Brentford head to St. James’ Park on Wednesday evening for a game where focus could well be away from the Premier League. Nick Bruzon previews.
You may not be aware as yet but, apparently, Newcastle United won the Carabao Cup the other week. If only somebody had mentioned it. Indeed, were it not for brief coverage of Dec & Ant, Alan Shearer and some sort of open top bus parade it would have likely passed us all by.
Good luck to them and their fans in particular. By all accounts it’s been a long wait for silverware (70 years being the figure I heard bandied about). Not even Spurs have dragged it out that long and so one can understand their celebrating in such euphoric fashion. For a club of this stature to go so long without lifting a domestic trophy has always felt something of an anomaly.
For everybody else though, who actually cares? I know it was a slower football week than normal with no top flight games but there was still plenty of other stuff going on (and also the SPL).
Yet with the distaste felt by many following the change of ownership now being swept under the carpet, the media have seen fit to once again start their ‘everybody’s favourite second club’ shtick and drown us in all things Newcastle. It was Magpie related over-saturation at a level not seen since Jenny Hanley, Mick Robertson et al did their thing on ITV in the 1970s. Kids, ask a grandparent.
In a media love-in much akin to West Ham leaving Upton Park (sorry, the Boleyn Ground as they all rechristened it over that interminable final season) we were only Sam Fender short of a Tyneside bingo full house.
It’s not clear at the moment if the former Rumbelows Cup will be present at St. James’ Park on Wednesday. Whether it will be on show once again to further stoke the passions of an always fervent home support or, instead, staying on the sidelines with the suspended Anthony Gordon. Oh dear.
Let them have their party and enjoy a long awaited celebration. For me Clive, it is an irrelevance. An absolute side show. Nothing to do with us. Brentford will be focussed purely on going for a sixth successive away win in the Premier League.
This, following a run of games that has seen wins at Bournemouth, Leicester City, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Southampton. A 0-0 draw at Brighton prior to those making it 16 away points out of the last 18 available with 14 goals scored and only 2 conceded over that run.
Off-field, there has been further good news for The Bees with club captain Christian Nørgaard committing his contract (© The Middlesex Chronicle big book of 80s alliteration) for another two years.
That deal – something head coach Thomas Frank called “A no brainer” – will see him at the Gtech until summer 2027. Nobody needs a lecture on what a player widely recognised as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League brings to this team but for The Bees in particular, this is HUGE.
Equally positive for Brentford was news that Rico Henry and Sepp van den Berg were amongst those involved in a ‘behind-closed-doors’ friendly against Spanish Primeira Liga side Gil Vicente ten days ago. With Aaron Hickey and Gustavo Nunes both playing the first-half on Monday for Brentford U-21s (along with another 70 minutes under the belt for Rico), the press conference on Tuesday could make for some very interesting updates.
In all likelihood, it is probably too soon for any of this trio but who knows what surprises Thomas could spring shortly?
Otherwise, this really is one where we’ll probably see more of the same given how well the Bees have played on their travels in recent months. Thomas has had two and a half weeks to work on things with his team but It’s likely to have been a case of nothing more than honing an already well-oiled machine.
Yehor Yarmolyuk must be knocking on the door although if there are to be changes, Sepp van den Berg is the only one likely to break into the starting XI, fitness allowing. Perhaps his absence on Monday telling fans everything they needed to know?
Other than that, the most telling factor will be in our officials. The axis of awkwardness that is Peter Bankes as match referee combined with Craig Pawson on VAR, sure to have supporters on edge. Let’s just hope that, for once, they can get the calls right and let the game flow.
More pertinent, fingers will be crossed for this being a case of ‘After the Lord Mayor’s show’. Newcastle can party all they want but, for Brentford, the opportunity to extend a fine run is the motivation needed.
Albeit Rico might have extra incentive should he get on to the pitch…
