Football

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 7

by
Nick Bruzon
October 2, 2023

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A 1-1 draw at The City Ground between Nottingham Forest and Brentford one of those games which, to borrow from one of football’s laziest clichés, really could have gone either way.

In the end The Bees will have to be content with another point and a performance which was a massive step up from the previous league game. Will have to be content in the knowledge that, had VAR done what it is actually supposed to, then we may well have had three spot kicks awarded in our favour. Two hand balls in the last significant move of the opening period had Bees’ fans enraged. Nicolás Domínguez (playing basketball under pressure from Vitaly) palming it down as far as Wily Boly who then gave the most discreet flick of the wrist to clear the ball with Ajer set to pounce. Nothing was given.

Yet this was nothing compared to the confusion felt after Wissa, who had also been presented Brentford’s best chance in the opening period, took advantage of Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner’s impersonation of a player trying to trap a bag of cement. His laboured touch afforded the Bees’ front man the opportunity to steer the ball goalwards but as he connected, Turner ploughed clean through him. The ball running out of steam and cleared from the line. The VAR team deciding this was, well, nothing. Go figure… Perhaps Thomas Frank and Jurgen Klopp (after Saturday’s shocker for Liverpool) need to compare notes.

It was a game where this most maligned of review systems was front and centre. Taiwo Awoniyi saw his ‘goal’ just ten minutes in correctly ruled out for an offside. A relief given it took the Bees some time to get into a game which, despite the host’s dominance, produced little else in a niggly first forty-five.

Then, with the players back out for the second-half, things escalated. Moussa Niakhate was shown the red card for picking up a second yellow card of the afternoon. His initial scything of Matthias Jensen then compounded by raking his studs down the back of Wissa’s calf.

No question for the ref as soon as VAR intervened. Thirty-five minutes remained for The Bees to take advantage and they had done so within moments. Jensen swinging in the subsequent free-kick and Captain Norgaard timing his run to perfection to guide a header past Turner. An interminable wait for the VAR lines eventually produced the confirmation that the image of a blurry Boly was sufficient to determine he had played the skipper on. The goal stood. 1-0 and advantage Bees.

What followed was what the optimistic amongst us would call a head-earned point in an exciting game and the bedwetters might label a failure.

Less than ten minutes later Forest were level courtesy of a looping header from Domínguez. Perhaps it should have been cleared before it started or kept out when if happened but all the post-mortems in the world wouldn’t get it chalked off. All level once again and 45 minutes remained (once an incredible +13 were factored in) for the Bees to level things up.

Bryan came close. Neal Maupay impressed from the bench and with more time onfield could well have been the game changer. The ever-exciting Michael Olakigbe, with another of those wonderful late cameo appearances, was the only one alert enough to realise a deep cross had stayed in. His pick-up, run in to the box and shot from the angle came ‘that’ close to breaching Turner’s defence.

Forest also had their moments despite playing huge chunks of this one on the back foot but in the end both sides had to settle for the draw. Had Brentford made those more adventurous substitutions a bit earlier, with the man advantage, things may well have turned out differently.

Then again, we could also be talking about three points had the VAR team actually done what they are supposed to. Given the technology is there, and everybody else can see these incidents, I’m still aghast at how often they can get it so wrong. If the officials can’t use the system properly then just scrap it, or them, until somebody can.

All the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth won’t take away from the fact that we have another point on the board. That this trickiest of venues has seen us survive unscathed in terms of injury – something not to be sniffed at given the current situation where three guaranteed starters are awol, not to mention the same number of bench players.

Chuck the departure of Raya and absence of Toney into that mix before then comparing this team to the one that finished last season so well. The fact that the Bees are still competitive is something not to be sniffed at. That said, Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford is likely to be our toughest fixture on the calendar so far with Manchester United looking to deliver some payback after their own disaster at home to Crystal Palace this weekend.

All of which is to come. For now, we need to look at the top five performances and our season long quest to find the overall player of the season. Five points being awarded for every ‘star player’ award, four for second place, three for third etc and then the totals counted up over the course of the 38 games.

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 7 (vs Nottingham Forest)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Christian Norgaard
Even before he had broken the deadlock with his first of the season, the skipper was streets ahead of anybody around him. Given the number of potential candidates for our top five that’s no mean feat.

For me, the goal was the cherry on the proverbial cake. His pass rate and dominance – especially in the first half where Brentford had a sluggish start to the game – were the beating heart of the team. Stopping play dead and then spreading it around the side.

It was very much a case of the captain leading by example. Watching the game back afterwards, his full time interview was as telling as anything else. The desire and will to win shown on pitch still very much evident at full time. His individual performance deserved more than a point but at least he can be content with our star player award.

2nd (4 points) – Aaron Hickey
We’re going neck and neck on second and third today. Aaron scoops it, just, if nothing else for his staying 100% on focus after picking up a yellow card in the first minute. Given the greasy conditions and the pace of Forest going forwards, things could have been tricky but Aaron remained calm as you like.

To lose one left back could be considered unfortunate but to then have a second out of action could well have been catastrophic. Thankfully, Aaron was way better than that.

Those questioning his ability to fill in for Rico Henry on this side can only have been impressed by both his defensive coverage and overlap work with KLP down the left. The pair of them alternating and overlapping in tandem, with Hickey ending up playing a high line and getting in to that crossing position as much as his team mate.

3rd (3 points) – Keane Lewis-Potter
Can perhaps consider himself unlucky to ‘only’ place third. The first minute of the Everton game had reminded us of why the club had paid big for this young talent last season (he’s still only 22, don’t forget).

This time around, it was non-stop enthusiasm and pace. Running at the opposition and carrying the ball forwards. The interplay with Hickey in particular a reminder that it’s not all doom and gloom on the left despite the injuries suffered by Rico Henry and Kevin Schade.

Keane now has a chance for an extended run in this position. It will be interesting to see how he takes it.

4th (2 points) – Ethan Pinnock
Last time out our top five only had three nominees. Now, we are already having to take a brutal stance in trying to allocate the final places. Maupay, Ghoddos and Olakigbe looked tasty from the bench but given the performances we need to recognise game long consistency.

Ethan supplied that again. Perhaps surprisingly, Thomas Frank started with only two central defenders but he and Nathan were on it from the off. The pair of them dominating the passing out and, the goal aside (for which Ethan was blameless) the only real blot on Brentford’s copy book.

To be honest, part of me wants to pick either or both but that’s not how this works. Ethan seemed to be the one at the centre of the big clearances and whilst stats may tell another story, his presence is the one that sticks in the mind.

5th (1 point) – Kris Ajer
Oh, Vitaly. Oh Nathan. Both brutally unlucky to miss out. Whilst I was a little surprised to see our friends at TV had named Kris as overall ‘player of the match’ (Norgaard was simply ‘that’ good), there was no doubting his performance in this first start of the season.

If anything, the steel shown by The Bees’ backline – primarily in that opening period – was typified by his height and heading. Kris was there at both ends and, but for the machinations of VAR, could have won a penalty or even just been afforded the opportunity to fire goalwards.