Brentford ended this Christmas fixture on the wrong end of a 4-1 trashing. Wolves having delivered the knockout blows before a half hour had even elapsed.
Had this been a boxing match rather than a Boxing Day fixture the referee would have stopped it there and then. The visitors 3-1 ahead with 28 minutes on the board. A game where the team’s defending was so shambolic it would have embarrassed a primary school team. Nathan Collins in particular having a game he’ll want to forget with a succession of back passes to gift his former side goal after goal.
Despite a positive start from The Bees, it was Mario Lemina who opened the scoring on 13 minutes. A ball into the box saw him given the freedom of the penalty area and with no pressure he was able to pick his spot to the side of Flekken with ease. The goalkeeper only able to wave an arm at the ball as it was powered past him from yards out.
A goal down, the visitors’ lead was doubled from the restart with Collins receiving the ball but then choosing the ‘nightmare’ option. Perhaps he lost sight of where he was but played a pass back to Flekken that was so short it could have put on a Pringle jumper, sat in black chair and told a meandering story about playing golf with the director general of the BBC (anybody under 30 ask a parent).
The free scoring Hwang needed no second opportunity and raced on to ball for 2-0. The Bees’ keeper powerless to do anything although can at least be grateful his sliding challenge failed to connect with either the ball or the player as it would surely have seen him shown red otherwise.
Yet the response was immediate. Neal Maupay playing a wonderful ball through to Wissa who lashed it high into the net. The brief but always horrible wait for VAR to review potential offside proved nothing more than false alarm and it was game on. At least, for the next ten minutes.
Vitaly Janelt should have done better moments later when he headed straight at Jose Sa from close range but he wasn’t alone in failing to make the best of first-half opportunities created in what was an attacking performance. Wissa and Maupay in particular also combining to not score when the goal was beckoning.
Then, the third goal for Wolves. The ball was played through the middle and Hwang, like Lemina before him, allowed through under zero pressure. A finisher of his calibre needed no second opportunity and he took the chance with what seemed consummate ease. We all know that it’s one thing creating the chances and another thing burying them – something that Brentford continued to demonstrate in the second half as several opportunities were spurned or cleared – so kudos to the South Korean for making it all look so simple.
The second half return of Mathias Jensen offered hope yet, in truth, his arrival in to the field of play was too late to make any discernible difference. Had he come on at half-time with the first substitution then perhaps it might have but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Besides, Mikkel Damsgaard proved himself last time out and was perhaps unlucky not to even start this one. Instead, he offered little in terms of actually reducing the deficit.
Lots of huff. Lots of puff. No end product and then Ricner Bellegarde the beneficiary of another wayward pass – this time across the back line – to make it 4-1 as the game entered the final ten minutes. The reaction of the Brentford team, sat on their backsides in shock, confirming to everyone what we had seen play out.
The crowd streaming out. The late, late introduction of Myles Peart-Harris and Michael Olakigbe into the field of play a tactical move that never had sufficient time to make any form of difference. Then again, it was the sort of night where everything going wrong at each end meant that Brentford could still be playing now and would only find themselves falling further behind.
Ok. Box it off. Put it away and at least rest easy in the fact that we will have Ivan Toney back for our next home game in the Premier League. If ever a morale boost was needed after the proverbial ‘bad day at the office’ then it is that.
Until then, let’s look at our top five performances. The ongoing quest to find Brentford’s overall player of the season with five points awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game by game.
Much though it would be easy to take the cop out option of ‘nil points’ , there is a top five selection – no matter how brief it may feel.
2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 18 (vs Wolves)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Keane Lewis-Potter
He does look good. Nobody could doubt his pace, his trickery and his ability to run with the ball.
If anybody was going to score for the Bees it was going to come via our one genuinely creative outlet on the night – the fleet footed wing-wizardry of KLP
2nd (4 points) – Saman Ghoddos
Eleven out of ten for effort.
Positionally, Thomas had him pushed and pulled around the team with each passing substitution yet he never stopped trying. Never stopped flying in when The Bees were on the back foot or looking to try and take things forward.
3rd (3 points) – Yoane Wissa
He ran. A lot.
His goal was a wonderful finish with Sa left no hope. It provided the genuine belief that despite our horror start, there WAS a way back in to the game. There might have been, too, had sharper finishing boots been worn but at least he did show his team mates that scoring was possible.
4th (2 points) – Mathias Jensen
Came on with 68 minutes gone. Looked like he might mix things up a bit and, like Saman, never stopped trying.
Had he been able to play for longer then who knows what might have been. At least he is fit once more and so will provide further options in the coming weeks.
5th (1 point) – Ethan Pinnock
Fifth place really feels like we are running out of options but as one North stand observer opined, ‘He’s stopping it from being even worse’. With few other candidates that’s good enough for me and so it’s another point on the board for our current leader.
2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 18)
All of which means that there is no change in the top five although Saman Ghoddos is now just one point behind Nathan Collins. Could we have a new entrant after the trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday…?
1st – Ethan Pinnock (36 points)
2nd – Bryan Mbeumo (31 points)
3rd – Christian Norgaard (29 points)
4th – Mathias Jensen (23 points)
5th – Nathan Collins (18 points)
Follow Nick on Twitter @NickBruzon
