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As Brentford prepare to do battle against Sheffield Utd, Falkirk Bee Andrew Gardner explains why many Bairns fans will be keeping close tabs on the game this weekend.

A much larger amount of Falkirk fans than usual will be keeping a close eye on events at Griffin Park this Saturday when Brentford take on Sheffield United. Brentford has a well established link between both fans and players from Falkirk for years starting when Richard Cadette signed for Falkirk from Brentford prompting Brentford fans to travel North of the border fairly regularly to watch their hero.

This weekend however, Falkirk fans are in a right dilemma as Bairns top striker of 2011/12, Farid El Alagui, potentially does battle with the Bairns top striker of 2012/13, Lyle Taylor, now of Sheffield Utd. So who do we back??!

Comparisons of these two shit hot strikers is going to be inevitable as they both scored 25 plus goals for the mighty Falkirk. But for Bairns fans, it’s been like lightning striking twice as we have had both our top goal-scorers plundered from us in consecutive seasons to the English 1st Division.

Farid was plucked from lower league French football where the high point of his career was his three years with Bergerac (a great 80’s TV detective … a not so hot football team) – scoring 37 goals in 54 appearances. He came to Falkirk as an unknown quantity but hit the ground running. He racked up 28 goals in 44 games, the most memorable being his double against Glasgow Rangers (then a big side … Now a lower league joke).

His relationship with the supporters was legendary and by the end of the season he had not only won 2 SFL Player of the Month awards but was also awarded SFL Player of the Year and the lions share of the supporters club awards. Unfortunately for Falkirk, we only gave him a one year deal and with that goalscoring record, we knew the chances of him staying where little if not nil. When he moved to Brentford, for me it was the best option and the right move because of the history. I really thought he would clean up in League 1 and still believe he can do. Hopefully, Tuesday’s double against Dagenham on his return from injury is just the beginning.

Lyle Taylor is a Londoner who had been with Millwall and Bournemouth in his formative years but had not broken through to any extent. Our then manager Stephen Pressley (now fire-fighting daily at Coventry for his sins) sold moving to Falkirk to Lyle largely on the basis of how positive the transfer to Falkirk was for Farid. So lighting did strike twice and Lyle took over where Farid had finished off – rattling in 29 goals in 44 games for the Bairns. He also picked up a SFL Player of the Month award and was awarded the SFL Player of the Year. Thankfully for Falkirk we had at least put Lyle on a 2 year deal (learned from the Farid deal) and although we knew Lyle would move on at least we got £200k from Sheffield Utd.

For their remarkable goalscoring records, both players are highly thought of at Falkirk. Farid was loved and worshipped by the fans whereas I would say Lyle was just ‘liked’. Farid could never do enough for the club and the fans whereas Lyle, though a bright lad, was a bit of a twitter goon. Interesting to see he has disappeared off twitter altogether in the last 2 weeks – pulled up by his new boss me thinks.

The comparisions between the 2 players as you can see are remarkable. Their style of play differs slightly and I would say Farid is much better in the air. Farid will chase down everything and everyone and never gives up whereas Taylor is more of a confidence player whose head can go down quite easy.

As for Saturday when Brentford play Sheffield Utd, I think both players will start on the bench. Farid’s confidence will be high after his goals against Dagenham (his first home appearance in 10 months after injury) whereas Lyle has came on as a sub in both Sheffield Utd’s games to date without scoring. Being a confidence player he needs to get on the scoresheet soon.

I’m only looking for one of them to score on Saturday and his first name rhymes with ….erm erm …. can’t think ….. Er ….. Married?????

Falkirk Bee
@bodge1876