Fan's View - Brentford

[Paul B]

Fan's View - Brentford

 

[DannyW]

I thought credit to the team, put a great deal into holding some very good Brentford play. The gap is massive. Easty once again the stand out. The lack of chances created and when they are no conversions or even looking like it is very very concerning.

 

[TailsWeWin]

A match which confirmed how far off being a championship side we are; we didn’t play badly but were well beaten (score line apart). And Paul, I’m not as optimistic as you about Tuesday - although I’ll be there as it’s a twenty minute walk from my front door, so I’m making an exception for once.

 

[Manorlounger]

I would add that we had no real strike force on the pitch. With a real striker we could, and should have had at least one goal. The Browne incident was a penalty, no doubt. We had other incidents where cards were issued for little grounds.
But, and it is that but that counts (for me) we just don't look like scoring.
As for the rest, well, we held them at bay. We also showed some real skills and some delightful football. Most of that ended with a poor pass or lack of a run into space but, some promise. Maybe, just maybe, we have a team with some hope here.

 

[Paul B]

A match which confirmed how far off being a championship side we are; we didn’t play badly but were well beaten (score line apart). And Paul, I’m not as optimistic as you about Tuesday - although I’ll be there as it’s a twenty minute walk from my front door, so I’m making an exception for once.

Wouldn't say I'm particularly optimistic just that we do have the chance to practice. Well that's the way I look at the Checkatrade.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I would add that we had no real strike force on the pitch. With a real striker we could, and should have had at least one goal. The Browne incident was a penalty, no doubt. We had other incidents where cards were issued for little grounds.
But, and it is that but that counts (for me) we just don't look like scoring.
As for the rest, well, we held them at bay. We also showed some real skills and some delightful football. Most of that ended with a poor pass or lack of a run into space but, some promise. Maybe, just maybe, we have a team with some hope here.

Yes we ain’t terrible at all. Just need some strikers! And to hang on to our good players of course

 

[Paul B]

Yes we ain’t terrible at all. Just need some strikers! And to hang on to our good players of course

Yes, but easier said than done.

 

[unification]

Re. The Browne challenge.

Sitting in the Braemar Road Stand, I got a different angle of it and it didn’t appear to me as a definitive penalty shout. A bit of six-of-one. I think what told was Browne’s reaction which was to get on with the game albeit by leveraging himself up using the defender.

It would be interesting to see it again.

 

[tonto]

ref might have given it if browne hadnt tried the overhead kick instead of appealing for the pen. Thats what you (dont) get for being honest with some refs!

 

[Paul B]

ref might have given it if browne hadnt tried the overhead kick instead of appealing for the pen. Thats what you (dont) get for being honest with some refs!

It really did look a 100% a penalty from where we were. Other than the referee being biased / incompetent the only reason I could think why he didn't give it was that Browne was doing some holding too. Having played it over in slo-mo a few times again I can't really detetct that. Still coinvinced we were not treated fairly.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Ok, yes we played some nice football without really looking like scoring(4 games now) but for me we just huffed and puffed and went out with a bit of a wimper. When you look at the performances put in by Barnet, Newport and Oldham(who all have better strikets than us) there was a determination to get the win right to the end.
Something I feel we haven't had since MApp was here.

 

[holdsteady]

I can’t see there being many professional clubs in England with worse strikers than us, we operate with a handicap as a team because of the disastrous recruitment for that position over the last 18 months. We were always unlikely to cause an upset with Mackie as a loan centre forward.

The worrying thing for me is that it has been obvious for ages where we were incredibly weak, so you would of thought at least one forward would of come in early in the window even if we had to wait till the end for another, hopefully we have one in by Saturday.

It’s hard not to believe that Robinson’s love for 4,2,3,1 doesn’t cloud his recruitment, he signs a hell of a lot of midfielders/wingers etc but doesn’t seem to bothered about the man up top. That might work when you have Deli Alli coming through the youth but that’s a once in a lifetime thing for a league one manager, he needs to take a more practical view.

 

[Paul B]

I can’t see there being many professional clubs in England with worse strikers than us, we operate with a handicap as a team because of the disastrous recruitment for that position over the last 18 months. We were always unlikely to cause an upset with Mackie as a loan centre forward.

The worrying thing for me is that it has been obvious for ages where we were incredibly weak, so you would of thought at least one forward would of come in early in the window even if we had to wait till the end for another, hopefully we have one in by Saturday.

It’s hard not to believe that Robinson’s love for 4,2,3,1 doesn’t cloud his recruitment, he signs a hell of a lot of midfielders/wingers etc but doesn’t seem to bothered about the man up top. That might work when you have Deli Alli coming through the youth but that’s a once in a lifetime thing for a league one manager, he needs to take a more practical view.

That's very hard to argue against. But, and I keep coming back to this because it doesn't really make sense, we're joint 15th best on league goals scored per game at 1.19. Not the worst. Wimbledon are the worst with 0.78. Others who are worse than us - Shrewsbury, Accrington, Walsall, Coventry, Blackpool and Bristol Rvrs.

And Accy have Billy Kee...... who has scored as many league goals so far as James Henry.

 

[Oufcrealist]

That's very hard to argue against. But, and I keep coming back to this because it doesn't really make sense, we're joint 15th best on league goals scored per game at 1.19. Not the worst. Wimbledon are the worst with 0.78. Others who are worse than us - Shrewsbury, Accrington, Walsall, Coventry, Blackpool and Bristol Rvrs.

And Accy have Billy Kee...... who has scored as many league goals so far as James Henry.

Thats easy to answer. Thank goodness for our midfielders!!
If we had a decent striker we would be in or around the play offs. Some of the drawn games would have been comfortable wins with a L1 standard striker.

 

[Paul B]

Thats easy to answer. Thank goodness for our midfielders!!
If we had a decent striker we would be in or around the play offs. Some of the drawn games would have been comfortable wins with a L1 standard striker.

I'd like think it is that easy. And we'll solve the problem in this transfer window. But back in the real world.

 

[Foley]

I'd like think it is that easy. And we'll solve the problem in this transfer window. But back in the real world.

Agree Paul.
If it was ever that easy ....

 

[holdsteady]

That's very hard to argue against. But, and I keep coming back to this because it doesn't really make sense, we're joint 15th best on league goals scored per game at 1.19. Not the worst. Wimbledon are the worst with 0.78. Others who are worse than us - Shrewsbury, Accrington, Walsall, Coventry, Blackpool and Bristol Rvrs.

And Accy have Billy Kee...... who has scored as many league goals so far as James Henry.

We have 3 league goals from the 3 players that have played up top for us, although two of those are now unavailable so we have just the 2 league goals that Mackie has scored.

I can’t be bothered to look it up but I don’t think I am sticking my neck out in saying that most/every other teams strikers have more than 3 goals between them. As has been said above our midfield has chipped in to cover it up a bit, but we are still in the relegation places, haven’t scored in the last four which makes you wonder if opposing sides have figured out how little a threat Mackie actually carries if you ignore his wind up attempts so have started forgetting him and closing down the midfielders.

If we don’t get back scoring we are down, we are not going to become a free flowing goal scoring machine in this transfer window but we can can improve in our weakest area up front, give the opposition centre backs something to worry about maybe create a bit of room for our attacking midfielders while also taking some of the goal scoring burden off them.

The perfect striker isn’t out there, the twenty goal a season man most likely isn’t going to sign, but it is hardly an impossible job to improve on a forward who looks like he is gone and is reduced to trying to be a wind up merchant to cover it up.

If we go down without bringing in a couple of forwards then I think we will always wonder what would of happened if we had. I can’t believe Robinson won’t bring in two and put Mackie out to pasture, but he does love the one up top.

 

[Oldman159]

An entertaining if frustrating (Thanks again ref) game. I have seen a whole lot worse this season. So sad to see Shandon get injured again. As I said to the guy next to me "if we didn't have bad luck , we would have no luck at all" Get repaired soon kid.

Hey ho.

The main highlight of the day (off field) turned out to be the enterprising local residents who set up a gazebo in their front garden and sold us hot dogs and a rather tasty pot of chilli.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Before the season started people were being snooty about the idea of someone like John Akinde or even Wes, but blimey they would improve us now!

 

[Paul B]

We have 3 league goals from the 3 players that have played up top for us, although two of those are now unavailable so we have just the 2 league goals that Mackie has scored.

I can’t be bothered to look it up but I don’t think I am sticking my neck out in saying that most/every other teams strikers have more than 3 goals between them. As has been said above our midfield has chipped in to cover it up a bit, but we are still in the relegation places, haven’t scored in the last four which makes you wonder if opposing sides have figured out how little a threat Mackie actually carries if you ignore his wind up attempts so have started forgetting him and closing down the midfielders.

If we don’t get back scoring we are down, we are not going to become a free flowing goal scoring machine in this transfer window but we can can improve in our weakest area up front, give the opposition centre backs something to worry about maybe create a bit of room for our attacking midfielders while also taking some of the goal scoring burden off them.

The perfect striker isn’t out there, the twenty goal a season man most likely isn’t going to sign, but it is hardly an impossible job to improve on a forward who looks like he is gone and is reduced to trying to be a wind up merchant to cover it up.

If we go down without bringing in a couple of forwards then I think we will always wonder what would of happened if we had. I can’t believe Robinson won’t bring in two and put Mackie out to pasture, but he does love the one up top.

But they've got to be the right ones. Look at Sam Smith, we spent ages trying to get him on loan. And i don't like to think what Obika has cost us in wages. We're not very good at this recruiting strikers lark. And hasn't Mackie got a contract covering next seasin too. Wes was okay but no more than that and people were slagging him off when he was here. That he's now playing L2 says it all. Same for Kane Hemmings.