Beesotted contributor Jacob ‘The Gowler’ Gowler (@BeesBreakdown) is back for the start of the new season to give us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s loss against Nottingham Forest
Keith Andrews first Premier League starting XI saw some slight tinkering with what he deployed in preseason. The former set piece coach chose a 4-2-3-1, although a little different than the one Brentford fans are familiar with. Rico Henry, Collins, van den Berg, and Kayode started at the back, with Yarmoliuk and Jensen in a double pivot ahead of them. Carvalho and Lewis-Potter swapped sides, with Keane playing on the right and Carvalho on the left. Milambo joined in an advanced role in midfield with Thiago starting up top.
Nuno Espirito Santo matched up in a 4-2-3-1 with Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, and Neco Williams on the backline. Sangare and Elliot Anderson formed the double pivot, with Gibbs-White roaming in the number 10 position. Hudson-Odoi started on the wing with new signing Dan Ndoye opposite him. Chris Wood lead the line looking to continue his excellent form from last season.
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Although the xG battle may seem relatively even, Brentford’s xG is heavily inflated due to the penalty. Forest even held more possession with the Bees struggling to deal with their press and midblock.
Keith Andrews’ setup did provide more balance to Brentford’s squad than in the preseason match versus M’Gladbach but generally played to Nottingham Forest’s strengths. Relying on wing play put Rico Henry and Lewis-Potter in difficult positions to defend counters.
Brentford’s midfield also struggled to get involved in buildup, with Milambo and Carvalho failing to get incorporated. Milambo especially had difficulty getting on the ball, only recording 3 touches in the final third.
The larger issue, that Brentford fans certainly noticed, were the huge holes left with Mbeumo and Nørgaard departing. The stats agree with this argument, with most attacks sent down the left wing and Brentford only recording 5 total interceptions. Jordan Henderson and Dango Outtara will hope to fill those roles in the future.
Another issue is the elephant in the room — Wissa’s absence. As I mentioned last season, Wissa provides easy outlets and a +1 in buildup. Teams typically press a double pivot to prevent them from getting on the ball, which is where Wissa and Damsgaard excelled at helping out. Damsgaard’s return will help, but Brentford are missing Wissa’s linkup play.
