18 games in a row (tier 2)

[EalingRoadSnowball]

Thought we could all do with a bit of perspective, regardless of opinions we may hold about this seasons team. As Rafa Benitez would say, “YOU WHANA TAK ABAT DE FAKTS?”


19/20 season
112 days since season started

18 games played inc. cup games

knocked out of the League Cup straight off

6.2 average days between games

27 points achieved


Current season
88 days since season started

21 games played inc. cup games

into the q/fs of the League C

4.1 average days between games

28 points

For all the legitimate criticisms of the team this season, were getting an average of two days less recovery time, we’ve one more point and we’re in a cup q/f.

 

[cheshirebee]

Interesting stats and fair enough....but... all our opponents are working under the same stresses of time between games

 

[Invipai]

I reckon our results from now until the end of the season won't match last years results though...and we're only one point ahead of then.

I know, cry us a river, we're just outside the playoffs. But we can all tell it's just not clicking at the moment, and our very good defence is gaining us points. We won't hit 80 points this year though, probably early-mid 70's IMO.

 

[Adam]

I don’t think anyone is criticising the points return. It’s just all a bit dull. Perhaps we have just been spoilt in recent years.

I’m sure we would all take going up playing like this, but when it comes to the style of play fans are going to call a spade a spade.

“We’re the Burnley FC, of the lower leagues!”

 

[wanderer paul]

Interesting stats and fair enough....but... all our opponents are working under the same stresses of time between games

Yep. So results are up in the air. Everyone can beat anyone. No matter if you’re too or bottom.

Its an odd season. We just need to understand that more.

 

[grutter]

So, as the season progresses, a team that's already being accused of looking a bit leggy will be expected to improve and gel more effectively, by playing even more games in a tight schedule.

Unless there are a load of signings in January, that dog don't hunt. People might accept boring performances if points are gained. Despite how open the league is this year, I just don't see any signs of improvement - we seem to be getting less and less creative. No way will we be top 6 unless a corner is turned in the next 4-6 weeks. Grind out some wins and hope for something miraculous during January.

 

[EalingRoadSnowball]

Interesting stats and fair enough....but... all our opponents are working under the same stresses of time between games

Yes and no, not all our opponents are in the q/f’s of the League Cup. But the main point I’m making is that we have all slated the performances and there is legitimacy in that, but maybe part of the reason the performances haven’t been as great is (obviously no Benhrahma) because we’re adapting to life with a new strike force under the biggest slog we’ll ever face in this division.

 

[Untouchable]

The fact that we’re over a third of the way through the season and have only put in 3 (maybe 4) performances at the level we all want and are still in touching distance shows how up in the air the division is.

The top 3 are last seasons relegated teams which suggests the Championship teams from last season are all facing the same issues with the schedule and recovery time etc.

TF and BR and KO obviously see the same problems we see. Defensively we are sound and Toney is the dogs. The problem is in the middle. If we can find a settled midfield performing to standard and get that support from the wings to IT, we’ll be fine.

 

[Guildford Bee]

These comparisons are pretty pointless, IMO, as the chances of us going on another 8 game winning run are minimal.

 

[North London Bee]

The difference is that this time last season we had a settled team that was growing in sharpness and confidence.

 

[Guildford Bee]

The fact that we’re over a third of the way through the season and have only put in 3 (maybe 4) performances at the level we all want and are still in touching distance shows how up in the air the division is.

The top 3 are last seasons relegated teams which suggests the Championship teams from last season are all facing the same issues with the schedule and recovery time etc.

TF and BR and KO obviously see the same problems we see. Defensively we are sound and Toney is the dogs. The problem is in the middle. If we can find a settled midfield performing to standard and get that support from the wings to IT, we’ll be fine.

I would say the two either side of Toney are as much of an issue as the 8s

 

[GABS]

Thought we could all do with a bit of perspective, regardless of opinions we may hold about this seasons team. As Rafa Benitez would say, “YOU WHANA TAK ABAT DE FAKTS?”


19/20 season
112 days since season started

18 games played inc. cup games

knocked out of the League Cup straight off

6.2 average days between games

27 points achieved


Current season
88 days since season started

21 games played inc. cup games

into the q/fs of the League C

4.1 average days between games

28 points

For all the legitimate criticisms of the team this season, were getting an average of two days less recovery time, we’ve one more point and we’re in a cup q/f.

It's pretty much agreed on by most fans that a **** start last season cost us at the business end of the season. Therefore I'm not sure what your point is here.

 

[AB]

I don’t think anyone is criticising the points return. It’s just all a bit dull. Perhaps we have just been spoilt in recent years.

I’m sure we would all take going up playing like this, but when it comes to the style of play fans are going to call a spade a spade.

“We’re the Burnley FC, of the lower leagues!”

It is too easy in the light of the brilliance to come to forget how dreadful we were in games v Hull, Huddersfield, Preston, Stoke, Blackburn, and 80 minutes v Millwall which gave no inkling of the way that game finished by this point last season. And that doesn’t even mention the inability to get a point against Birmingham and Charlton despite outplaying both.

 

[SH]

Thought we could all do with a bit of perspective, regardless of opinions we may hold about this seasons team. As Rafa Benitez would say, “YOU WHANA TAK ABAT DE FAKTS?”


19/20 season
112 days since season started

18 games played inc. cup games

knocked out of the League Cup straight off

6.2 average days between games

27 points achieved


Current season
88 days since season started

21 games played inc. cup games

into the q/fs of the League C

4.1 average days between games

28 points

For all the legitimate criticisms of the team this season, were getting an average of two days less recovery time, we’ve one more point and we’re in a cup q/f.

All true, but there’s the small matter that for the rest of the 2019/20 season we had the best player in the Championship (not to mention the best Brentford player in my lifetime) playing out of his skin. It’s like the stagger unwinding on a 400m race... you may think you’re ahead, but someone’s going to have to “do a Benrahma” to stay there We live in hope...

 

[BaildonBee]

These comparisons are pretty pointless, IMO, as the chances of us going on another 8 game winning run are minimal.

...and remarkably one of last season's top 2 only won 4 of their last 23 games yet still went up because our start ultimately left us with too much to do

 

[EalingRoadSnowball]

It's pretty much agreed on by most fans that a **** start last season cost us at the business end of the season. Therefore I'm not sure what your point is here.

That we are a point ahead of last season and further in the cup even though we’ve had two days a week less recovery time.

 

[Oceanbee]

It's pretty much agreed on by most fans that a **** start last season cost us at the business end of the season. Therefore I'm not sure what your point is here.

There was also a **** end to last season that really did cost us promotion at the business end.
That made all the ‘catch up’ results look even more disappointing.

 

[Twickenhamben]

Interesting perspective. As your stats show this season will be so different for all teams due to the punishing schedule. The added challenge for us though is that it makes the high intensity game we have played over the last few seasons very difficult. I think TF has realised this, coupled with the fact that we have lost creative talent but gained another very efficient goal scorer..... so we are playing a safer more functional brand of football. It’s not great to watch but we are still only 3 pts of automatic promotion places despite playing relatively poorly. That is a very un Brentford thing to do, so to is promotion. Ironically this may be the season we get promoted as a result, however, unlike last seasons team, this one would struggle massively in the Prem.

 

[GABS]

That we are a point ahead of last season and further in the cup even though we’ve had two days a week less recovery time.

Hopefully that point will be enough for promotion then eh.

 

[LingfieldBee]

We've been spoilt over the last few seasons with some very good attacking football and we just haven't clicked this season. We don't have one winger currently on form. Example Mbeumo if you watched his last 20games as an opponent you'd say avarage and don't sign him. Dasilva is shadow of his performances last season. We are much more solid but lacking going forward and it will come. Paintence is needed, unfortunately havent seen some great attacking displays last few seasons some people are becoming disgruntled. I'd take going up the ugly way if we had to.

 

[taxi driver]

I get fed up with the comparison to last season.

Yep, last year we were very good to watch but ultimately achieved nothing and appeared to sh*t ourselves.

This year less pretty to watch due to a slower tempo. This may be down to schedule, personnel or a combination of both but this must be one of the best Brentford teams I've ever seen and they have an incredible chance to achieve something no Brentford side has done in my lifetime.

I'll choose to cheer this side on and support them to do that.

 

[Bridge Bee]

I think the disappointment, however unreasonable, is that the league is poor this year. There is no Leeds, West Brom, Newcastle, etc of previous seasons. Even half decent sides from last season like Forest are rubbish. It’s there for the taking and Brentford playing how we know Brentford can play win the league or come 2nd.

Our style of play is more pragmatic but its hard to know if it suits our personnel. The points tally and unbeaten run suggests it does. The lack of entertainment and creativity says otherwise. The players practice a build up and crossing drill in the warm ups, but we never put this in to practice in games. It’s a nod to what did last season but in reality we’re passing from centre back to centre back, or throat balls to Toney.

I expect we’ll get the answers over the next month when we play the likes of Watford, Reading, Cardiff and Bournemouth. None of whom are any good, but better than what we’ve struggled to beat of late.

 

[Untouchable]

Is it not obvious that all teams are struggling for consistency?

7 teams (from 2nd to 7th) separated by 3 points and the top 3 were in the PL last season.

This season hasn’t been pretty but we’re still grinding out points. For those who think this won’t be good enough, considering how the table looks after 17 games, what makes you think other teams will accelerate away and we’ll be stuck in mid table?

 

[Les Beeavinu]

I think the disappointment, however unreasonable, is that the league is poor this year. There is no Leeds, West Brom, Newcastle, etc of previous seasons. Even half decent sides from last season like Forest are rubbish. It’s there for the taking and Brentford playing how we know Brentford can play win the league or come 2nd.

The league is poor for exactly the same reason that we are poorer than last year. A ridiculously tough schedule.

 

[Gee Bee]

Interesting stats and fair enough....but... all our opponents are working under the same stresses of time between games

So lets compare them too. How far behind top two were we at same stage of games, there are plenty of odd results and draws occurring in what I believe will be a lower number of points required for automatic promotion. I tend to take more interest in position when 50 points gained.

 

[nick logan]

i honestly don't believe what i am reading , we are unbeaten in 10 have lost 3 games in 17 and don't let in goals.
Once we get CN back and key players like JDS and BM regain their form , watch us go

 

[Wise old Bee]

Can't see us having a run of consecutive victories like last season but we are, I think, easily capable of reaching the POs again. Losing some of our attacking flair is no bad thing if it results in a more solid side that is difficult to beat. We are pretty much that at the moment and if we step up a gear who knows? Can't see why so many are keen to disparage this side and TF. I am happy with where we are at the moment, but then I would be as one who has watched some awful football in my time supporting the club. Never dreamed of being at this level.

 

[Ealing Bee]

Is it not obvious that all teams are struggling for consistency?

Of course.

So that any team(s) which hits form and puts together a run can pull away.

The problem is that there are no signs of this Brentford side doing that.

(Or at least no more than any one of 8 or 10 others)

 

[OrchardBee]

Interesting thread (thanks for starting and other contributions).
Yes it’s disappointing and frustrating at times but, as others have said, perspective is important too.
If you take the average performances over the last ten years in the second tier (with decimal rounding) the champions achieved 67% of potential points, runners up got 64% and sixth place had 54%.
If you extrapolate that to the current 17 games, you get 34 points, 33 and 28 respectively. Bees (without playing anything like as well as they can, and surely will) are currently on 28.
And finally, on perspective, my local paper the Nottingham Post (yes, OK) refers to us today as “high-flying Brentford “.

 

[Artixbee]

The only way you can compare is by assuming we will win 8 games in a row at the end of the season

 

[nick logan]

The only way you can compare is by assuming we will win 8 games in a row at the end of the season

what ?? we might get more points between now and the the 8 wins time

 

[taxi driver]

i honestly don't believe what i am reading , we are unbeaten in 10 have lost 3 games in 17 and don't let in goals.
Once we get CN back and key players like JDS and BM regain their form , watch us go

I'm with you on this Nick

You tell 'em

 

[The Pipe]

Couple of observations: because of the play off final our pre season is less than any other Championship team which impacts on our high intensity football. We have lost our 2 Talisman which whilst not good on field does ensure we are financially stable in these uncertain times with no income

I don’t think it’s any surprise that the top positions are taken by the relegated clubs, their starting elevens may not necessarily be better but what they do have is depths of squads with experienced proven players who can fit in and allow greater flexibility and rotation.

we have an extremely good medical team that are assessing players on a daily basis and I would imagine their input into team selection is far greater than any previous season. Thomas will have the information and try to juggle the squad around to prevent burn out. This will naturally mean a lack of continuity.

I have read a load of dross on Social Media and whilst understanding that it is caused by dissappointment in our style of play and results in a lot of cases it shows a total lack of understanding about both the Football Club and life. Whilst physical assessments are reasonably straight forward I would suggest mental assessment is not so easy and playing all these games results in mental fatigue where playing an easy simple ball is the easiest option.

with all of this Thomas and his team with ( I would imagine the blessing of MB) have set Out the stall to be hard to beat as a first option, to manage the players to try and prevent burn out or injury and to have a squad of players capable of giving their all at the sharp end of the season. The justification will be clear to everyone in the Spring if successful.

in the meantime the football will remain unexciting as there is no time available for trying different things in training, it’s play, rest, gentle training to assess fitness then travel and play. A relentless schedule which makes this season so different to any other.

It is very easy to get irate when things don’t go to plan and the frustrations are evident from posters on this board. There is no quick fix, yes a couple of new faces might help, we just need to accept that all at the club would love us to be romping the league and that they are doing all in their power to achieve success

 

[Banana]

Take a bow @The Pipe

 

[Les Beeavinu]

We need to move from 1.64 points per game to 1.89 to get to West Brom's total of 83 points last season. That's an improvement of 8 points over the season on our current form.

 

[taxi driver]

We need to move from 1.64 points per game to 1.89 to get to West Brom's total of 83 points last season. That's an improvement of 8 points on our current form.

No problem then

 

[Les Beeavinu]

No problem then

Well yes, eminently do-able.

 

[Banana]

We need to move from 1.64 points per game to 1.89 to get to West Brom's total of 83 points last season. That's an improvement of 8 points on our current form.

Not so fast!

The league is a lot tighter this year. 2nd place is 3 fewer points than at the same time last season for instance (see evidence below). Extrapolating that's 8 points fewer at the end of season. Not entirely scientific I know, but...

In any case 3 wins in the next 3 matches would see us attain your target.

I am pretty comfortable with it all at the moment. We are missing our star player. He's back soon. Then we have January to strengthen the squad, and strengthen we must. It's always been the case that these No-Norgaard months would have to be managed.

No team is tearing up the league at the moment. I quite like where we are, Steve Ovett like, and not even in the final lap yet.

 

[taxi driver]

Not so fast!

The league is a lot tighter this year. 2nd place is 3 fewer points than at the same time last season for instance (see evidence below). Extrapolating that's 8 points fewer at the end of season. Not entirely scientific I know, but...

In any case 3 wins in the next 3 matches would see us attain your target.

I am pretty comfortable with it all at the moment. We are missing our star player. He's back soon. Then we have January to strengthen the squad, and strengthen we must. It's always been the case that these No-Norgaard months will have to be managed.

No team is tearing up the league at the moment. I quite like where we are, Steve Ovett like, and not even in the final lap yet.


View attachment 23414

View attachment 23415

A couple more posts and we are champions

 

[Banana]

Last 10 games table. It's such a close league...

This is a very strange season, and we've not even properly started it yet. It will be about who can adapt to it most. Who has the better coaches, who has the better medical team, and who has the better recruitment in January. Who are you going to bet on? Stoke?

 

[ladbroke]

I genuinely think, if we are like we are now in January, that is points away from top and players available/fitness, we will make the improvements/additions similar to what MB wanted to do in January 2015. Teams will start to get a bit more breaks with less midweek games, and regroup. We will too, obviously, but as mentioned above, we had a far less pre season than others and are still playing catch up compared to them. When was the last time we had a midweek free (excluding international breaks)? Last season. We must be shattered just like every other team having had no pre season together.
We may only have 2 main new players playing each week since last season (Toney and Janelt) but Canos barely touched the grass last season since about November (coinciding with our better form). Dalsgaard has barely rested having played international football every break so not getting a rest, same with Dasilva.
Theyre running on empty.

 

[AB]

I genuinely think, if we are like we are now in January, that is points away from top and players available/fitness, we will make the improvements/additions similar to what MB wanted to do in January 2015. Teams will start to get a bit more breaks with less midweek games, and regroup. We will too, obviously, but as mentioned above, we had a far less pre season than others and are still playing catch up compared to them. When was the last time we had a midweek free (excluding international breaks)? Last season. We must be shattered just like every other team having had no pre season together.
We may only have 2 main new players playing each week since last season (Toney and Janelt) but Canos barely touched the grass last season since about November (coinciding with our better form). Dalsgaard has barely rested having played international football every break so not getting a rest, same with Dasilva.
Theyre running on empty.

I think you’re right there are parallels with 14-15. People said that season and this the division was weak. But my feeling is the reality is then and now the division was strong in having 8-9 teams all quite capable of promotion and all still going for it until late season rather than one stand out or like last season a group of 4 obviously better clubs. A relatively low total may be enough and we’re well in that pack without firing well. Unlike 14-15 we’re not overperforming and in need of reinforcement to prevent reverting to the mean but underperforming and in need of a lift, whether by filling a squad gap or by the players upping their personal performances.

 

[Edmundo]

Not sure the cup run has done us any favours. The football hasn't been as scintillating as last season, but we've sold the best player ever to wear the shirt, so that's not surprising. There is more to come from these players and the main worry is exhaustion, physical and mental.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

Not so fast!

The league is a lot tighter this year. 2nd place is 3 fewer points than at the same time last season for instance (see evidence below). Extrapolating that's 8 points fewer at the end of season. Not entirely scientific I know, but...

In any case 3 wins in the next 3 matches would see us attain your target.

I am pretty comfortable with it all at the moment. We are missing our star player. He's back soon. Then we have January to strengthen the squad, and strengthen we must. It's always been the case that these No-Norgaard months would have to be managed.

No team is tearing up the league at the moment. I quite like where we are, Steve Ovett like, and not even in the final lap yet.


View attachment 23414

View attachment 23415

Will be interesting to see how much of a difference Norgaard will make. Does he really make us tick that much? Will it free our wide men up to have more freedom?

 

[nick logan]

Will be interesting to see how much of a difference Norgaard will make. Does he really make us tick that much? Will it free our wide men up to have more freedom?

yes and yes

 

[AB]

Will be interesting to see how much of a difference Norgaard will make. Does he really make us tick that much? Will it free our wide men up to have more freedom?

It’d be interesting to see our results and performances in games he’s played compared to ones he’s missed. I’m sure our improvement last season from a poor start came once he established himself and made the switch from 3CBs possible by offering a shield in front of 2CBs and linking defence to attack.

 

[nick logan]

It’d be interesting to see our results and performances in games he’s played compared to ones he’s missed. I’m sure our improvement last season from a poor start came once he established himself and made the switch from 3CBs possible by offering a shield in front of 2CBs and linking defence to attack.

and this year he will come back into a team already doing well. Can't wait

 

[EalingRoadSnowball]

7 points more this season than last.

 

[wanderer paul]

Best ever unbeaten period/run in the second tier of football.

Now 15 matches.

 

[Ealing Bee]

7 points more this season than last.

Don't mean to be negative or anything, but we may need it, since we can't count on going on a winning run towards the end of this season like we did last time post-lockdown (8 consecutive wins, iirc).