A matter of time before the goals flow for Thiago again

Igor Thiago took the Premier League by storm in his first full season in the competition last term, scoring 22 goals for Brentford.

This campaign, however, he has only scored once in seven league games.

He is still making a full contribution in every game, but what has gone wrong?

Journalist and Bees fan Ian Westbrook gives his view – and remains convinced Thiago is the real deal.

Thiago’s goal drought started towards the end of last season, when he only scored once from open play in Brentford’s final eight matches – although he did tuck away two penalties.

At the time, I put the reasons down to a combination of exhaustion – he started 37 Premier League games and came on as a substitute in the other after a long injury layoff – and a dip in his confidence.

Early in the season, he scored several one-on-one goals – running on to precise passes and beating goalkeepers with ease.

But in the final matches, he failed to take similar chances, especially away to the two Manchester clubs, when he took an extra touch or hesitated before shooting.

However, he had done enough to quite rightly earn a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad and, after scoring a penalty in a warm-up game, led the line in Brazil’s opening match against Morocco in New Jersey.

 

Unfortunately, after missing a presentable headed chance early on, he did not have another real opening and was substituted on the hour mark. Harshly, in my opinion, he wasn’t given another minute on the pitch for the rest of the tournament and has not been picked in a squad since.

After a break, Thiago found the net again for Brentford in pre-season. Having scored in the 4-2 friendly win at Rennes, he found the net twice more in the 7-0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. His second goal in that game was one of his trademark one-on-ones and throughout the game he caused the visitors problems and looked back to his best.

Had he scored the penalty against Spurs on the opening day of the Premier League season, I am convinced the goals would already be flowing, but he hit the post from the spot.

Thiago did score a tap-in in the Carabao Cup at Birmingham before finally hitting his first top-flight goal of the season against Chelsea last month. His reaction, ripping his shirt off as he raced to the crowd, showed the relief he was feeling, and there was huge delight around the Gtech for him.

However, he has not scored since.

The Brazilian is still contributing. He was involved in the build-up for Yehor Yarmoliuk’s goal at Aston Villa the other week and last Saturday provided the assist for Keane Lewis-Potter’s headed goal against Liverpool with a great cross.

He is still proving a handful for defenders and working as hard as ever, but also seems to spend more time in games playing out wide instead of in the middle.

Given last season’s success, it is no surprise that he is being much more tightly marked this time around and as a result has had fewer chances, so it isn’t as if he is missing a hatful of opportunities every match.

Everyone at the club – management, team-mates and fans – is backing him and I’m sure the goals will come soon.

In the meantime, it has been great to see so many other players chipping in with goals.

Last season, Thiago scored 40% of the team’s Premier League goals – the highest percentage of any player.

But this season, he is one of nine players to have scored in the top flight for the Bees.

He might not score 22 again this term, but don’t back against him finishing the season in double figures once more – and maybe prompting Ancelotti to reconsider him.