Spread the love

Beesotted contributor Jim Levack believes Brentford’s poor run of form as of late is not so much down to the manager – but more down to the tools he has had to work with.

Dean Smith’s critics, conspicuous by their absence while Brentford were winning, took just minutes to pop their heads above the parapet after the Norwich capitulation.

Question marks over his future, his ability to motivate the players and his apparent failure to get his side up and at ‘em from the first whistle were all trending on social media.

To my mind only one of those criticisms – the last – has any merit in the real, unemotional world because Smith is a good manager, a good man and a good fit for Brentford right now.

He has though, been sold down the river by an average to middling recruitment policy which now sees us looking weaker on the pitch than we did a year ago, despite his understandable protestations to the contrary.

Smith has to say we are developing and growing stronger because to say otherwise would be tantamount to treason and could potentially cast grave doubt on the likes of Rasmus Ankersen and Phil Giles.

But I watched a re-run of our 4-1 win at Fulham on You Tube the other day and the football was on a different level. Prichard to Odubajo to Dallas to the Spanish lad who bizarrely is still on our books but doesn’t actually play for us!

The football was crisp, incisive and combined pace with guile. We’ve seen it this season but only in flashes as the nucleus of that side was torn asunder with the replacements either inferior or ‘ones for the future’.

Alex Pritchard, the architect-in-chief of our destruction at Carrow Road, has yet to be replaced with anyone capable of sitting behind the striker and threading the kind of balls Scott Hogan could thrive off.

Hogan has scored some great goals this season DESPITE the system and not because of it. He is largely isolated, receives sporadic service, can expect little from the flanks and as a result gets caught offside far too often as he strives to seek any slight advantage he can.

But, and this is a big but, that is not Smith’s fault. He can only play the system the personnel available allows him to and with only one recognised striker on the books, what option does he have?

Lasse Vibe, on his day, is a superb footballer but his day doesn’t come often enough and he’s certainly no centre forward. Philipp Hofmann has, so far, failed to fulfil the hype delivered after that Under 21 goal against England at Wembley.

Imagine the situation. Hogan seriously injured at Norwich. Out until March. It doesn’t bear thinking about. He has 11 goals and the nearest contender is John Egan with three.

In every business there needs to be an element of resilience but Brentford have none, and the longer that goes on the more disaffected Hogan is likely to become. Despite the fact that he comes across as a hugely principled bloke keen to repay the club’s fantastic loyalty, patience is a currency that can run out quickly.

At this stage it’s important to remember that the players who did so well earlier in the season haven’t turned bad overnight. They are good, talented footballers easily capable of finishing towards the top end of a competitive Championship once confidence returns… and it will with back to back wins.

But where is the pressure being put on Hogan, why is our midfield easily bullied, why have we yet to replace key players like for like? All valid questions being posed by disgruntled Bees fans after the Norwich game, which incidentally I walked out of at 88 minutes with the catcalls of the Norwich supporting corporate box ringing in my ears.

A significant number of the players brought in during the summer were those identified by Smith himself – Sawyers, Henry and possibly Egan. They were all permanent signings, which is great because they will prove to be assets long term.

However, why when a need for two pacy wingers capable of running at defences and unlocking ‘park the bus two banks of four’ was clearly stated by the club in the summer, have we yet to sign one? Sullay Kaikai is definitely one for the future but doesn’t look ready to me yet.

Brentford’s transfer policy is sound, don’t get me wrong. But creating that perfect blend by complementing them with the right type of Premier League loan players – like Pritchard –  seems to have slipped beyond our grasp. Have our relationships with Premier League clubs turned sour and if so why?

Is this the job of Rasmus Ankersen, a guy who always looks and sounds very impressive at the fans’ forums? That’s a genuine question. If it isn’t his job then who’s is it and why have they failed to do it since Smith arrived?

Here’s the nitty gritty. Midfield, once a steady source of goals, now prefers to maintain possession and when the likes of Yennaris and Woods do get within sniffing distance of the box they too often fail to let fly when no Brentford fan worth his or her salt would condemn them for having a dig even if it flies high wide and handsome.

January needs to see those holes in recruitment addressed but before then the fans need to stand shoulder to shoulder with the players to let them know we do appreciate they are good players lacking in confidence… starting this Saturday.

But above all before people start calling for Smith’s head they should seriously consider the kind of support he has actually had in the transfer market. Otherwise, his departure would be little more than scapegoating and where is the long term benefit of that?

Jim Levack
@jimblee1

Do you agree with Jim – that recruitment has let Dean Smith down – or do you think Dean Smith has the players and is out of his depth? Discuss in the comments below.

Tickets to the Christmas Social with Richard Cadette, Carl Hutchings and Paul Gibbs are available by clicking this link