Post Match review Harry from Bath

[hallamblue]

Journeys to football matches are strange things. The vast majority are forgotten as events at the destination take precedence, but some occasionally stick in the memory. When we played at Griffin Park on Boxing Day last year, the drive up the M4 on what was a grim wintry day reminded me of my many treks to a former employer based in the area.

Yesterday’s journey was altogether different. Combine harvesters were out in the fields heading up to the motorway, the temperature gauge in the car registered 24 degrees and there was Test Match Special for company. While being entertained listening to the recapture of the Ashes, it occurred to me that the Summers work was coming to an end and the Autumns work was now beginning.


Meeting up with a couple of TWTDers in the Griffin before the game (and extracting drinks from the barmaid from hell) my primary concern was whether Brentford's Andre Gray would or would not start. It transpired that he would be on the bench, which seemed an odd compromise. This meant that one of the big themes of the game instead should be how each side would exploit the opposition’s dodgy right-backs.


After saying goodbye to my friends, I headed off to find my seat which was (ahem) in the main stand and just to the side of the half-way line near the away terracing. The away end was indeed a delight to behold, a symphony of blue and while in the terraces above a mosh pit and which had many home fans entertained by our repertoire.

Still, there was work to do and right-backs to monitor. Once the game swung into action, I had a close up view of Josh Emmanuel. It was clear straight away that he was being targeted, with Gogia, Judge and Bidwell teaming up in two-v-ones and three-v-twos with him and Maitland-Niles.

Time and again it would seem that a Brentford move would inevitably end up on our right by the near stand. On one occasion Gogia tricked his way past Emmanuel and later on Josh lunged in late on one tackle after a shot had got away, but he was well-supported by Ainsley and Luke Chambers was quietly tutoring him on many occasions when there was a break in play.

The one time Josh really was caught out was shortly after he had turned over possession high up the pitch. Failing to react swiftly when the move broke down, Judge found himself seemingly with the freedom of Griffin Park but Bart was on hand to deal with Jota’s header from his cross. As the game progressed, Emmanuel grew into the game and it was terrific to see him play a hand in our opener.

While our right-back was passing a more than difficult initiation, Brentford’s defence was faring far worse. They were disjointed and often way too casual in possession. I checked my programme to see which new arrivals were creating the uncertainty but no, all five had been here last season. Dean and especially Tarkowski were hesitant and McCormack had his hands full with Fraser and Knudsen.

“Bloody hell.” This was the home reaction to the first of Knudsen’s projectiles. As several of these rained down on Brentford’s defence, I was reminded of the onagers hurling fireballs down on the Barbarians in the opening battle scenes in the film Gladiator. They are a real party-piece, rather like Sinisa Mihajlovic’s free-kicks were for Lazio but we do need to plan carefully how we use them.

“One-nil! The scum are losing one-nil…” The home fans laughed when this number was rolled out in the away end and indeed they had many kind things to say about us. Arnold Muhren, Frans Thijssen and Mick Mills were name-checked and I even heard our League title under Sir Alf mentioned. They were impressed by how we were going about our business and it was hard not to be.


“Ipswich look more polished.” Eavesdropping on home supporters’ comments at half time, it was clear they feared the worst. The first half had been open and entertaining and while you could see the Dutch brand of passing football the Bees were trying to play, the shape and tempo were missing whereas we looked way more coherent and accomplished.


While Skuse was regulating the temperature in midfield as ever, the improvement in Kevin Bru’s game has been remarkable. He is more dynamic and attacking in intent, driving forward and using his clever footwork to release the four front or wide men. His vision for his ball to release Sears to set up our second goal was as clever as the technique he showed in drilling home our first.

I had the perfect perch in the stand to see that Sears was not offside and that he was played on by a Brentford centre-back. His unselfish pass to Fraser for our second goal set off a sequence of changes from the bench which would now see the character of the game alter several times.


“We’re not cohesive”, “Ipswich are winning every second ball.” Marinus Dijkhuizen in his post-match comments talked about Plans A, B and C. If Plan A was his disjointed starting XI, then his plan B - introducing Andre Gray and switching to a wide diamond – was nearly catastrophic for his team.

Alan Judge and Toumani Diagouraga were the top and base of the diamond and it was quickly apparent that they struggled in a two-man midfield. Brentford were reduced to a succession of aimless long punts and misconnected passes. The game, suitably for us, descended into a scruffy and occasionally fractious contest with the home side and home crowd growing more frustrated.

“Emmanuel has hardly been got at in the second half.” The home fans by now were starting to turn on their team and we enjoyed a twenty minute spell where Skuse and Bru had everything nailed down. We were controlling the game comfortably, reducing Brentford to speculative efforts. With their disjointed defence it didn’t seem long before we would find a third goal, but it never came.


With Plan B consigned to history, the Brentford manager decided to move down the alphabet and brought out his Dutch - or more accurately Danish kitchen sink in the form of Lasse Vibe, the striker replacing right-back McCormack. With 20 minutes left, the hosts were going for it and we were reminded of the cliché about why 2-0 was a dangerous score once again.

At first it all looked a bit desperate, especially when Jota was yellow-carded for rugby tackling Freddy Sears. They were a team out of ideas. However, it became apparent that Brentford were trying to play Gray in either with quick through balls or balls player over the top. Meanwhile Vibe, Hofmann and Judge were lurking to see what might break from any ensuing mayhem.

I was worried about Andre Gray before the game as I felt he was worth a goal and was a cut above any other threat Brentford could pose. I now believe that Brentford simply cannot afford to let him go if they have any ambitions for this coming season. The warning signs were there when he was sent through shortly before injury time and was only stopped by a smart save from Bart.


At the start of the game, I felt that the narrative of the day might be about two right-backs, but the finale suggested that it may have been about two missing centre-backs. Brentford had clearly missed Andreas Bjelland given how we had put Dean and Tarkowski through such a difficult afternoon. Watching the injury-time events unfold, I found myself thinking about the missing Christoph Berra.

Brentford had tried a few lofted balls during the game causing the odd scare, and one known to those of us familiar with watching last year’s occasional defending. The injury-time ball played over the top by Tarkowski eluded Smith, and Gray made no mistake second time around, showing his superior class to rifle in Brentford’s first consolation goal.

“And the second goal was scored by I don’t know!” All we could see of Brentford’s second far more consoling goal was a schoolyard melee of bodies from a corner-kick and a net bulging. It was a goal which so typified what was an open, entertaining but flawed game. For all our creative play, our balance and our work-rate, we will not get promoted if we defend like we did at the death today.


“A draw which feels like a win”, “Two-nil and you ****ed it up”, “I’m doing the hokey-cokey.” Bees' comments at the death summed up their euphoria at having dropped two home points. We won in December and only drew yesterday but I felt we controlled the game yesterday more comfortably than in our brilliant but slightly neurotic win eight months ago.

Mick will have been pleased with all of the debutants performances on both flanks. Emmanuel rode out the first-half storm well and was effectively supported by Ainsley. When the tables were turned, the Arsenal loanee was outstanding and the pick of the quartet, catching opponents in possession and having the happy knack of choosing the right option more often than not.

On our left flank, Fraser was feisty and industrious, again being very Bournemouth in his clever runs and using his vision to flick off an unexpected pass. Knudsen is pretty much the finished article if perhaps a little combative. Parr probably kept the mercurial Jota under better shackles in December but Knudsen is a more dynamic operator and a natural foil for Fraser.


I cannot stress enough how in control we were for much of yesterday’s game. We were balanced in midfield, out wide and up front. Partnerships were being forged – Skuse and Bru; Fraser and Knudsen; Ainsley and Josh; Murphy and Sears, and we have Berra to come back. Yes, Brentford did get chances but Brentford were always going to create chances at home.

We were inventive, we played at a good tempo and our work rate was as good as ever. It felt so frustrating to blow such a commanding position, but in Mick’s mind it was a point in his pocket from a difficult away game - and one more point than at least one other East Anglian team currently have.

Strolling back to the car, I saw a sign in an estate agent’s window proclaiming that ‘Brentford is Beautiful’ and it made me smile. Many teams will come away from here thinking quite the opposite as the season progresses and as the Bees find their rhythm. We played brilliantly and left our hosts grateful for a draw. Frustrating, yes, but it has been a good start with much to take comfort from.

[hallamblue]

This is SteveM respone...another regular poster who us generally level headed ( well I think so anyway!).


Yeah, thanks for that beer Harry; your efforts were appreciated.


I'm still as much frustrated by the way the game finished as delighted by the wonderful attacking play; some of the interaction between Skuse, Bru, Fraser, Maitland-Niles and Sears was an absolute joy to watch. That we're already 22% of the way to matching last season's tally of goals from midfield is also encouraging. Murphy didn't look quite at his best yesterday, he worked hard but didn't get too much time on the ball. It was hard to see if Brentford were paying him extra attention from where I was.

The substitutions didn't help us although we were already looking a little ragged before we made any. McGoldrick playing so far forward was a poor decision as he was isolated, ineffective and we failed to keep the ball as a result. The first Brentford goal is evidence of that, just straight back to them from our ball forwards.

Smith will rightly be criticised for losing Gray, watching it again I'm not sure Chambers comes out of that too well either. Good finish but, as with Jerome's goal in May, could Bart have come out more quickly?

I'm more and more convinced that we have a real problem with our goalkeepers. Even over the course of yesterday's match Bart became more and more rooted to his line. There was a simple ball forward about 10 minutes from the end and he waited far too long for the ball to reach him rather than claiming it. He may claim he was impeded for the equaliser but it just looked like a busy penalty area on seeing it again, he just didn't get close to coming for it.

It's telling that he was better at coming off his line a year ago than he is now and I really have to come back to the question of Malcolm Webster. How come every single keeper he coaches is incapable of coming off his line properly? Throughout the rest of the team we see players develop through good coaching but this doesn't seem to happen with our goalkeepers.

[number 9]

Thanks for that! Very well written!

[hallamblue]

Both are generally very good and level headed posters. I just thought TB posters would like to see it tbh.

[Bluemike]

That is an excellent opening report and pretty much 100% as I and most who were there saw it. I am pleased to read the bit in the second report about Chambers part for Brentfords opening goal, again that is exactly what I said earlier, Smith will take the blame from most but he was covering where Chambo should have been.

[herforder]

Agreed - a couple of well written, accurate, posts resisting the temptation of being overly emotive! Across both this and TWTD sites, loads of opinions flying around - some measured and sensible, others wild and reactionary. The thing about opinions, rather than facts, is that as soon as someone expresses one, it gives everyone else the opportunity to say they're talking total b***lcks! With one game gone, what a season we have to look forward to!

Incidentally, I agree that our 'keepers give cause for concern - but still don't believe MM sees that as a priority. Time now to look forward; the bones of yesterday's performance have been picked clean!

[Bluemike]

After being at Norwich for the play off semi-final maybe we should consider Berra in goal, cracking save.

[herforder]

After being at Norwich for the play off semi-final maybe we should consider Berra in goal, cracking save.