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Will it happen and if it does, will we be on the pitch?

Questions Bees fans have been asking and singing about for months in regard to the odds of Toumani Diagouraga breaking his long goal drought.

Now, given his unexpected move to Leeds, it would be typical “old Brentford” if his run ended against rather than for us.

Tuesday’s match, brought forward from Saturday because of Leeds’ involvement in the FA Cup fourth round, was meant to be about the return of Stuart Dallas to Griffin Park for the first time since his August move to Elland Road.

Stuart has been involved in every match in all competitions for Leeds this season, after spending three years at Griffin Park following his move from Crusaders. He is also set to play for Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 this summer.

But the move of Toums (or Dave if you prefer but he doesn’t) now takes the pre-match focus after his move north was finally confirmed on Monday afternoon.

The midfielder played his 200th league game in our colours against Nottingham Forest in November and had been here so long, just over six years, that you even began to wonder if he’d be around long enough for a testimonial.

Having not scored since 2013 was enough to earn him the song “If Toumani scores we’re on the pitch” with Brentford fans willing him to “Shooooooot” whenever he collected a ball- be it be on the half way line or deep in his own half. 

He joins a Leeds team who have recently got it together at home but whose inconsistency before that at Elland Road, and still now in away games, has left them in the bottom half of the table.

Saturday’s 1-0 win over Bristol City stretched Leeds’ unbeaten run at home to six games in all competitions – stretching back to early December and consisting of four wins and two draws.

However in that period, they have also won one, drawn two and lost two of their five away matches to leave them 16th in the table – 11 points clear of danger but also 11 adrift of the play-off places.

Overall they have won eight of their 28 Championship fixtures – four at home and four away – but have only twice strung two wins together.

Their successes on the road have come at Derby in August and MK Dons in September – both 2-1 – Huddersfield (3-0) in November and Wolves (3-2) last month.

While they went out of the Capital One Cup on penalties at Doncaster in the first round, they have made progress in the FA Cup – which is the reason we are playing them on Tuesday – with their 2-0 win over Rotherham setting up a fourth round tie at Bolton on Saturday.

Leeds are in their sixth successive season in the Championship following promotion from League One in 2010.

They were last in the Premier League in the 2003/04 season.

WE’VE MET BEFORE

With wildly differing fortunes since we were relegated together from the old First Division in the first season after World War Two, it is not surprising that Leeds have been infrequent visitors to Griffin Park over the years.

Indeed Tuesday night’s game is only their third visit to TW8 since October 1953 and in their previous two they have failed to score.

Last season a goal in each half from Jota and Alan McCormack gave us a 2-0 early-season win.

And we completed the double in early February as a second half Alex Pritchard goal clinched all three points at Elland Road to take us up to fourth in the table – three days before Warburton-gate broke.

This season we earned a 1-1 draw in Yorkshire in mid-September with a debut goal by Marco Djuricin being cancelled out by Mirco Antenucci for the side then managed by ex-Bees boss Uwe Rosler.

Leeds’ other recent visit came in December 2009 when they topped League One and we were at the wrong end of the table and that match ended goalless.

IN CHARGE

Steve Evans became head coach of Leeds in mid-October, replacing Uwe Rosler in the hotseat.

He is the sixth man to hold the role since Massimo Cellino took over the club in April 2014 and the fifth to be appointed by the Italian.

Evans was previously in charge of Rotherham for just over three seasons after leaving Crawley in April 2012 – and he oversaw a golden period.

When he arrived they were mid-table in League Two and about to finish their four-year period in exile at Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium.

Evans was in charge when they moved to the New York Stadium back in Rotherham – and crowned the first season in their new home with promotion after finishing second.

Twelve months later they finished fourth in League One and beat Preston in the play-off semi-finals to set up a final with Leyton Orient, which they won on penalties after coming from behind to draw 2-2 after extra-time.

In nearly five years at Crawley, Evans turned a mid-table Conference club into promotion contenders – winning the title and the club’s first-ever place in the Football League in 2011.

When he left, the Sussex outfit had all but clinched a second successive promotion from League Two – a feat they achieved after his departure.

Evans previously managed Boston United and led them into the Football League in 2002 before being suspended by the FA after an investigation into contract irregularities.

SQUAD NEWS

Toums may make his Leeds debut against us on Tuesday night – he is definitely in the squad.

Top scorer Chris Wood has the chance to claim a starting place after returning from injury as a substitute against Bristol City on Saturday, but midfielder Alex Mowatt is still out injured.

Apart from Stuart Dallas, mentioned earlier,  the only other player to be involved in every league game is goalkeeper Marco Silvestri who has started them all (Dallas has one substitute appearance).

Other regulars in the side have been defender Liam Cooper and midfielder Lewis Cook while more than half of striker Mirco Antenucci’s appearances have been from the bench.

Another former Bee, Tom Adeyemi, played his first game for a month on Saturday so could be involved again.

Tom was on loan to us for the 2012/13 season, with his last game the play-off final against Yeovil.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

Drinking in Brentford

For Leeds fans coming down, you are probably aware there are plenty of pub options pre-match and all are most welcoming. Colours are fine and there is no ‘bouncer culture’ on the doors of our boozers – not yet anyway. All fans are welcome and most fans usually cite Brentford as their favourite away-day which we’re quite proud of.

As is etched in common folklore , there were four pubs around the ground until a few weeks ago – unfortunately one closed down to leave only three now. The Griffin is closest to the away end (like 30 secs walk) and is very popular with away fans – but also very very busy. The New Inn is on the other side is also popular with away fans. The Princess Royal is the other option (The Royal Oak was the one that closed down).

Other pubs slightly further afield for the more creative amongst you include (and this is by no means a definitive list) the  … The Globe (Windmill Rd) is the Beesotted fanzine main pub – a very friendly pub indeed. The other boozer is The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd)  – both incredibly friendly and cosy away-friendly pubs and 30 seconds walk from each other .. frequented by ‘away fans in the know’. Boro fans and Bees fans had one hell of a party before and after last season’s league match in both these boozers (despite us losing)- and The Plough (Northfields Ave – 1 minute walk from the tube) in Northfields is a decent stop-off if you are coming by tube to Northfields before making your way down to the ground (normally stopping off at The Globe and Lord Nelson en route on the Northfields pub crawl).

Easily the best way to Brentford is to get the Piccadilly Line from King’s Cross to either Northfields or South Ealing (35 mins) and the good news is that the threatened tube strike has been called off.

Northfields is preferred by fans in the know as it has a decent pub crawl run on the way to the ground (Plough, Lord Nelson, Globe). South Ealing has one posh pub en route that doesn’t really like football fans so we won’t even give it a mention here. It’s 20 mins walk from either South Ealing OR Northfields to the ground or you can get the E2 bus from Northfields or 65 bus from South Ealing for the five-minute journey.

Some fans prefer to take the tube to Vauxhall, then get the overground to Brentford mainline station. Depending on your connection time, this could be a slightly longer route as you could be waiting for up to 15 minutes for a train and the train takes 26 mins to Brentford. Including your connection from King’s Cross this journey could take you the best part of an hour as opposed to under 40 minutes (plus the journey to the ground).

If you do take this route, there is also a pub right by Brentford station always referred to as … er …  the Pub by Brentford station.

For ale head to the Magpie and Crown pub on Brentford High Street. The Royal Horseguardsman can probably hold 15 of you at a push. The Brewery Tap is a cosy boozer by the river. And if you are super adventurous, get off at Kew Bridge and visit the brand new boozer One Over the Ait right on the river – beside the bridge. Great views over The Thames. It’s around 15 minutes walk to the ground from here.

There are loads more too. A quick Google search and you’ll find them all. There are many many more too if you have a look around.

Parking is pretty easy away from the ground going up towards and over the A4 Great West Road (ie. North) via Ealing Road or Windmill Road.