Saturday afternoon sees Brentford travel to already relegated Ipswich Town, looking to continue the late surge towards the UEFA Conference.
With the Bees very much ‘in-form’, Sunday’s 4-3 defeat of Manchester United made it three wins on the bounce. It was an exhilarating performance with the final score only made marginally close courtesy of two late goals for the visitors. Kevin Schade’s brace helping the Bees surge clear and, in the process, becoming the third member of the team to have scored ten or more league goals this season.
Now, there’s just a solitary point between Brentford and eighth placed Bournemouth (with even Nottingham Forest in sixth, mathematically catchable). That one point the gateway to a potential place in Europe. Three games remain to leapfrog the Cherries, starting at Portman Road this weekend.
Thomas Frank had good news in Thursday’s press conference, confirming: “Everyone that was ready for Man United is also available again”. His positive being that this includes Igor Thiago, who got on the pitch against the Red Devils. The player finally fit after a torrid first season, health wise.
Wonderful an option though he is, Thomas’s priority will be to go for the win. This is not the time for rejigs but,rather, sticking to the tried and trusted. Not when there is so much more than the three points to gain.
Clandestine injuries aside (when it comes to the press there’s the truth and ‘the truth’), it can only be another run out for the now well-established starting XI. Brentford sure to line up with a team of: Flekken, Lewis-Potter, van den Berg, Collins, Kayode, Yarmoliuk, Nørgaard, Damsgaard, Schade, Mbeumo and Wissa.
Looking at Ipswich, Thomas was making all the right noises. Praising Kieran McKenna, noting that this was likely to be the toughest of the final fixtures whilst commenting that our opponents, “Have been competitive in every game”. The head coach adding that, “I haven’t seen them dropping in intensity, performances or willingness to work hard and run hard”.
Whether that spirit alone is sufficient to stop hungry opposition of course remains to be seen. The backline has been breached a dozen times in the last five games whilst a mere four wins all season look like slim pickings. Pride aside, the only other thing they are playing for is the battle with Leicester City so see who does down in 18th place as opposed to 19th.
It has all the hallmarks of a giant banana skin for the Bees and so Thomas Frank will be sure to reiterate the words he gave the press to his players. That said, if they tread carefully, play with the same fire as we’ve seen in recent weeks and keep up that intensity then who knows what could come next.
This should be a very open game of football with Brentford having every incentive to really go for the win. Bring it on.
