Bees boss Smith targets loan signings

Brentford head coach Dean Smith says he will look to the loan market to try and solve his side’s slump in 2016.

A 2-1 home loss to struggling Charlton was the Bees’ eighth defeat in 11 matches since the turn of the year.

Brentford lost James Tarkowski, Jota and Toumani Diagouraga in the January transfer window and did not replace them, and Smith wants fresh blood to make his team more ruthless in front of goal.

He said: “We’ve tried this week and been knocked back with one. But we’re still looking.

“It’s a tough market to dip into because you want to get good players in who are going to better than you’ve already got. We’re a young team anyway, the majority are under 24.

“Nobody is going to give you somebody who’s playing in their first team so you may be looking at a young player from one of the big clubs.”

Smith did feel his team’s display against Charlton merited more than it got – but warned his players they will need to improve.

He added: “I don’t think we deserved to lose. I thought we were better than them.

“When we did create good chances we didn’t take them. At the moment our Achilles heel is that we’re not scoring enough goals.

“We’re on a run of results at the moment that we don’t want to be on.

“Each of the players have to take responsibility for their own performances as well.”