A 2-0 won for Brentford against an abject Sheffield United side at the Gtech saw the Bees ascend to 14th in the table on Saturday evening.

It was a game where the result was never seriously in doubt although perhaps there had been a hope amongst fans when the teams were named that that the goals would flow. Not so much given the state of our visitors (for whom left-back Yasser Larouci endured a torrid afternoon) as the more attacking line-up that Thomas Frank began with. Resisting the temptation to start fit again Ethan Pinnock in the absence of in-form Kris Ajer, he instead chose to supplement Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa with the ever-popular Neal Maupay up top.

Yet in truth, there was little to shout about in the opening period. United offered nothing beyond annoyance and dragging us to their level. Had the game been played at Griffin Park rather than the Gtech, it wouldn’t have been hard to imagine the majority of the first half as being a late season League One game. Aside from a few shots straight down the throat of Blades’ ‘keeper Ivo Grbić, it was Maupay who had the best of Brentford’s initial efforts, stabbing just wide of the post.

Then, things lit up. Whatever Thomas said at half-time reminded his players who they were. Who they were up against. Just what they had to do. The confidence returning to Brentford as they started running at a backline that offered all the resistance of a cold rice-pudding. Nothing to write home about and penetrated with the slightest touch.

First Zanka, albeit flagged offside. There was little argument and we didn’t even hang around for the VAR check. Given David Coote was our man ‘in charge’ of video replays, it would have been much like Sheffield United. Ultimately pointless.

It wasn’t overly crucial. Just after the hour, the wonderful Damsgaard set off on a mazy run. Offered the freedom of the Gtech, he kept going. And going. And going. Cutting inside he fired it into the box and the ball found the back of the net via United’s Ollie Arblaster. It was credited as o.g. but make no mistake that this one was all down to the fleet footed Dane. Opening the scoring for Brentford in everything but name.

He didn’t have to wait long for his and our next. Bryan Mbeumo playing a free-kick across the box where Damsgaard, in more space than he could ever have dreamed of, made no mistake with the sweetest of first time connections. 2-0 Brentford. Peter Gilham going nuts. The players celebrating as one to recognise Mikkel’s effort. Then David Coote getting in the way after looking at an alleged foul by Nathan Collins on Oli McBurnie – a player seemingly afflicted with the same stability issues as Humpty Dumpty.

Urghh. It had the feeling of being one of those afternoons. Much as against Manchester United the other week, the Bees in complete control but only the finest of margins away from last gasp heartbreak.

Not this time, though. Sergio Reguilón stopping the one late threat our opponents could muster dead in its tracks and then, as time added on beckoned, the sweetest of sights appearing on the touchline. Ethan Pinnock and, perhaps even more exciting, Kevin Schade returning to action.

With Frank Onyeka completing this triple substitution, there was a frisson of excitement about what may come next, even though it was the unlikeliest of players to put the game beyond doubt.

Within minutes of his entrance, who else but Schade to make his mark once more? The most exquisite of turns and back heel passes through the box left Auston Trusty and the rest of United’s ‘defence’ bamboozled. Frank Onyeka charging through to time his arrival onto the pass perfectly. It was a ball that deserved nothing more than to be buried and ‘The tank’ duly obliged. 2-0 Brentford. Three points Brentford. Goodnight Blades.

Kudos to the visiting support. Much as at Bramall Lane in December, making themselves heard for the whole 90 minutes. Never giving up on their team. Relegation back to the Championship, something that has felt telegraphed pretty much since day one, now requiring nothing more than mathematical confirmation.

For Brentford, a fourth season in the Premier League awaits. Whilst not technically safe, the more positive way to look at things being that there are still sufficient points available to reach the top half of the table. Albeit, overhauling a Fulham team who are the next visitors to the Gtech is probably a more realistic aspiration.

It would do for me in a season that has been blighted by the most awful of injury lists. The naysayers. The boo boys. The keyboard warriors. We’ve still had a few but they can wallow in their pits of attention grabbing ‘performative fury’ (two words from somebody way better placed than yours truly to describe such ranting). For me, we’ve five more games left to enjoy. Starting with the trip to Luton on Saturday afternoon.

All that’s ahead of us, of course. For now, our game by game top five. As always, we give five points for first, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game by game to find an overall winner after game 38.

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 33 (vs Sheffield United)

1st (Star player: 5 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard
Second place last week, Mikkel steps up to bag the top spot this time around. Achieved the somewhat dubious honour of scoring twice but having neither goal attributed to him. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have been worried by that when waking up on Sunday morning.

You could see in that act of celebration what his team mates thought about it all. About what he brings to the team. About what he can do when the switch is set to ‘good’.

Much like fellow Dane Mathias Jensen, he has taken his time to settle. Yet now those moments of brilliance are becoming more the accepted norm. A player some considered lightweight happy to put them wrong with the tackling and shoulder-to-shoulder combat that matched his attacking intent.

Saturday saw him running up and down the pitch all game long. Acting as the pivot between defence and attack. When he wasn’t taking it forwards himself, looking to feed Neal, Wissa and Bryan in particular.

Only cruel luck denied him an actual goal but his was still the match winning performance.

2nd (4 points) – Mads Roerslev
Mads on form is a joy to behold. We got it all on Saturday. One Cruyff turn in the first-half brought a gasp of admiration from around the Gtech. Not to mention a few choice words of praise and surprise. Fans rising from their seats to enjoy that moment.

His second half-booking just prior to the 90 being called showed the more no-nonsense side to his game A challenge made with all the intent of breaking up whatever potential threat was coming at the death. Very much a case of taking the hit for the team.

On an afternoon where, being honest, at times the Bees struggled to break down opponents whose presence on the field of play felt little more than a contractual obligation, Mads never gave up. Always looked to try and create the threat from his runs forward and balls into the next third.

3rd (3 points) – Vitaly Janelt
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Vitaly once more the metronomic beat at the heart of the team. Unflappable. Unyielding. A player who has risen from unsung hero into top five regular this second half of the season.

We all know what he can do. How good he is. Just getting on with the job quietly and confidently. To see him dominating games alongside all of this is a true pleasure. He might have even opened the scoring for Brentford with one of those first-half efforts. The crowd urging ‘shoooooot’. A yard either side and Grbić would have been helpless.

It would have been a bonus though. What Vitaly brought was more of the same. Making sure the final third was locked up and that the centre backs didn’t need to get involved. Looking to open play up and get himself forward as the opportunity arose.

Every time the ball was in the middle, it seemed as though he was near it. Top, top commitment.

4th (2 points) – Sergio Reguilón
Ok. Truth be told there weren’t huge amounts of defensive work needed. Like Mikkel and Mads, when they were required Sergio was on it.

We’ve already mentioned his interceding late on but it was more the performance going forward that I took home from this game. Nobody can be Rico Henry but in Sergio, we have a quite wonderful short term replacement – something he proved again on Saturday.

Tight at the back, exciting going forwards and a clean sheet. What more could you ask for?

5th (1 point) – Matthias Jensen
A tough one for the last spot. Zanka wrapped it up. KLP brought new energy to the team when he entered the field of play on 80. Ultimately, my vote goes to Mathias. He stayed out there right up until that late, late triple substitution and I thought he had his best game in some time.

Against tedious opposition he tried to show the positivity that, had it manifested in creating an early goal, would have surely seen the floodgates open. I thought he played well and on an afternoon where chances were at a premium, at least we had the middle of the park purring.

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 33)

All of which means our top five are now clear of the plethora of players sitting just behind this main pack. Vitaly Janelt is the main climber whilst that final point for Mathias nudges him clear of KLP and Mark Flekken.

Next stop, Luton Town…

1st – Christian Norgaard (43 points)
2nd – Bryan Mbeumo (38 points)
3rd – Ethan Pinnock (37 points)
4th – Vitaly Janelt (31 points)
5th – Mathias Jensen (29 points)

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