Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “london football”

Why Brentford Are A Real Team.Some Post-Match Millwall Thoughts


Usually when I post musings and photographs after a  game I go through and find my best 20 action photos and write a few words around these. Here I want to do something a little different.

Things have not been good recently at Brentford. Not many good results, some social media distractions amongst fans and generally the mood of optimism that was with us a month ago had partially evaporated. There was ill-advised talk that Thomas Frank had only a few games to save his job ( ridiculous I know) and many ideas regarding team selection (myself included). This was an important game in the context of where the season might go from here.

Griffin Park at sunset in November

Griffin Park at sunset in November

We all know Brentford won 2-0 and although there were a few scares along the way, Brentford were the better footballing side and generally had the higher work rate. Something very different struck me strongly yesterday, perhaps I miss this sometimes, but Brentford are a real team. They worked hard for each other and have a true bond with the fans. The bond is important. We learned this week how strong that bond can be and the results of a good bond with the sad news emanating from Leicester city.  No doubt I will post more comments and photos during the week, but these are the ones that captivated me . They are not my best action shots, these will follow, but these show the real emotion and bond between players, fans and the manager.

  1. Neal Maupay. This guy really cares and works hard. On this occasion he had made a great run but his final shot was inches away. This was one of the many opportunities Brentford had to make the score 2-0. 0000482600004824
  2. Said Benrahma. Looking through the photos the players photographed the most are Said and Moses. It was lovely to witness the celebration after the game as Said walked back alongside Braemar Road. He embraced a few fans and the looks on their faces says it all. 00004860
  3. Daniel Bentley. He has had a tough month and no-one would argue that he has lost form. This result and the clean sheet meant a lot. 00004866
  4. Thomas Frank. This was an important game for not only the team but also himself, and the justification of his team changes, and perhaps some of the changes he did not make. His bond with  Neal Maupay is clear and so wonderful to see. 000048560000485400004853
  5. Moses Odubajo. His first game as first choice left back. A long spell of injury the last few years at Hull City. The way he worked tirelessly all game and created havoc in the Millwall defence was immense and enjoyable to see.  0000480300004777
  6. Sergi Canos. Sergi is returning to the form we know he has but he has had to work hard to get there. His enthusiasm is immense to watch and no doubt rubs off on the team too. 00004784
  7. The whole Brentford team. They were a team and it showed before, during and after the game. 00004743

In the context of the season the result and the performance was critical and the obvious bonding between fans and team will be important in the months ahead. Brentford are a good team, a young team, mistakes will be made (by players, manager and fans) but lets keep this tight bond going.

Brentford 0 Middlesbrough 1. An unlucky evening for Bees


On the face of it Brentford a mid-table side were beaten by the league leaders and in my opinion, Champions elect. There however was a lot more to this game that on balance should be very encouraging for Brentford.

The most important thing is that this group of players are playing hard for their manager and to their potential. The second most important thing is that the fans back the team even in unfortunate defeats such as this. So what was the story of the game? We learned that David Button is an excellent goalkeeper but made one error that cost us the goal and the points. But long before Brentford should have been 2-0 up at least with chances missed and decent saves by the Middlesbrough keeper. Despite all the transfer speculation, and that is all that it is, Diadouraga and Tarkowski started and played decent games. The man of the match who improves with each performance is Maxime Colin, and for once our defence looked more solid than of late. Sam Saunders got a rare start in midfield and did not disappoint . What was apparent though was that Bees have no strikers. Lasse Vibe tries hard but he is not a lone striker and realistically would slot in to midfield in place of Saunders. Hoffman when he came on was invisible. A pair of strikers would make the world of difference to this side. The other fact that cannot be hidden is that Brentford must be the smallest side in the Championship and maybe the league. A midfield of Judge, Saunders, Woods is not a physically threatening vision. Does this matter? Maybe and maybe not.

I am encouraged by the excellent performance tonight but still wondrous at why we have not signed not it seems threatened to sign some strikers. To raid the lower leagues possibly.

But even though the rain came down again and this was the second 1-0 home defeat in 4 days there is plenty of reason for optimism. IMG_1230IMG_1232IMG_1233IMG_1234

 

Brentford Bees Forum With Manager and Sporting Directors


An excellent forum was held where all questions were answered as best as reasonably they could. The only difficult moment was a late question again about Mark Warburton and his departure. The fans were given good updates on all aspects of the club. These were maybe the main points:

  1. Promotion to Premier League within 3 years. This is Plan A. There is no Plan B
  2. The new ground should be ready, just, for start of 2018-19 season
  3. Signing a couple of players on loan has not been ruled out to cover injuries
  4. We need to remember than until we move ground we are limited by the small turnover in comparison to other Championship clubs. Last season Brentford turned over 8 m £ in comparison to a Championship average of 17m £
  5. Although signing many EU players, players in the Football League are on our radar even down to Conference level
  6. Football league rules do not allow differential pricing of games for away fans. The example cited of Leeds charging £24 for a junior away ticket for example could not replicated at Griffin Park
  7. The squad is stronger than last season.

In attendance answering questions were

  1. Mark Devlin
  2. Cliff Crown
  3. Marinus Dijkhuizen
  4. Rasmus Ankersen
  5. Phil Giles
  6. Peter Gilham

As a small bit of background Rasmus ankersen and Phil Giles are the co-directors of football at Brentford, Cliff Crown the chairman, Mark Devlin CEO and Marinus Dijkhuizen the manager.

  • Phil Giles  worked at Smartodds – a company owned by Matthew Benham which provides statistical sports modelling services – for eight years and had been their Head of Quantitative Sports Research since 2010
  • Rasmus Ankersen was Chairman of FC Midtjylland the Danish Superliga team owned by Matthew Benham and author of a book ” The Goldmine Effect”.
Marinus Dijkhuizen and Cliff Crown at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen and Cliff Crown at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Cliff Crown at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Cliff Crown at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Mark Devlin CEO Brentford FC   at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Mark Devlin CEO Brentford FC at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen and Phil Giles  at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen and Phil Giles at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Marinus Dijkhuizen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Rasmus Ankersen at Bees Forum 2015 Sept

Griffin Park Home of Brentford Football Club


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The Only Way To Stop Brentford Scoring


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Brentford Football Club Favour Needed


I need a favour from as many friends on here as possible. As many of you know I have been watching Brentford Football Club for 50 years. It is time for them to move to a new stadium. A stadium site has been identified a few yards from the current ground, and frankly is an excellent option. The council are considering the planning application on Dec 5th and we need as many folks to be supportive of this as possible. My own view is that this is an excellent opportunity to improve the local economy, provide free education as well and generally to progress the football club. You can read full details on the Brentford FC Website or on  www.brentfordcommunitystadium.com.What i need is this. Please email Shane Baker at Planning@hounslow.gov.uk with your views and please include your postal address and name. It really will help. Include the reference number 00703/A/P11 IN THE SUBJECT TITLE43

Should Brentford sack Uwe Rosler now?


Football fans are basically and usually inherent kind souls who although ranting away on a saturday with murderous chants, often then reflect, and certainly turn up the following saturday.  At Brentford there has been much discussion about what our expectations are this season, what our budget is and hence what should the manager be doing to achieve this. My own humble view ( n=1), is that Uwe Rosler is not the man. I have become disenchanted gradually over the last year. Nothing specific. no one thing. Others do not agree, some vehemently disagree. Anyway I pulled together a few thoughts this afternoon and posted them on Beesotted ( the most excellent and balanced of fanzines/websites). Here I repeat them with a poll. I genuinely want to know am I wrong?

 

My own views differ. It is not about Stevenage nor 3 defeats. It is about the poor management at the end of last season  and the continuing poor management this season. Combined with some abysmal signings. Let us recall we have scored 4 home goals the lowest in the league. We have even scored 3 of them in one game against arguably the worst side in our league. We have conceded 13 away goals almost the worst. This persistent poor form is down to Rosler not down to injuries nor bad luck. It is clear where our deficiencies are . Goalkeeper. Central defence. Defence generally. A roulette wheel approach to team selection. Our best players were on the bench last week. 
This is not a panic opinion but a considered one that also notes Roslers refusal to explain to the fans any of his more bizarre selections. We cannot waste any more time nor money . Finally I am not enjoying this brand of football this season.

 

Chelsea 4 Brentford 0. Chelsea Fans 0 Brentford Fans 4.


As a Brentford fan days out like this at Stamford Bridge are rare and to be cherished. The harsh reality is that in the first game Brentford should have won and a 2-2 draw was not fair reflection of that game. Today Chelsea had their first team out, internationals galore, and deserved to win but not by 4-0. A few mistakes and some curious refereeing decisions ensured that their win was relatively painless, and some less than excellent defending too. Nevertheless a few reflections on the day. 

The atmosphere in the Chelsea fans area seemed akin to a library and one wondered if any fans were actually there or was it purely neutrals rocking up to see a game that maybe was easier to get tickets for. The Brentford terrace chants of ” 4-0 and you still don’t sing” and when the Chelsea fans were leaving in their droves in the 80th to 85th minutes, the chant of ” Is there a firedrill?”, resounded. Having said all that, the Chelsea fans and stewards were nothing less than friendly. 

Would I come back here again to see a game? Probably not. My preference is for more atmospheric games such as those in compact small grounds in league 1 and 2. 

The Brentford fans were superb throughout, singing and chanting and generally won their game with ease. ImageImageImageImage

 

Brentford 2 Carlisle 1


This was one of those games that restores faith in professional football. The weather was right for football, cloudy with a sense of rain in the air. Floodlights on in the second half. The ground had almost 7000 in there, a decent crowd considering not so many had made the trip down from Carlisle almost 400 miles away. The Brentford board and directors also did their bit by allowing fans to buy tickets up to 4 pm friday at only 10£.

But this was a great game of football. Carlisle came to play and not just block up one end for 90 minutes. Brentford took the lead in the first half with a nice finish in the box from Jonathon Douglas and then gifted Carlisle an equaliser following a dreadful  defensive error. But Brentford went on to get the winner in the second half and combined with a penalty save by the Brentford keeper Simon Moore about 10 minutes from the end got the 3 points.

So why was this a good game? Well put simply effort and running all game from all 20 outfield players. Great tackles, great saves and decent goals. A few maligned Brentford players had their best games and in fact all 11 might have been man of the match. Great day out, great game this football. And the Cornish Pastie, re-heated I suspect  a snip at 2.50£.

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