Brentford appeared so safe so just lately. After two profitable campaigns, they appeared to have established themselves as a well-run, upwardly cell Premier League pressure for whom a European slot was a extra sensible than quixotic notion.
Third time round, it hasn’t been fairly so simple and final night time’s chaotic defeat to scientific Wolverhampton Wanderers was their sixth in seven video games and the relegation berths are hoving into view.
“It’s a kind of video games you have got yearly,” sighed Thomas Frank, the Brentford supervisor. “Two huge mistake for targets, plus two we don’t usually give away. However we’ll get out of this minor run of unhealthy type. We’re crew, squad and we’ve got character in abundance.”
Even after a 10-day break enabled by Manchester Metropolis’s Membership World Cup jaunt, Brentford stay waylaid by absences past their management (accidents to Rico Henry, Bryan Mbeumo, Aaron Hickey, Kevin Schade, Kristoffer Ayer, Josh Dasilva), however, additionally self-inflicted wounds reminiscent of Ivan Toney’s betting escapades and suspensions for Frank Onyeka and Ben Mee.
But, for all their personnel points, Brentford have been the architects of their very own downfall,: wretched in defence, the place it’s exhausting to think about that Nathan Collins may have had a extra disastrous 90 minutes; he was at direct fault for 2 targets, complicit in a 3rd and missed a first-half sitter.
“I’ve informed Nathan it’ll by no means be worse than this,” mused Frank. “He’ll always remember this and whereas he’ll be down tonight, tomorrow the solar will rise and I count on him to stroll into the coaching floor, head held excessive. If he sits in a nook feeling sorry for himself, he’ll be misplaced.”
Because it at all times does, Brentford’s industrious midfield created possibilities, however with out Toney and Mbeumo, they have been shorn of a innovative. With Toney removed from sure to return in any respect as the larger golf equipment circle and the January switch window looms, these are essentially the most ominous occasions of Frank’s hitherto glittering reign.
Two under-strength defences made for a remarkably open contest, the place errors would circulate and targets would comply with. Wolves piled the strain on the bewildered Mads Roerslev and Brentford nearly scored early on, albeit for Wolves when Vitaly Janelt sliced Hwang Hee-Chan’s cross over his personal bar.
Famine would quickly develop into feast with three targets in three loopy minutes. Brentford struggled to clear a nook earlier than Pablo Sarabia crossed deep. Mario Lemina was left alone to plant a easy header previous Mark Flekken.