Nick Bruzon gives us his best Bees from their Matchweek 12 game against Aston Villa and we see the updated Top 5 Brentford Players over the course of the season so far.
“A shambles to be honest. A shambles. Like a bunch of kids out there.”
Not my words, the words of Ivan Toney.
Words used at full time to describe a 4-0 tanking administered by Aston Villa that was, if possible, even more frustrating than the display at Newcastle United. At least, there, we’d seemed vaguely competitive in comparison to the shambles at Villa Park. At St. James’ Park, there was the somewhat dubious consolation that we’d seen the lead denied by VAR and kept things vaguely tight until the last knockings of a game that had ended 5-1.
They were words taken from his Match of the Day 2 interview. Something none of us have had any desire to rewatch but, perhaps, more than a few have done so. If nothing else than to see if it was as bad as we remember when enduring the full 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon. To see if there was anything could be salvaged from a game that, on form, should have been there for the taking.
Villa have/had been playing so badly that manager Steven Gerrard was given his P45 just days earlier.
Brentford with those fine displays and two clean sheets against Brighton and Chelsea under the belt.
Yet prior to kick off I’d been talking with one West Stand observer about the challenge presented by any team in such a situation. The pressure free environment of a side unleashed from the shackles of the previous incumbent and playing to impress in the space prior to the new boss honeymoon period. The managerial perineum with the threat of a caretaker’s bounce back hanging heavy in the air.
If there was potential inevitability about what might come, not even the most loyal of home supporters could have predicted how this one would have started.
Villa 3-0 up with not even a quarter hour on the clock. The opening goal conceded within 90 seconds from a short corner. They never work. Shouldn’t work. Yet this one did. The ball played in from the right and the marking on Leon Bailey anonymous as he thundered it past David Raya. It was a brilliant strike but Bailey was afforded more time and space than Doctor Who.
The second goal, via Danny Ings, also coming down that right hand side. Ajer and Roerslev performing a classic ‘After you, Claude’ routine. Ashley Young threading it not so much through the eye of a needle as a hole larger than the iceberg spawned gash in the side of the Titanic. 7 (seven) minutes gone and Brentford 2-0 down.
Fatally holed below the waterline with the ship capsizing just moments later. Kris Ajer not so much pulling Tyrone Mings shirt as trying to rip it off his back. The ref with no choice but to point to the spot. Raya, once again, with no chance but to watch the ball fly past him. Danny Ings’ pen lashed home with rapier like precision.
Look positive. At least there were over 75 minutes to try and salvage this wreck. In theory.
Instead, a sticky booted and disjointed Brentford side offered nothing. Only Raya keeping us on life support until the 59th minute. Villa picking up where they’d left off and who else but Ollie Watkins was there to finish off a pinball routine involving a fine stop from our ‘keeper, the woodwork, Pinnock and then the back of the net.
Bretford’s only real threats seeing Bryan somehow steer it wide instead of into an open goal after Emi Martinez had pulled off a fine save from Jensen. Ethan also seeing a goal bound drive blocked by the speckled shirt of a team mate.
If the third shirt was designed as a distraction, it was working the wrong way. The kit, also worn at Fulham, looked a mess. Much like our defence.
So, to star player and top five. It wasn’t a classic Brentford performance by any means – and that’s being polite – although for those of us who have been following the Bees prior to Matthew Benham’s ownership it was a classic Brentford performance from days of yore.
Frankly, had we not already pulled the same trick against Newcastle there would be no points for anybody but we can’t go there again. There must, surely, be some positivity we can salvage? As such, we DO have a top five.
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 12 (vs Aston Villa)
1st (Star Man) – David Raya
Yet again underlined his importance to this team.
Single-handedly stopped this from turning into the 7 (seven) goal bracketing that Villa’s performance and our new show suggested. Was powerless to stop any of the goals, having been sold up the river by a defence that saw Ben Mee left on the bench all game. A tactical misfire or an injury being protected? Regardless, the consequences were catastrophic.
Thankfully David was at his very best. One point-blank save from Ollie Watkins on 40, followed up by a second fine stop moments later should have had Cliff Crown running down to the dressing room with a pen and contract extension at half-time. If only it had been 0-0 rather than 3-0 at the point.
More followed to stop a massacre turning into a fully-fledged bloodbath but, from a team perspective, 11 men against 4 isn’t fair and was only going to end in an inevitable manner.
2nd – Mathias Jensen
Gave it his best, with the playmaker subjected to a series of heavy challenges designed to break up any attempt at flow we might have attempted to put together.
If anything was going to come through the Bees if was from Mathias. The aforementioned shot had seemed goal bound all the way and deserved way more than it got. Especially, given the subsequent miss from Bryan that summed up our afternoon.
3rd – Rico Henry
The right side of defence was a car crash. The midfield largely non-existent. At least Rico made up for it down the other flank as he, like David and Mathias, attempted to stem the claret.
Defence turned into attack time and again but snuffed out before it had even had a chance to flicker into life, such was the lack of support from his colleagues.
Psychological stuffing knocked out of them after that brutal start to the game? At lease Rico kept trying.
4th – Sergi Canos
Fresh blood in the second half and, at least, was able to try and develop play a little. It’s not his fault that the Bees were already 3-0 down but the time he came on to the pitch so was already chasing a lost cause. Yet he showed the effort and enthusiasm that was so mysteriously lacking from so many of his colleagues.
5th – Saman Ghoddos
Unused sub. Looked very useful in the warm up and had no hand in the debacle.
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 12)
All of which means the battle at the top has now become a three-way tussle with just two points separating Ben Mee (25), second placed David Raya (24) and Ivan Toney (23). With Mathias Jensen and Rico Henry tied in fourth place (14), this season could have more than a few twists in the ongoing race for our star player award.
1st – Ben Mee (25 points)
2nd – David Raya (24 points)
3rd – Ivan Toney (23 points)
T4th – Rico Henry, Mathias Jensen (14 points)
Expect the competition for points to be as fierce as it comes when Wolves visit the Gtech on Saturday. I suspect there may be more than a few players with things to prove…
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Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 12 by Nick Bruzon
