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Beesotted regular, and seasoned football journalist, Jim Levack, looks back at Saturday’s draw with Birmingham City…

The only thing that will prevent Brentford securing a mid-table, or even play off spot, is… themselves.

I’ve seen and heard enough in our four league games to suggest that football-wise, Mark Warburton’s side are a match for most in the Championship.

I do have a question mark about the physical side, but that is easily remedied and won’t need an instant response in this window.

But when it comes to football, Brentford are playing some decent stuff… even with ten men.

After the dust had settled on the Birmingham game it was easy to fool yourself that Brentford had won, such was the ‘against all odds’ nature of the result.

Living amongst many Bluenoses, it was even more important than usual for me that we got a result – they’re a pretty unforgiving bunch and still see themselves as a big club. They’re not.

And that’s just the point. Brentford are here on merit, we deserve to be mixing it with once-big Premiership clubs and will do well… as long as they cast off any lingering doubts about their right to be there

Despite the plaudits that came the Bees way after the Birmingham result, breaking the game into segments still left me with a nagging question.

The first 10 minutes was frenetic, jittery and in complete contrast to the final 40.

Players who last season brought the ball down, played it crisply and confidently and retained high percentage possession were resorting to the big boot, which in turn invited the visitors back on.

The second half, when Brentford had worked their way into the game and played with less fear and greater tempo as they realised City were just 11 blokes with the pressure of expectation on their shoulders, was more like the Bees of last season

So if Saturday’s display does anything for Mark Warburton’s man, it should banish for good any suggestion that we are in the Champonship purely to make up the numbers.

Warburton’s post match analysis hinted at what he sees as the reason for the brief unconvincing and yes, uncharacteristic, phases we keep seeing.

“What we have to avoid in this league is playing the badge and playing the club name. We are not playing the Birmingham City or Blackburn of the Premier League,” he said.

“We are playing their team of today, no disrespect to those clubs, and we have to deal with that.”

The first ten minutes of the Birmingham game were edgy as the visitors tried – successfully – to bully Warburton’s men.

But the second half was proof that this Brentford side have earned the right to stand toe to toe – and dominate – big city sides.

Much of football is about measured swagger… walk beyond the white line with fear in your eyes and the better sides will see it and happily capitalise on it.

Play without trepidation the way Brentford did in the second 45 and even the best sides in the division will be tested.

Like the new boy in big school, the sooner this talented and exciting Bees side find their feet, the quicker they will begin to excel.

Much of football is psychological and it’s that tiny percentage where Brentford need to start believing from the first whistle.

How about trying out that theory tonight against ‘big club’ Premiership Fulham?

Jim Levack