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Back at the tail end of last season after an uninspiring first half at MK Dons I’m afraid to say I fell out with a mate and his pal.

Both had spent the first 45 berating Marcello Trotta for his lack of workrate in a game that we ultimately lost but should have comfortably won.

Charlie and I fell out because I don’t feel you should slate Brentford players while they’re on the pitch. It was heated, but only because we both cared.

We sorted it out later and I know he’d still share a beer with me… that’s the beauty of a cub like Brentford. There really should be too few of us to have lasting rows.

But – and here’s a confession – I think the Italian is or should now be on borrowed time at Brentford.

There’s no doubting he can make things happen out of nothing in the box and has a sweet left foot. They were the two main planks of my argument that day.

His languid style can look like he’s not giving his all, and I’d hope that’s not the case, but no goals in eight games is hardly repaying Uwe Rosler’s faith in him.

The Bees boss raised many an eyebrow when he took him back after his involvement in one of those events that will, I’m sure, flash across my mind as I breathe my final breath.

Rosler put his neck on the line in a move I thought at the time was a retrograde step, not in footballing terms if Trotta wanted to right the wrong, but psychologically.

More disturbing is the Italian’s aura, which can be perceived as arrogance, which too frequently mars his game. To be a great striker you need to know when to be greedy in the final third, and Trotta hasn’t learned that yet.

True, the service he’s been getting of late has been poor – in fact all our strikers rarely get a ball to run onto behind the seven-man defences we’re encountering and usually receive with backs to goal – but I would question whether he is the right kind of fox in the box we need at the current time.

In a team doing well on the front foot, I’d have signed him like Uwe did, in a heartbeat. But in a team struggling for confidence and looking for graft and real guile to help turn the corner, he is not the man you need.

Uwe has been dealt a series of blows in terms of injuries and I still think he will turn it round given time, but some players – and I include Trotta in that – need to take their share of the blame because now isn’t the time for mid , lackadaisical football.

Also I’d love to know If injury is to blame for Richard Lee’s ongoing absence. If it isn’t then it’s all a little confusing as to how he managed to put in three decent displays prior to David Button’s return, only to lose his place.

Defences are only as good as the keeper behind them and vice versa – and I’m sure David Button will be a good signing for us long term – but right now we need to build solidity and keep clean sheets, with experience in goal.

On the other hand, if his shoulder isn’t right then maybe the fans should be told. It seems odd that we have a top quality keeper warming the bench and three others beneath him… I certainly can’t recall that in all the years of watching Brentford and we’ve had some cracking stopped in that time.

Jim Levack