Could Brentford’s farewell season at Griffin Park provide a fitting fairytale ending?
Famed for being the only EFL stadium to have a pub on its every corner, Griffin Park has been Brentford’s spiritual home since 1904. After over 115 years at their fortress, the Bees will wave a fond farewell to their hardy stadium at the end of the campaign and welcome pastures new, their new home, the Brentford Community Stadium. Who knows, this final season could also see the London club wave farewell to English football’s second-tier. Brentford currently sit third in the table and are amongst the favourites for promotion to the Premier League in Championship latest odds.
BMW: firing on all cylinders
They’ve been referred to as ‘the Championship’s Mane-Salah-Firmino’ or more affectionately, ‘the BMW’, but front three Saïd Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins have certainly got the Bees buzzing this season. The trio have netted a total of 34 league goals this term – and don’t show signs of slowing down any time soon.
In fact, all three attacking players were on the scoresheet last weekend as Brentford were 3-1 victors over local rivals QPR. Following the previous win, 4-0 away to Bristol City, in which all of the BMW were on the scoresheet again, Mbeumo commented: “You can definitely say that the BMW performed well today. It gives me a lot of pleasure that all three of us scored.”
Watkins in particular has shone up front. The 24-year-old is the division’s joint-top scorer, along with Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, and with the Cottagers’ star man out with what looks like a serious ankle injury, Watkins has a chance to not only add to his personal tally and assert his dominance over the rest of the division, but of course, help his team finish as high as possible in the league by converting his chances.
The attacking midfielder-turned-striker scored 17 league goals in red and white last season – his best return to date – and already on 18 for this campaign, looks like he will surpass that total by some way.
Fortress Griffin Park: honourable home record
In 2014, Brentford boasted the best home record out of all the sides in the EFL. Winning 17 of their 23 games during the calendar year at Griffin Park and losing just three, the Bees boasted a win-percentage of 78%. During the 2013-14 season, they won 19 home games, a huge contributing factor to their success in the league. Finishing second to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford gained automatic promotion from League One to the Championship.
This season, again, they’ve made their home a fortress. In the form table as it stands, Brentford are second. Of their 13 home games (one fewer than home form table leaders Preston North End), they’ve won eight, drawn three and lost two – amassing 27 points. The Bees have scored 25 goals and conceded just nine. They say home advantage counts for everything, and Thomas Frank’s side are certainly a testament to that.
Promotion: whisper it quietly
Fans are undoubtedly overjoyed with the news that head coach Frank has agreed a new contract with the club, a deal that runs until 2023. Taking charge from Dean Smith a quarter of the way through last season, Frank eventually guided Brentford to an 11th -place finish – success considering the squad spent the majority of the campaign in the lower reaches of the table.
He’s since masterminded a wonder squad, which have a clear togetherness, with everyone understanding their role. It appears that the players are all on the same wavelength in terms of their push for promotion. At the time of writing, the Bees are the best Championship side defensively, and the third-best attacking-wise – which is a testament to Frank’s man-management skills, as well as tactical nous.
While the Griffin Park faithful are certain that the Premier League will be on the radar as they begin their new era, Frank has been quick to play it down. Following that sixth-straight league win over QPR, he expressed the importance of keeping his players grounded. He said: “I only want to listen to recovery, preparation and all that. Maybe I can also hear what they are singing, and that’s nice. That’s one of the reasons why we’re here, to try to create dreams and beliefs.”
The Bees may dare to dream, but come May, that dream could become a reality – and what a fitting finale that would be as their 116-year tenancy at Griffin Park comes to an end.
