As one Addick has remarked, the Andy Delort transfer saga has become something of a pantomime, but the longer it goes on, the less likely a successful conclusion is. In any event he would not be available (or sufficiently familiar with the team) to play at Brentford on Saturday.
I have a good friend who is a lifelong Bee. Now well into middle age, he has lived in the same house in West London all his life, so there is no doubting his authenticity or his disregard for the likes of the Super Hoops (a particular dislike of mine. I asked him to give his thoughts about Saturday's game and here they are.
'Saturday’s game marks Brentford’s first game back in the second flight since the single season stay when ended in 1993. Bees fans are optimistic that the club will be able to stay much longer this time around. Certainly, the club is in much better shape and has been building for this step-up for a few years. The fans are right behind the manager and owner, and the summer has seen some excellent signings, including one from La Liga.'
'The core of the team has remained intact (as it did after our narrow failure to gain promotion in 2013) meaning that there is an air of stability at the club. Key players for the new season include James Tarkowski, signed in the January transfer window from Oldham, Alan Judge (who signed with us permanently from Blackburn after a hugely successful loan period) and new signings Moses Odubajo (from Orient) and Marcos Tébar Ramiro (from UD Almeria.'
'The one cloud on the horizon is the future of midfielder Adam Forshaw, who was last season’s League One Player of the Year. Forshaw was key to the team’s consistency last season, but has been apparently subject to two transfer bids from Wigan (managed by former boss, Uwe Rosler.'
'In terms of the season, the vast majority of Bees fans will happily settle for mid-table consolidation. With a new stadium due to open in two years, it’s very important to maintain the club’s new found status in the second tier. Charlton is a tough first game for the Bees, but with the new air of optimism, a home win is certainly not out of the question.'
The pessimism of many Charlton fans is therefore matched by caution at Griffin Park. We sometimes forget that the Bees were once a top flight club and I have a DVD of the film The Arsenal Stadium Mystery which includes quite a lot of footage from a match between Arsenal and Brentford.
3 comments:
I believe that Brentford, a club that I've always liked except when Martin Allen was there, will surprise quite a few teams this season. I'm going for a 2-2 draw this Saturday.
Brentford had a phenomenal home record last season, with 19 wins out of 23 games. Newly promoted teams are always best avoided early on and I would be very satisfied with a draw.
I live only four miles down the road and have always had a soft soft for the Bees, a club that, in recent decades, have struggled to attract a decent level of support. Hopefully, the move to Kew in two years will result in a step change in that respect.
I would certainly take a draw and forecast 1-1. I have always had a soft spot for the Bees. I hope that we will win on Saturday, but I also hope that they stay up. I think they will. The new stadium should be a big boost for them as Griffin Park has its limitations, especially in the away end.
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