David Cameron Walker

Archive for the ‘Brentford’ Category

Brentford in 2012: Going anywhere?

Friday, January 6th, 2012

2011 has ended in as much disappointment as it started. January 2011 saw the club win once, draw twice and lose 5, ultimately ending in the sacking of Andy Scott. It ended with the worst performance I have witnessed since a dreadful night in Dagenham that ultimately cost Scott his job; a 1-1 draw with a rejuvenated Bournemouth, only courtesy of a last minute equaliser by Leon Legge, was one of the most abject, effortless and lethargic performances ever witnessed. Things had to change.

They didn’t, and only a monumental second half come back from 0-3 down against the team that shall not be named on New Year’s Eve (but ultimately have been the most impressive side to grace fortress Griffin Park this year) saw the Bees rescue a point.

A 2-0 loss away at Charlton just a few days ago only sought to highlight the problems that have since blighted the Uwe Rosler era. Passing and composed football with absolutely no end product. Charlton on the other hand were solid at the back, got the ball forward quickly, finished when required, and find themselves top of the tree. That’s no coincidence.

Here’s a lesson for Rosler. It was a theme of a previous blog that the team are trying to run before they can walk, play beautiful football before they are doing the basics well; creating chances and finishing. To draw a slight tangent, look at the Arsenal side in the early days after Wenger took over. The flowing football took time to emerge once he had HIS players in place, and the rest they say is history. Rosler doesn’t have his players in place, and some of his players including McGinn, Donaldson and Eger have struggled, although to his credit, the latter has started to play much better recently. It’s the old guard such as Lee, Legge, Alexander and Bean who are putting in the hard yards and scoring the goals.

So what for 2012?

1. A new striker. Although Mike Grella will feel hard done by, one start, 4 goals and a handful of 5 minute cameos have been the extent of his season. Clayton Donaldson puts in effort but looks nothing like the 27 goal man that ravaged League Two last year. Finally, Gary Alexander puts in the hard yards, is adored by the fans, but alas, isn’t the man that he once was.

2. Give Harry Forrester a chance. He sparkled when he came on against they who shall not be named on New Year’s Eve and is a prolific talent. The boy has been injured for a long time, but he must chomping to play. Let him. Please.

3. Don’t be afraid to be direct every now and then. Brentford finished 9th and 11th under Scott playing long ball football. It can work. It’s not pretty but it gets results, and is a viable alternative in this division. Rosler’s aversion to this, whilst admirable, is damagingly stubborn.

4. Reopen the Lionel Road plan. The club recently disclosed that they need 20,000 fans coming weekly to break even. In a 12,000 capacity ground such as Griffin Park one sees obvious problems with that. The new stadium plans up the road are the long term future of the club, rosy economy or not.

5. Realistic expectations for the fans. Grumbles have started about Rosler that the 3-3 game only delayed the fans from getting vocal about further. The club are in 7th, just outside the play-offs, behind a newly promoted team and clearly the five division heavyweights. A dose of realism and humility would be welcomed.

6. Rosler must be given time to build his team.

Hopefully this isn’t too much to ask, or Gary Johnson might start stalking the directors again…

Written by Chris Fairbank, We Are Going Up’s Brentford Blogger

Chris tweets at @crumblechris

 

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Waiting for the quiet revolution

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

With a third of the season gone Brentford are sitting where they have been for the last three seasons, just above mid-table, offending none, scaring fewer, occupying ninth spot in the table. The side’s latest outing, a home defeat to table topping Charlton, epitomised what has been a frustrating season so far for a side many tipped to make the play-offs. Most of those doing the tipping were Bees fans, but failure to score goals and finish successfully is hurting the club.

Manager Uwe Rosler, quoted after the Charlton game – which Brentford dominated for 80% of the time – said his side Brentford didnt have a quality goal scorer akin to Bradley Wright-Philips, a player who pretty much wandered round the pitch for 90 mins, but more importantly took his only real chance with ease.

In the summer money was splashed on Crewe Alexandra’s 28-goal man Clayton Donaldson, with the idea that he would be looking at a 15 plus season at a higher level. On recent performances, That wont happen. Gary Alexander works relentlessly, but isnt in the side for his goals, but more for his ‘human wrecking ball’ qualities. Mike Grella looks good and exciting, but doesnt seem to fit a system that favours two big men up top. A worrying statistic for Brentford fans, only one goal since 9th October has come from open play in the League.

Even more concerning is the form of Charlie MacDonald, sold to to that abomination of a club, and has six goals for franchise FC, more than any Brentford player. The club’s leading goal scorer is Sam Saunders with five, four of those have come from free-kicks.

For all the better football that Bees supporters have witnessed, the goals are drying up. 20 in 18 league games is concerning, especially considering that five of the top six have that much, or more just at home. Brentford are in the semi finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, amongst three League Two sides, so would hope Wembley beckons for a second year in a row. A favourable home tie in the FA Cup against either Wrexham or Cambridge could see a lucrative third round tie also. But this is Brentford – anything can happen. They certainly won’t make it easy for themselves.

You could accuse me of being overly pessimistic. The club sit 8th in League One, two points of the playoffs and as said, are doing well in two cups. So the future is bright, despite the lack of goal scoring prowess. The football quality is better, and an attendance of over 8,000 against Charlton was pleasing to see.

What is more concerning is the abuse and derogatory comments made by fellow supporters directed at each other. I stand on the Ealing Round terrace, the heartbeat of the home support and the amount of discourse that exists on the terraces is quite staggering. I have been to many home ends across the country in my years, and have never experienced such vitriol dished out to a fellow supporter.

Whilst some results have been frustrating, fans have often turned on each other which is very concerning. The club have their problems, treading water against the financial clout, marketing prowess and lure of premiership football from nearby QPR, Fulham, Chelsea as well as the other London and big teams. Whether this constant fear of financial floundering – helped or not by major investment from Matthew Benham, a professional gambler – plays on fans’ minds, or its the bitterness that comes with years of frustration and ‘what could have been’ situations, the frequency that it bubbles to the surface is worrying.

As the club sets it’s targets higher and higher the agonizing games, such as the 1-0 loss to Charlton, will only stoke that agression. The future, if one of failure, is bleak.

Written by Chris Fairbank, We Are Going Up’s Brentford Blogger

Chris tweets at @crumblechris

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5 games in – same old Brentford

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Over the summer tremendous change visited Brentford both on and off the pitch – Uwe Rosler took over, Simon Warburton came in as director of football and signings were made that gave the fans expectations of the playoffs. But five games in very little has changed.

Played 5, won 3, lost 2, 10 goals for, 6 against.

More concerning however has been the general lack of potency in front of goal, never more evident than in the home defeat to Tranmere. Rovers should have been five or six up by half-time and they only started creating chances late on in the game. For all the passing football that Rosler has brought to the club, the directness that Andy Scott and Nicky Forster favoured created chances and put teams under pressure. At the moment I fear that the team are trying to run before they can walk, in this case play attractive passing football without knowing what to do in order to beat teams. The recent prominence of Jake Reeves, a youth team product, is testament to this. Nobody can doubt his ability to pass and read the game, but his lightweight frame and sideways passing threatens little.

A 2-0 defeat away to Sheffield United highlighted how much United were physically bigger than us. They knew how they were going to score, bullied our small players – Shaleum Logan, Jake Reeves, Sam Saunders and Myles Weston – then broke with power. Travelling fans (Brentford always amaze me how well they travel away despite generally poor home gates) witnessed the Bees passing the ball around majestically for the last 15 minutes of the game, keeping the ball for almost all of the finale, however they fashioned one chance during the whole period. There is a distinct lack of cutting-edge, made worse by the sale of Charlie MacDonald to MK Dons. Charlie will be sorely missed, he always showed 100% commitment and worked defences tirelessly – 40 goals in 111 appearances is not to be sniffed at. Mike Grella should do well at this level. One hopes.

Over the season I will try and cover each couple of games with a Good, Bad and Ugly section, starting here;

The good – Leon Legge and Karleigh Osborne, maybe the best defensive partnership in the League?

Good performances from Legge, Jonathan Douglas and Niall McGinn against Leyton Orient.

The Taps pub in Sheffield station – glorious beer.

Beating Orient 5-0, and Sam Saunders scoring two free kicks. Just a shame he has not replicated the form that saw him do so well at the end of last season.

The bad – Sheffield United playing music on the PA after scoring goals. It just isn’t right.

Myles Weston – looks a shadow of a man that tore defences apart for the last two years. Consistently inconsistent.

Half time subs at Sheffield – Rosler took McGinn and Clayton Donaldson off at half time in a tactical move. Granted the pair had started poorly but they were getting into the game. McGinn has since gone on to prove that he offers a massive threat and had genuine quality about him.

The ugly – a morbidly obese, disabled Sheffield United fan waving her walking stick and flicking the V’s at Brentford fans upon United’s second goal, in front of her very young companion. Great role model.

Cheerleaders at Brentford – ugly as sin.

The journey goes on…

Written by Chris Fairbank, We Are Going Up’s Brentford Blogger

Chris tweets at @crumblechris

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No pressure, Uwe…

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

The very first words from this new blog should rightfully be a thank you to the management that have filled so many Brentford fans with untold amounts of confidence and excitement coming into the new season. So thank you must be bestowed upon Andy Scott and Nicky Forster. True, the new man at the helm, Uwe Rosler, has bought in some quality players which will be looked at in another blog but most fans can easily see the progression and foundations that have been laid over the last few years that have put the club into a position where Rosler would want to take over, and quality players would want to play in West London. Scott made the team hard to beat, made some good signings and most importantly got the club promoted into League One. He did play some dreadful football but when silverware is won, that can sometimes be forgiven. Games at Leeds, Southampton and Birmingham were personal highlights, and of course the title clincher and subsequent celebrations.

Nicky Forster got the club playing football again, most noticeable at the end of the season in Sam Saunders and Toumani Diagouraga who displayed the promise they were seldom allowed to display under the previous regime. He restored confidence and pride in a club that had seen it erode away and reach a personal low; a rubbish Tuesday night in Dagenham.

A Sunday at Wembley followed and the disappointment didn’t abate, but it was too late, the club was gaining national recognition. Under Scott and Forster the club made serious progress towards be becoming a modern professional outfit, helped by Matthew Benham’s skilfully won monies. This leads us to this summer and the appointment of Uwe Rosler.

The Brentford fans I know are much like any football league fans, cynical, hard to impress and quick to criticise. But something strange is happening in one of our four pubs that sit, guarding Fortress Griffin. People are confident, lavish with praise and hopeful. Rosler has put a spring in people’s steps, made them look forward to the big games this season – I for one have brought into the early signings with long trips up and across the country already booked in anticipation. Tweets exclaim where you can get good odds on promotion, but more lambaste the low odds, proof that it’s not just Bees fans that share the sense of optimism. He has played good football wherever he has gone, and built quality squads.

I’m sure there will be nay-sayers and euro sceptics but this is League One. It’s a risk to take on a manager with no experience of managing in England. That’s a given. But football is all about taking risks. Especially when smaller clubs look to step up a level. Rosler was a good player when he made his name in England. So why not a good manager. The will has long been there, now the players and management capable to take on such a campaign are in place. I and many fans alike can’t wait.

Anyway, we better hope he hangs around; fans are already penning songs of how his dad dropped bombs on Fulham.

Written by Chris Fairbank, We Are Going Up’s Brentford Blogger

Chris tweets at @crumblechris

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