Brentford and Fulham shared the spoils in a 0-0 so lacking in genuine excitement it felt less action-packed West London derby and more a self-help guide for insomniacs.
In truth, it was one that, despite the excitement in the build-up, turned out the proverbial end-of-season run-around in the sunshine. It happens. The Bees can take comfort in another game unbeaten – that’s 5 out of the last 6, now. Likewise, the fact that Fulham have failed to score against them this season. A pair of clean sheets isn’t to be sniffed at.
Yet ultimately it was a game of little creativity and few chances. Bryan Mbeumo resuming his love affair with the Gtech woodwork in the first half. KLP also coming close with a clever flick. The second half memorable for the most blatant of non-penalties awarded when Wissa was bundle over in the box whilst poised to receive Damsgaard’s cross, then Raúl Jiménez going down the other end for miss of the season.
Just ten yards from goal, unmarked in the middle of the box he somehow blazed an ideally weighted pass high over the bar. Would Mark Flekken have stopped the ball had it got in the way? We’ll never know. Likewise why the officials or VAR failed to intervene in the foul on Wissa.
Then again, that was the story of the afternoon. Referee Graeme Scott allowing every transgression by the visitors to go unpunished. Every decision made, smothered in a generous blob of myopia. Confusion reigning as a Brentford corner was delayed to allow him to follow up a previous talk with the Fulham defenders, offer a yellow card for the foul he had been warning them against just moments earlier, then fail to point towards the penalty spot.
His, a performance that was as frustrating as that from the players. Summed up in the last minute of the game as Kevin Schade set off on a goalward charge, clear of the Fulham backline, only to be stopped in his tracks by the most oddly timed final whistle. Go figure?
Yet with Ivan Toney playing what is surely his penultimate home game for Brentford, a niggly afternoon was rounded off by his own treatment from certain sections of the home crowd. To hear that sort of negativity towards one of our own was totally uncalled for. Moreso given everything he has done over the last few seasons. Nobody set the world on fire in this one. Nobody deserved to be called out.
Did anybody rise above a 6 out of 10? That’s the question as we ask, reaching for our game by game top five. We also need to call this one against the back drop of officials who did everything in their power to also help kill this one as a spectacle.
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 36 (vs Fulham)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Ethan Pinnock
He stoops to conquer. Ethan was under everything. Yet another of those commanding performances he seems able to pull from the back pocket with consummate ease. Understated brilliance in making the tricky seem regulation.
It had the feel of a game where one calamitous slip up could deny The Bees even a point. A sucker-punch to give Fulham the win. Yet Ethan’s domination at the back made the Fulham front line feel, the Jiménez howler aside, much like their most famous fan… Pointless.
That is how the Barry from Eastenders / Fulham ‘joke’ works, yes?
2nd (4 points) – Sergio Reguilón
On an afternoon where the Bees perhaps struggled to impose their attacking intent, there was always the option of Sergio down the left. A tireless afternoon spent galloping up and down the wing deserved more than just a 0-0.
Blocking it at one end then delivering a hugely impressive total of 10 crosses down the other. There were times where it felt as though Sergio really was the best chance of Brentford breaking the deadlock. He forced Mr. Scott to get his notebook out in the second half (itself, a feat as rare as a Fulham shot on target) so it was good to see him still quite prepared to put in some added bite when the occasion warranted
3rd (4 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard
Happy days. We are still operating with Damsgaard v2.0. His fifth successive appearance in the top five. Once more pulling the strings, putting the yards in and showing some midfield muscle
If anything, he tried too hard. Pulling off the sublime and the tricky, then getting in a tangle when a pass rather than the over-elaborate would do. That’s not to criticise, far from it. Get the balance right and we really could have a plyer finally settled in to the Brentford way ready to start next season at 100mph.
4th (2 points) – Keane Lewis-Potter
Like Sergio, if a goal was going to come it was through the assistance of KLP. Genuinely, I’m at a loss as to why Thomas chose to pull him off during the first tactical substitution break as, at that point, he felt ‘player most likely to score’. Instead, his afternoon was cut short and with him went a lot of Brentford’s potential creativity.
Like Mikkel, this later part of the campaign has really shown the sort of player we have. The pair of them with a fit again Kevin Schade could really rip up trees next season if they carry on where they left off. KLP especially.
5th (1 point) – Mark Flekken
Final pick was very close between Mark and Nathan Collins. I’m giving it to Mark purely because he was faultless all afternoon. I can’t remember Mark putting a foot, of glove, wrong.
Every ball into the box was met with a confident catch. He dominated the aerial threat – the flappy punches of early season distant memory. When pressed into a save – there was one, maybe two – they were dealt with comfortably.
Like Ethan, half the trick is in giving off the demeanour of effortless calm and confident authority. A graceful swan on show but kicking ferociously below the waterline to ensure that one moment of disaster never came.
2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 36)
All of which takes us to the point where with just two games remaining, three players are still in with a shout of ‘player of the season’. Can Ethan Pinnock hang on to the top spot he has just retaken?
Could Christian or Bryan get ahead? Bring on Bournemouth when we find out.
1st – Ethan Pinnock (45 points)
T2nd – Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard 43 points)
T4th – Mathias Jensen, KLP (33 points)
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