Being a Brentford fan is never dull, but this season feels different. Not different like “we’ve signed three proven world-classers and are ready to challenge for the title” different, nor like “we’re staring down the barrel” different. Just… different. It’s that rare sensation where, as a supporter, you honestly don’t know whether to renew your passport for the Europa League next year or start memorising the Championship fixture list. Approaching the start of the 2015/16 season did feel similarly unsure, but that was back in the Championship days where, looking back, life seemed a whole lot simpler in hindsight.
For starters, we’ve got a rookie head coach in Keith Andrews. No disrespect – he’s talked well, seems switched-on, and clearly has ideas – but he’s stepping into shoes worn by Thomas Frank, the man who was central in building this club’s Premier League identity. Andrews inherits a squad in flux, with stalwarts like Nørgaard and Mbeumo gone and a fanbase still trying to work out whether the new era will be built on continuity or complete reinvention.
“It’s a tricky time to predict anything, that’s for sure. We have the individual talent, no doubt, but will it blend? Will a new and untried head coach turn out to be a genius move or a nightmare unfolding? Will an untried and not yet match fit centre forward hit the ground running? I can see why those outside the club are concerned for our survival. I can’t remember a time where we, as fans, have had to put faith in the system quite to this extent. I’m confident we will be ok, but this league is brutally unforgiving. I expect us to start slow, settle and be ok in the end. Buckle up!”
Oddly enough, for once we’ve actually got options at the back. This is not the “stick Ajer at right-back because everyone else is injured” era. We can go four at the back, three with wing-backs, or even toy with a counter-attacking 5-4-1. But therein lies the challenge: what’s best for us now? Do we press high and risk being picked off, or sit deep and invite pressure, hoping to nick something on the break? The answers aren’t obvious, and the pre-season friendlies haven’t exactly given us a blueprint.
Midfield is where my worry meter starts ticking. Nørgaard was the glue in our transitions, a one-man pivot who turned defence into attack before you’d even had a chance to sing his non existent song. Without him, can we still dominate the middle third? Henderson’s experience helps, and there are younger legs to run the hard yards, but will it all gel? Yarmo is full of potential, but will he kick on from last season?
Up front, it’s a big old headache: we’re light. Bryan is long-gone and Wissa should be heading for the exit, Newcastle still circling, and replacements like Dango Ouattara stuck in transfer limbo. Bojang, the Gambian prospect we’re linked with, sounds exciting – “the next Adebayor” has a nice ring to it – but the leap from potential to Premier League goals is a big one. Still, football has a way of throwing up the unexpected. Remember Denny Mundee? Nobody saw that one coming. Could we stumble across another cult hero out of nowhere? Unlikely at this level… but wouldn’t it be very Brentford if we did?
Beesotted regular, Andy Cooper, summed it up perfectly the other day, and I think he’s nailed the mood among many of us:
“We went into last season confident we would score goals but uncertain about the defence, and this time round we are confident about the defence, but unsure how we will score goals. I guess you can add to that the midfield sans Norgaard as a factor. However that makes me feel unworried. We have the foundation at the back that other clubs don’t have, and our forward squad is undoubtedly talented and offers better squad depth. There’s no doubt they are good enough, but it needs to click. So it makes me think mid table logically, with injuries and surprise stars the unknown factors.”
That’s the thing – it’s not blind optimism or outright pessimism. It’s a kind of balanced uncertainty. The squad’s foundation is solid, there’s depth in attack even if the goals aren’t guaranteed, and the right blend of fitness and form could easily push us into comfortable mid-table.
And there’s a historical perspective here too, voiced by another long-time supporter who’s seen both the lean times and the good:
“The one I still remember is shortly after we failed in the play-off final against Crewe we ended up selling key players Paul Smith, Barry Ashby, and Brian Statham to Gillingham, while Carl Asaba moved to Reading. These departures, along with the earlier sale of Nicky Forster and the transfer listing of Marcus Bent, significantly impacted the team’s strength. Together with W££B taking over at the top, we ended up being relegated the following season due to lack of investment. I feel it’s totally different now as it’s been important that we’ve kept the back four and arguably bought a superior keeper in, so we have the basis of a very, very good team. It’s important to score a similar amount of goals this season, and I feel Schade could break all records for us if he stays fit.”
It’s a fair point – the fear of history repeating itself is always lurking in the background for Brentford fans, but this time the circumstances feel fundamentally different. The core has been retained, the defensive platform looks solid, and the keeper upgrade is real.
And this is why the final part of the transfer window looms so large. Our incoming cash won’t be burning a hole in Phil Giles’ or Matthew Benham’s pockets. They won’t panic buy. But it does put us in an envious, if daunting, position: we can buy quality rather than being forced into knee-jerk quantity. The temptation in a tricky start is to stockpile bodies “just in case” – but Brentford’s model has always been about smart, targeted recruitment. The question now is whether that cleverness can land us the right players, at the right time, to make a tangible difference this season.
Then there’s the injury list. Or should I say, the ex-injury list. A clutch of walking wounded – players we barely saw last season – are on their way back. In many ways, they’ll feel like new signings. If they return firing, suddenly this squad looks a lot stronger than it does on paper right now.
So what’s the verdict? Are we staring at a relegation fight? Maybe. Could we muddle through inconsistently, staying clear of trouble? Also maybe. Or will a couple of smart late signings and some injury returns spark a run that makes this all look like needless hand-wringing?
Honestly, I haven’t the faintest. And maybe that’s the most exciting – and terrifying – part of it all.
Dave Lane
