Could Brentford be the surprise package in the race for Europe?
Yesterday at 02:33 AM
As another international break looms, it presents a chance for Brentford to take stock of the potential ahead. With a trip to Everton next up on Saturday week and the game with Bournemouth at the weekend cementing The Bees' place as the best performing top flight side at home so far this campaign (and you can catch up on the post- match debrief from that one, here) things are looking positive.
The simple fact of the matter is that goal hungry Brentford are poised within striking distance of the Champions League places. Don't @me – the table doesn't lie. Third placed Chelsea are only three points ahead on 19 points, compared to our 16, whilst the media are currently full of praise for the Bees as both entertainers and goal-scorers.
Granted, the aforementioned gap covers eight teams but is as much a sign of how the table really is that tight at a time when one would have expected it to start settling down. We are now just shy of 30% games played (11 out of 38) in the season yet the battle for Europe remains more open than ever. This really is there for the taking if any team can put some consistency together. Only League leaders Liverpool have achieved that so far.
Manchester City have now lost four in a row in all competition. Chelsea had that terrible start. Manchester United are a laughing stock. Arsenal wobbling. Spurs and Aston Villa dropping points from unlikely positions. It really is there if anybody wants to take control.
For Brentford, away form would seem the obvious fly in the ointment. A grand total of nil points earned although only the game up the road last Monday has been the real gut puncher. Prior to that we've played at Liverpool (close), Manchester City (closer), Spurs(who were magnificent that day, unlike the ref) and Old Trafford (Bees hibernating). Quite possibly one of the hardest starts to an away campaign imaginable although I'm still gutted we've dropped points in pretty much all of those. A bit more good fortune and things could well have been different.
Yet it is at home where everybody is talking. 16 points achieved out of a possible 18. Only West Ham seeing anything dropped – and that was after one of our trademark' early goals' . Bryan Mbeumo opening the scoring with just 37 seconds on the clock. We scored three, four and five against Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and Wolves respectively. That's twelve in just the last three games, with Leicester City here next.
Wissa is on fire with 7(seven) goals in 8 appearances whilst KLP and Mikkel Damsgaard are running the show from midfield. Get the defence right to allow KLP to stay higher and we'll be just about set perfect. The Rico Henry question remains one of life's great unanswered but the one thing we do know is that, at least per Thomas' press conference pre Bournemouth, both Igor Thiago and Gustavo Nunes are due to feature in an in-house game today (Wednesday).
Neither of these new signings has featured all season so have them available any time soon could present Thomas Frank an intriguing selection issue. Especially up top where Wissa sits fifth in the Premier League top scorer's table. Who'd be a head coach?
As for Rico, all we can say is that his return is not quite as close. Thomas updating to say "If everything goes to plan, it will be a week until he can be involved in a game or that we are more sure. He was on track, had a minor setback, and now we are extra cautious."
It’s easy to understand the need to be careful. Rico's been out so long you could be forgiven for remembering just how good he is. How only Gareth Southgate's reliance on out of form favourites, followed by that injury, stopped him getting an England call up. Get his return to action right and it really will be the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle completed.
This season has Leicester City vibes about it. Manchester City will still be favourites to win the title but it is what happens below there that is more open than ever before. That presents a quite marvellous opportunity for somebody unexpected to break in to the top four. Nottingham Forest and Brighton are both level on points with Chelsea. Blinkin' Fulham one below them.
Something will have to give somewhere at some time as teams play each other or continue to drop unexpected points. The question as much being who steps in to the void created?
If Brentford keep the fitness reports heading in the right direction and start to get it right away from home, who knows what we might be talking about by the next international break? Certainly, it'll be a lot more interesting than publicity seekers with a worse view than at Newcastle United watching the game from their flat.
Here's hoping today's game brings nothing but positive news when we learn what has happened from behind closed doors…..
Nick Bruzon
