev (69)	#6 C. Nørgaard (76) #7 C. Rodriguez (76) #8 M. Jensen (75) #10 J. Dasilva (73) #14 S. Ghoddos (68) #15 F. Oneyka (73) #26 S. Baptiste (70) #27 V. Janelt (74)	#9 J. Hernandez (79) #11. Y. Wissa (75) #17 I. Toney (79) #19 B. Mbeumo (75) #21 K. Schade (70) #23 K. Lewis-Potter(72) #24 M. Damsgaard (76)

Brentford also announces a list of reserves that will be eligible to play, but will likely only be involved in cup games. Ten players are also out on loan at other teams and are unlikely to be recalled, with it being added that other players may be sent out on loan if the placement makes sense.

Goalkeepers	Defenders	Midfields	Forwards
#34 M. Cox (60)	#32 T. Crama (60) #38 D. Oyegoke (59) #33 F. Stevens (62)	#35 R. Trevitt (59) #36 Y. Yarmoliuk (62)	#37 A. Gilbert (60) #39 Young-Coombes (61)

Christian Nørgaard has been confirmed as the team's captain for the 2022/23 season, with Ben Mee being given the duty of vice captain, whilst Zanka has been confirmed as the prospective captain for the team in any cup competitions moving forward. Christian when asked would state that he was very pleased to be given the role and that was looking to help lead the team towards glory this season and that having high hopes like qualifying for European football should be an aim for everyone at the club. The Danish midfielder would also add the arrival of Rodriguez and Hernandez had created healthy competition within the squad, but that also he was impressed that certain players had shown strength in positions he hadn't really expected of them during the offseason. ​

 

[Death By Looch]

Test matches were good and promising. Good job on that, makes me think this gonna be a good season for Brentford. The squad looks good, I'm not sure if you even need that many new players. Only one I can think of is Thomas Delaney, who I have for years in a fantasy league simulated with the FIFA games and he has been one of the most reliable players throughout the years in the whole league. I don't know if you play yourself, or if you let the AI play though, but either way I think he would fit Brentford.

 

[CakeWalker]

Test matches were good and promising. Good job on that, makes me think this gonna be a good season for Brentford. The squad looks good, I'm not sure if you even need that many new players. Only one I can think of is Thomas Delaney, who I have for years in a fantasy league simulated with the FIFA games and he has been one of the most reliable players throughout the years in the whole league. I don't know if you play yourself, or if you let the AI play though, but either way I think he would fit Brentford.

The Sevilla player? I play normally - but I will look at him. Perhaps for the January window

 

[CakeWalker]

GAME ONE

Brentford are set to face Everton in the first game of the season on the 13th August. The game will be the first league game played at the renamed Gtech Community Stadium. The game will likely see two former Bees start for the Toffees with James Tarkowski and Neal Maupay, with two very reactions expected to be given for both players.

New signing Carlos Rodriguez would have some thoughts ahead of the match.

"To play in the English Premier League is a big opportunity for me, although I recognize there will be a big transition between the the game in Mexican and that in England which is much tougher and every team you play seems to be a tough game. And there are so many teams in London and that is something I am looking forward to those games in the future. This weekend against Everton is a really big game though, and I really wanted to make a good first impression in front of the home fans. This is the start of a new chapter for me, and I want this weekend to be one to remember. It is going to be extra special knowing that Javier (Hernandez) is also part of this team, and having a fellow countrymen in the team has already made the relocation process a lot smooth."

+ + + + +

Brentford have gone with a 5-3-2 formation, with Hickey and Henry serving as wingbacks to offer speed down both flanks. Captain Nørgaard drops back as a CDM acting as an anchor, whilst Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez make his full debut for Brentford by playing up top with new strike partner Ivan Toney.

Bench: Strakosha (GK), Damsgaard, Ajer, Wissa, Mbuemo, Janelt & Dasilva

Jarrod Bowen will make his debut for Everton having joined the club as their marquee signing after three years with West Ham. Bowen is seen as a player who has been brought in to turn Everton's fortunes around and is likely to quickly become a fan favourite if he matches his form he reached with the Irons.

Everton Line Up
GK: Pickford
DEF: Coleman | Coady | Tarkowski | Mykolenko
MID: Bowen | Iwobi | Can | Gueye | Mc Neil
FOR: Maupay

+ + + + +

| Brentford 1-0 Everton |
- Chicharito scores an amazing bicycle kick following a cross from Hickey from the right to score on his Brentford debut right foot. [10min]

- Former Brentford Maupay has a one on one shot with Raya from outside of the area, but Raya pushes out for a corner. [15min]

| Brentford - 2-0 Everton |
- Jensen crosses the ball to Chicharito and the new signing scores an incredible goal on the full volley to score a brace on his first game with the club. [22min]

| Half Time 2-0 |
- Raya is also on good form, despite chances coming strong from Everton.

- Jensen off - Mbeumo on [RCM]. [63min]

- Gueye yellow card for poor challenge on Rodriguez | Hickey off - Ajer on. [LWB] [72min]

- Ajer attempts a shot from outside the box results in a corner | Hernandez off - Wissa On. [84mins]

| Full Time - Brentford 2-0 Everton |
Pontus Jansson MOTM 8.2 RATING
Raya makes nine saves on target and keeps a clean sheet, solid performance 8.1
Brentford Possession 39% Everton 61%


12th Aug Friday
Man United 2-0 Bournemouth

13th Aug Sat
Chelsea 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leeds United 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Brentford 2-0 Everton
West Ham United 1-3 Leicester City
Manchester City 1-2 Southampton

14th Aug Sunday
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Fulham
Newcastle United 1-3 Crystal Palace

+ + + + +
​

 

[CakeWalker]

GAME TWO

Brentford go on the road for the first time and travel to the south coast to play Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium (21st August). Unlike the Bees, The Cherries suffered a long in their last fixture going down two nil to Manchester United.

The Bees has decided to use the same winning combination as they did against Everton and the same starting XI has been selected. However, Mads Roerslev and Kevin Schade had been added to the bench with players bringing pace to the bench which will likely be utilized with Mads expected to replace either Henry or Hickey with both wingbacks using all their tanks of energy in the previous game and Frank wanting to be able to replace both men with a suitable replacement.

Bench: Strakosha (GK), Damsgaard, Ajer, Schade, Mbuemo, Janelt & Roerslev

Bournemouth Lineup
GK: Neto
DEF: Stacey | Kelly | Zabarnyi | Zemura
MID: van de Beek | Cook | Brooks | Anthony | Tavernier
FOR: Moore

+ + + + +

| Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford |
- Moore breaks the line and almost scores goal early but Raya has firm hands. [7min]

- Norgaard given a yellow for a reckless tackle and the Brentford captain is under pressure very early in the contest. [16min]

| Bournemouth 0-1 Brentford |
Rico Henry runs down the left and passes an easy pass across the six yard to Ivan Toney, for an easy goal for the proven striker. [30min]

- Norgaard almost scores on the edge of the box, but Neto pushes the ball out for a corner via an impressive save. [45min]

| Half Time 0-1 |
- Captain Norgaard brought off and replaced by Vitaly Janelt, with the yellow card clearly stifling the player from fully committing and an importance for the anchor position to have freedom whilst defending.

- Lewis Cook gets a yellow for a clumsy challenge on Toney. [50min]

| Bournemouth 0-2 Brentford |
- Toney and Hernandez work a nice one-two pass that allows Toney to get into the middle of the box and score without any struggle, with the Neto concentration taken by Hernandez. [57min]

- Rodriguez off - Schade on [59min]
[Schade moves up to RM, Jensen LM and Janelt CM in a more attacking formation].

- Raya with an amazing save. [64min]

- Hickey off - Roerslev on. [71min]

- Hernandez off - Damsgaard on | Jensen off - Mbeumo on. [82min]

| Bournemouth 0-3 Brentford |
- Ivan Toney passes to Damsgaard, who scores with his first touch of the game. [84min]

| Bournemouth 0-4 Brentford |
Damsgaard get a great ball from Toney, to score a second in quick succession. [87min]

| Full Time - Bournemouth 0-4 Brentford |
Ivan Toney MOTM 9.2
Bournemouth Possession 60% | Brentford 40%
In two games Hernandez, Toney and Damsgaard have scored two goals each.

19th Aug Friday
Newcastle 1-1 Arsenal
Everton 1-2 Manchester City

20th Saturday
Leicester City 2-2 Manchester United
Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Southampton 2-2 Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Chelsea
Wolverhampton Wanders 0-1 Leeds United
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Villa
Fulham 0-2 West Ham United

21st Sunday
Bournemouth 0-4 Brentford

After just two games, Brentford are the only team to have won both games and are the only team in the league not to have conceded a goal.

+ + + + +

Carabao Cup vs. Shrewsbury [Round 2] 24th August

Manager Thomas Frank confirmed that he fully intends to use the Carabao Cup as a perfect platform to give the youngsters a chance to shine, whilst also involving a number of first team player with the aim of hopefully rubbing off on the junior talent. Zanka was confirmed as being selected as the captain for the game.

Bench: Strakosha [GK], Janelt, Dasilva, Wissa, Baptiste, Schade & Ghoddos

| Full Time - Brentford 6-3 Shrewsbury Town |
Brentford: Oyegoke [8] | Trevitt [22] | Ghoddos [65] | Schade [67] & [93] | Lewis-Potter [90]

Shrewsbury Town: Bayliss [57] | Saydee [80] | Udoh [88]

Daniel Oyegoke earns himself the award of MOTM with a rating of 9.1 and showed that the young Bees have real potential, although no doubt would face a much tougher test against a more established team. Nathan Young-Coombes would have a large amount of shots in the game, but wouldn't manage to find the net. Thomas Frank would comment that Matt Cox had shown a lot of potential and really wouldn't be surprised if he secured a loan at another club before the end transfer deadline day.

+ + + + +​

 

[CakeWalker]

GAME THREE

Thomas Frank has decided to change the formation for the third match of the season [27th August], with Mikkel Damsgaard replacing Hernandez and slotting up next to Ivan Toney with his two goals that he scored late on against Bournemouth potentially being the reason for him starting the game. Vitaly Janelt steps in the left centre midfield position, with a point being made that the young German offers more of a defensive side than Rodriguez with his skill set needed against The Foxes which are seen as the toughest game of the season so far for the Bees.

This marks the third game in a row in the league that Bryan Mbeumo hasn’t featured in the starting eleven for the Bees and it has been suggested that perhaps the French/Cameroonian is on his way out and no longer slots into Thomas Frank’s long-term plans for The Bees. With Wissa, Damsgaard, Schade and Lewis-Potter all joining Bryan in challenging Hernandez and Toney for a starting position, it would seem obvious that seven is large number of forwards and that sooner or later someone is going to find themselves without a place at the club.

Bench: Strakosha [GK], Rodriguez, Ajer, Wissa, Mbeumo, Dasilva & Baptiste

Leicester Lineup
GK: Meslier
DEF: Pereira | Evans | Tapsoba | Justin
MID: Tielmans | Maddison | Praet | Dahoud | Santos
FOR: Vardy

+ + + + +

| Brentford 0 - 1 Leicester City |
- Following bad marking and get baited by clever tactics, Madison would break the defence and score a great goal to put Leicester ahead. [12min]

| Brentford 1 - 1 Leicester City |
- Ivan Toney scores a great freekick from the edge of the box, that curls around the wall and going into the top right hand corner of the goal. [18min]

| Brentford 2 - 1 Leicester City
- Toney scores a second following a great pass from Jensen, who finds Ivan perfectly in the box. [37min]

| Half Time 2-1 ]
- David Raya kept Brentford in the game making multiple saves, with it noticeable that Jamie Vardy was getting particular frustrated.

- Janelt swaps with Jansson in defense | Jansson off - Bapstiste on [57min]

- Damsgaard off - Mbeumo on | Norgaard off - Wissa on
Brentford change to a 5-2-3, deciding to go for a more attacking option late in the game [71min]

| Brentford 3 - 1 Leicester City |
- Jensen benefits from the options up front, but shoots himself and scores in between the near post and the goalie that catches Meslier by surprise with the Brentford fan's clearly enjoying increasing their lead over the former EPL champions. [73min]

| Brentford 3 - 2 Leicester City |
- Maddison score a great goal on the counter attack and Raya has no chance. [81min]

- Toney off - Rodriguez off [81] | Rodriguez drops into a CAM position
Janelt off - Ajer on - RCB [81min]

| Brentford 3 - 3 Leicester City|
- Brentford are left crushed as Santos score a last minute equalizer to claim a point, and send the away fan into a state of hysteria. [90+3]

| Full Time - Brentford 3 - 3 Leicester City |

27th August Saturday
Liverpool 1-0 Everton
West Ham United 2-1 Crystal Palace
Manchester United 1-2 Fulham
Brentford 3-3 Leicester City
Manchester City 0-2 Bournemouth
Leeds United 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-3 Newcastle United
Chelsea 3-2 Southampton

28th August Sunday
Arsenal 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

+ + + + +

Defender Kristoffer Ajer would speak after the game that his short amount of time on the pitch was incredibly frustrating because he felt he underperformed that held his hands up as being responsible for not being more tight in his marking of Santos to led to the goal and that the mistake is going to weigh heavy on his mind for the next few weeks. Kris would promise that he would do better in future games and hopefully would prove to the coaches that he was deserving of playing a more regular starting role for the club.​

 

[CakeWalker]

Southampton offer £10.3m for Aaron Hickey, but the offer is rejected with Brentford stated Hickey is very much part of the club's long-term plans.

Two major signees taking place over the course of the evening. Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool for Bayern Munich for a massive £88.3m, although this would be overshadowed by Manchester United purchasing Theo Hernandez from AC Milan for £99.6m.

Belgian side S.V. Zulte Waregem offered to loan out Brentford's third choice goalkeeper Matt Cox, with it being agreed that Cox would leave for one season with the promise that he would be involved in playing for the first team on a regular basis with the purpose of helping developing himself as an overall player for the future.

It would also be confirmed that Shandon Baptiste had agreed to join French Ligue 1 side Angers SCO on an extend two year deal. Thomas Frank would confirm that Baptiste had been struggling to push is way into the first team, and hoped that time away form the club would help motivate him. The point would also be made that Shandon was still a relatively young player and so Brentford still very much wanted to keep him on their books.

It had been rumoured that the 17 year old Italian academy player Sergio Giordano (63 rating) had possibly been considered of being promoted to the first team, although Thomas Frank would state that their was no need to rush Giordano's development and that perhaps he would utilize him in a cup match or two this season depending on the draw.​

 

[CakeWalker]

GAME FOUR

The match at Craven Cottage (10th September) would be the early kickoff on the Saturday and would be a the big West London Derby between Fulham and Brentford and would also be the first of many matches against fellow opponents in the capital.

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez would comment that he had struggled to hold his frustrations about not starting against Leicester and even not be given the chance to come off the bench, but would add that he had signed with Brentford with the understanding that Thomas Frank had a plan and he understood he came into the team as a veteran and that playing ever single game seemed to not be a guarantee within this setup. He would close that had always enjoyed the rivalries in England and was looking forward to playing in front of a hostile crowd during the weekend. The line up would return to that which was used in the first two games of the season.

Bench: Strakosha (GK), Damsgaard, Ajer, Wissa, Mbuemo, Janelt & Roerslev

Fulham Lineup
GK: Leno
DEF: Cedric | Adarabiyo | Diop | Robinson
MID: Lukic | Palhinha | Willian | Solomon | Lanzini
FOR: Vinicius

+ + + + +

| Half Time Fulham 0 - 0 Brentford |
Brentford has found themselves in an uncomfortable position of the ball that rarely suited their game style, with the Bees have 70% of the the ball that really sit mesh into their approach. Fulham would have had five shots, whilst Brentford would only have managed to have one hot at the goal.

- Lanzini has a shot, that beats Raya and hits the crossbar with a fantastic curl, before Willian headers the rebound and Raya manages to get up and save a second time pushing the ball out for a corner. [51min]

- Fulham were much more dangerous with the ball - and proving to be a tough derby for the Bees and shot after shot peppers the Brentford goal, having had a total of thirteen shots against Brentford's solitary one. | Norgaard off - Janelt on | [62min]

- Jansson gets a yellow card for a tackle on Robinson that stops the left back on the counterattack from crossing into the box.
- Hernandez off - Mbeumo on | Henry off - Roerslev on [74min]

Jensen off - Damsgaard on [80min]

| Full Time - Fulham 0 - 0 Brentford |
A tough derby game, with Raya very much keeping the Bees in the game and would be awarded the MOTM 8.0 rating

but both teams struggled to really get good shots in during the game. Raya MOTM 8.0

10th September Saturday
Fulham 0-0 Brentford
Bournemouth 0-3 Liverpool
Newcastle 2-2 West Ham United
Crystal Palace 1-1 Manchester United
Leicester City 1-3 Manchester City
Everton 1-2 Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Southampton 1-2 Leeds United

11th September Sunday
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Arsenal

+ + + + +

CM Mattias Jensen would share his thoughts after the game and would understand that why the fans might be frustrated with the team lack of attacking form, but he would make the point that derby games were never easy and Craven Cottage was never going to be a match that the team were going to take lightly. Jensen would make the point that the club had four games under their belt and so far were without a loss and eight points so you had to look at the positives rather than the negatives. Jensen would then comment on the rumour surrounding Thomas Delany and that Brentford was almost a second city for Scandinavian talent and to have another Dane join the setup would only be a positives, although would make the point that the scouting staff always impressed and had complete faith in all of their decisions so much so that he had extended his contract with the club for additional three year.​

 

[CakeWalker]

GAME FIVE

Yoane Wissa would declare how happy he was to get his first start of the season and was personally excited about the very aggressive 4-3-3 Attacking formation that the club were using against Crystal Palace this weekend (17th September) and felt that with himself and Damsgaard on either wing supporting Ivan, as well as having Bryan Mbeumo playing as a central attacking midfielder which effectively meant that Brentford would have four forwards involved in the starting XI and hopefully this would remedy the lack of goals that had been apparent in the previous game against Fulham.

The formation would see Hickey and Henry drop back into being traditional holding defenders, with Pinnock and Mee holding the middle as Pontus Jansson would be dropped from the matchday squad to make the formation make the most sense.

Bench: Strakosha [GK], Hernandez, Jensen, Ajer, Janelt, Dasilva & Lewis Potter

Crystal Palace Lineup
GK: Guaita
DEF: Ward | Richards | Guehi | Truffert
MID: Souza | Sambi | Lokonga | Eze
FOR: Olise | Edouard | Zaha

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| Brentford 1-0 Crystal Palace |
Toney would tackle a defender in the Palace penalty area and find Damsgaard with an easy pass with the Dane on need to tap in the ball for arguably the easier goal of his career. [8min]

- Raya saved a shot from Eduoard in an atheletic manner, that would be remembered as a really memorable save in the game. [11min]

- Palace attack would pepper Raya for the next fifteen minutes - and it would really put The Bees under the cosh.

| Brentford 2-0 Crystal Palace |
- After having so much pressure on on them, Brentford would break on the counterattack and Damsgaard would score his second goal of this game. This would come by when a poor clearance would would be headed back into the back by Norgaard that would land at Mikkel's feet that would allow him to strike the ball true with his right foot and keep the ball low on the ground to move to the right of the keeper and the near post for a two goal lead. It would also only be Brentford's second shot of the game, whilst Palace would have already had nine. [33min]

| Brentford 3-0 Crystal Palace |
The first half ends with a goal from Mbeumo in his new position and be Bryan's first goal of the season. With it being noticed that the CAM roles seems to be a more comfortable. Toney backheeled the ball to a running Mbeumo, who tricks Richards with a Cryuff turn on the edge of the six yard box before smashing in with his left foot.

| Half Time 3-0 |

- Damsgaard off - Lewis-Potter on | Mbeumo moves to RW - Wiss off - Dasilva on CAM | [65min]

- Dasilva goes up front | Toney off - Jensen on [CAM] | Rodriguez off - Janelt on [71min]

| Brentford 4-0 Crystal Palace |
- On the counter attack, Mbeumo breaks after Dasilva headers from the corner. Bryan waits for reinforcements and find Jensen in the middle - who passes to Janelt as Dasilva leaps over the ball to avoid it. Janelt passes it in between the gate with Josh waiting before he spikes the ball past the goalkeeper to score the fourth. It would also be Dasilva's first goal of the season and it would prove be a popular moment with the fans in attendance. [83min]

- Hickey off - Ajer on [86min]

| Full Time Brentford 4-0 Crystal Palace |
MOTM: Raya 8.3 - who made eleven saves - with Brentford only have six overall to Palace’s 16

Saturday 17th September
Aston Villa 0-3 Southampton
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Leeds United 0-1 Everton
Arsenal 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool 0-2 Leicester City
Brentford 4-0 Crystal Palace
Manchester United 4-0 Newcastle United

Sunday 18th September
West Ham United 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Manchester City 2-1 Fulham

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For the second game in a row David Raya would be given the Man of the Match award and despite the very difference between a nil nil draw and winning 4-0 - it was clear that the shot stopping prowess of the Spanish international was really proving to be the difference maker for Brentford. If this current run of form continued it wouldn't be long before other clubs declared interest and tried to steal Raya away from the Gtech.

It would also be confirmed that former club captain Pontus Jansson had extended his time with the club by two years. The 'Rumour Mill' would suggest that Zanka and Ghoddos involved in talk of an extension, but that reserves Alex Gilbert and Tristan Crama would find themselves being released if they weren't able to show improvement in the coming months.​

 

[CakeWalker]

Carabao Cup vs. Arsenal [Round 3] 21st September

Considering the calibre of their opponents, Brentford would elect for a slightly more competitive side than the one that faced Shrewsbury but would still see them not involve so many of their active starters. Noticeable inclusions would be:

Second choice keeper Thomas Strakosha going between the sticks to play his first game of the season and first for the club since the preseason match against Mallorca.

Javier Hernandez would have seemed to have been saved over the weekend and was included in the starting XI.

Reserves Stevens, Yarmoliuk and Young-Coombes would also be included in the team’s starting XI.

Bench: Strakosha [GK], Lewis-Potter, Schade, Crama, Gilbert, Trevitt & Oyegoke

Arsenal Line Up
GK: Turner
DEF: Tomyasu | Holding | Kiwior | Tierney
MID: Jorghinho | Smith | Darder
FOR: Nelson | Jesus | Martinelli

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| Full Time - Arsenal 6-1 Brentford |

Arsenal: Darder [10] & [22], G. Jesus [44], Tomiyasu [56], Trossard [60] & Martinelli [64]

Brentford: Roerslev [52]

- The match would be tough for Brentford with their bench and reserves really no match for what Arsenal brought to the table. Roerslev's goal would come from a decision of moving him into CAM, when Oyegoke would come on in the second half to replace Ghoddos with the experiment ending up working.

- After the sixth goal, Strakosha would be replaced by David Raya who would prevent further shot from going in the net.

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GAME SIX

Brentford would elect to use the same formation they used against Crystal Palace, with it being evident that the alternative strategic approach might be the perfect formula for Brentford to employ especially against certain opponents. The Bees unbeaten streak in the league was still going strong, but following the loss in the Carabao Cup when one crack forms it often doesn't take to long for a second to appear.

Bench: Strakosha [GK], Hernandez, Jensen, Ajer, Janelt, Dasilva & Schade

| Newcastle 0-0 Brentford |
- Honorat has a one-on-one with Raya, but Rayacame out of his area to cut him off and stop what looked like it was going to be a certain goal. [15min]

| Newcastle 0-1 Brentford |
- Hickey with a delicate and short cross to Rodriguez, who hits the ball on the half volley to give Brentford the lead (his first goal for the club). [22min]

| Half Time 0-1 |
Brentford really utilized the offside trap to their advantage, with the complete package of the back four looking solid.

- Wissa almost scores a stunning goal, but Pope dives at full stretch to prevent it from going in [52min]

- Wissa off - Schade on | Henry off - Janelt on [61min]

| Newcastle 1-1 Brentford |
- An amazing goal from the D of the penalty area and over the top of the goalie from Sancet in a contender for Goal of the Season. Raya had no chance. [64min]

| Newcastle 1-2 Brentford |
- Hickey assist Rodriguez a second time, passing it back towards to middle for the second. Great linkup between both men. [73min]

- Mbeumo off - Jensen on | Pinnock off - Ajer on [78min]

- Rogriguez off - Dasilva on [91min]

| Full Time Newcastle 1-2 Brentford |
Hickey MOTM 8.6 - with two assists and great protection of the right side of the pitch proved to a be real asset. Also suggests, Brentford moving away from five defenders - and instead relying solely on four offering more options in the middle.

+ + + + +

Hickey would be very open about how much he was enjoying is football at the moment and was loving the freedom of being able to move up the wing and offer attacking options up the flanks. Hickey would admit, that if the formation was even chosen he would even push himself forward as a potential choice of taking on an LM role in the future if it was needed by the club.​