We’re almost there. On Friday evening Brentford begin their final dress rehearsal before a fourth season in the Premier League gets under way with Sunday week’s visit from Crystal Palace.
This time around, Ralph Hasenhüttl and his Wolfsburg team are the visitors to the Gtech. The Germans, who finished 12th in last season’s Bundesliga, completing a sequence that has seen Thomas Frank’s team thump AFC Wimbledon 5-2, draw 1-1 away to both Benfica and Watford as well as a 3-1 reverse in the ‘behind closed doors’ friendly with Estrela da Amadora.
For those of us desperate for the league campaign to start, this game cannot come soon enough. The summer has been relatively quiet on the Brentford front with transfer news thin on the ground. Something which comes as no surprise to anybody even half-way familiar with how the club have being going about business for years.
The biggest story being Ivan Toney’s appearances at Euro ’24. His technique in scoring ‘that’ penalty, something which those of us in this part of London are well familiar with, seeming to catch the rest of the footballing world by surprise.
“He didn’t even look at the ball when he hit it”, seeming to be the general reaction. See also: “He must have ice in his veins”.
Of course, The Bees faithful have seen this done so many times before. If anything, as much of the pleasure that came from the summer’s action being the fact that Ivan came on for England in the final. This, like our ongoing top-flight status, is something almost unimaginable to those of us who have been supporting the club for more than five minutes. Things have certainly moved on since the days of League Two, no squad, buckets being rattled on the forecourt, David W£bb and Terry Butcher.
With Ivan now back in training after his post-tournament rest could we even see him in action on Friday night? Let’s hope so. The purported interest in a player who only has one year left on his contract seems to have cooled off. For now.
There’s an argument to be said that the potential money his goals will help earn by propelling us up the table could be worth more than any of the rumoured transfer fees. With long-awaited big-money signing Igor Thiago finally pulling on a Brentford shirt against Wimbledon then suffering a meniscus injury that sees him out until December, it won’t take a genius to see the benefits of retaining our dead ball supremo.
Others who may get a run out against Wolfsburg include Mads Roerslev, Ethan Pinnock and Vitaly Janelt. All three missed the trip to Watford although Thomas Frank was quick to reassure supporters, noting: “It’s minor, minor issues with all three. It’s a combination of pushing people, but also making sure we have a full squad available for the first game of the season.
“I am very confident that all three of them will play against Wolfsburg next week and all three of them will be available for the first game of the season.”
Perhaps as much interest will focus on the seemingly jinxed left-back position. Whether it was just experimentation or something more telling, the absence of Keane Lewis-Potter (along with Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey – both close to a return), the return to Spurs of Sergio Reguilón and departure of Saman Ghoddos meant Thomas had to dig deep. Kris Ajer filling in on this side and Ryan Trevitt coming in on the right.
The only other person with league experience in that position being Vitaly. Presumably, it will come down to him and KLP as/if either is deemed fit before Rico and Aaron. Friday could well give more of an indication as to which way Thomas will jump when things get going for real.
To be quite honest, in the short term it doesn’t really matter what the score is against Wolfsburg. These occasions are as much about getting back into gear and fine-tuning positional awareness ahead of the big kick off. It will be as much about making sure we are all fully fit and ready to go for it against Palace.
Nobody needs a reminder of the horrific injury crisis that decimated the team last season. Yet Thomas and his coaching team never panicked. Kept going with the squad and the approach that has served us so well over the years.
Whilst it felt like The Bees were running on fumes at times, here we are again in the top flight. It’s a fourth season at this level, following on from finishes of 5th, 9th, 10th, 9th, 11th, 3rd and 3rd (promoted) in the Championship since coming up from League One in 2013/14.
Supporters know our transfer strategy works. Knee-jerk calls for new blood are largely futile – given the way signings are lined up well in advance (Thiago, for example, signing his pre-contract deal in January) and the B-team acting as a feeder.
Those looking in expect the Bees to fail. Only six clubs are considered more likely to be relegated – for the record that’s Everton, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves and Southampton.
And? We’ve heard it all before. Every season. That phrase about water and a duck’s backside now springs to mind. I can’t wait for it all to start in anger and the critics be proven wrong. Again.
Until then we have one more game. Win, lose or draw on Friday night as much the priorities are to catch up with friends and see the boys at the Gtech once more.
Perhaps, also, to keep those fingers crossed that we end this one with a clean bill of health…
