That’s the type of headline – definitely made up by the way – that is doing my head in right now.
As the eyes of the planet turn to the sun-kissed shores of Brasil, I suppose it’s inevitable that all things domestic take something of a back seat.
But I wonder if I’m alone among the expectant ranks of Brentford and England fans in still constantly scouring the internet and official site for news of new signings.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of these people who put club before country – although if pressed I probably would – because I’d love to see Roy’s boys give the national game a glimmer of hope for the future and once again rekindle belief that there are some great young players further down the pyramid. Let’s face it we all knew about Lallana years ago.
The next month will be a festival of football with all the arguments over the TV remote that brings – negotiations are at a delicate but advanced stage at our house – but I will be constantly checking for news from much closer to home.
I’m not among the doom-mongers complaining that Rotherham have pretty much concluded their business already, bringing in two quality strikers and a keeper in Derbyshire, Bowery and Loach, or that even Birmingham City are bolstering their squad. But I must admit the lack of activity does make you feel a little uneasy.
Knowing the new Brentford, everything is pretty much in place and the deals can’t be announced until the start of July, but still the rumour and speculation persists… we’re in for Grant Holt, Luke Ayling is a done deal and even West Ham midfielder Matty Taylor is Griffin Park-bound.
The danger of giving such agent talk any credence is that Brentford fans starved of the oxygen of fact start to believe the hype – there was even a little part of my brain that allowed me to dream Joe Cole would be dead keen on joining the Championship campaign.
But there’s also a larger part of me that believes that it’s crucially important – maybe even more than survival in the second flight – that the club doesn’t get sucked into a debilitating downward spiral of sky high salaries, ludicrous player demands and unrealistic expectations.
Most of us would accept any finish above the bottom three next term, but that is a dangerous way of approaching the season that I’m certain every Brentford player would scoff at. We need to be thinking big with a top half finish in mind, but doing that without busting the bank or spending silly is the part of the equation where I really don’t envy Mark Warburton and his team.
It’s a very tough balancing act because to stand any chance of survival in the Championship I think we’ll need pace, invention and most importantly, finishing far more clinical than we saw at times last season. Harsh? Maybe – but goals allied to a mean defence will give us the best possible chance.
And so you have it… the vicious circle. Goals cost money, especially from the boot of a proven provider, whereas the riskier route is the Premiership youngster anxious to make his name.
Either way, I’m sure the club has it covered… but I’ll keep checking the excellent GetWestLondon and officlal sites for any snippets during the next four weeks and every time I read about the pitch revamp – however crucial that will undoubtedly prove to our passing game – a little part of me will die.
Who knows, one of Brazil 2014’s rising stars might come into the equation… oh no, there I go again.
Jim Levack
