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Daily Brentford Match Review Monday: History Made on the Road!
69 Plays13 days ago
This is your Match Review Monday, where we analyse our latest away win against West Ham as we win three top flight away games in a row for the first time in our history. We ponder over a scintillating first half attacking display ruing missed chances along the way, second half changes and a battling performance to get the result over the line.
Host: Daniel Toppin
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Transcript
Introduction to the Daily Brentford Podcast
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Brentford Podcast with myself, Daniel, where today we'll be analysing a third away win on the bounce as the beads made history with victory at the London Stadium at the weekend. Just before we get going, guys, we're a brand new company, so we're looking for your support this season and beyond as you look to bring you the best and most in-depth coverage across the entire network. Whether this is a five-star review on your favourite podcasting platform or a recommendation to your friends,
00:00:38
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We are very grateful for any support that we receive.
Team Changes and Defensive Analysis
00:00:42
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So let's get stuck straight into it. There was one change made from the side that quite disappointingly fell to defeat against Spurs two weeks ago with Mark Flecken back in goal for Hakonvald and Marston.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
whilst ah Whilst I think this wasn't his busiest afternoon, he did what he was required of, and I just think having a more settled back five to the back four, including the keeper, it it can only be a positive thing for the side. And I think Mark Flecker brings that experience, which perhaps Van den Marssen doesn't have. And I think just whether it's conscious or unconscious, defenses in front of him are likely to feel a bit more secure ah and they know exactly what they're going to get with someone like Bart Flecken in goal. So it was great to see him back in the side. Christopher Iyer once again deputized and instead of Michael Coyote, I think there still might be some concerns about
00:01:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
coyote's positional play i note that on monday at the time of recording he's playing for the beast team along with the likes of fabio carvalier and ben me so gaining some minutes and i think the longer coyote spends to the team the more he learns about his position and where um Thomas Rhett wants him to be and when, um then I think he can play a really good role for Brentford. I think it's clear that he's got the attributes in terms of going forwards, in terms of his long throws. I think what he just maybe needs to tighten up on, and I think we saw that in the 5-10 minutes he was on the pitch against Spurs is his positioning where to be when. Part of that is for for me familiarity with with your teammates, and part of that I think is also just his age.
00:02:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
bit of maybe tactical naivety which can be worked on over time and I do think that's something that he can really learn and pick up on. So I do expect him ah by the end of the season to hopefully be more up to speed and I would love to see him start at some point as I mentioned in the
Impact of Injuries and Defensive Depth
00:02:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
preview. We also saw Vandenberg in over Pinnock as expected and I anticipated however with Vandenberg now out injured it didn't look too good he had to be um carried off on a buggy like a golf kind of buggy that was on the sidelines at the London Stadium luckily being the old Olympic Stadium and having so so much room around the pitch he was able to be
00:03:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Escorted off the pitch in that way but with him now injured if we don't see him for another week or two at the least um I think Ethan Pinnock should be out to slip back in there and it should be a relatively seamless transition I think For my criticism Pinnock this season. I don't think he's been quite as usual very very high levels He is still now an experienced Premier League defender. He's used to playing next to Nathan Collins and I like the dynamic of having a left footer and a right footer in the back four which obviously Collins is a right footer, Pinnock traditionally a left footer so i like I like that and I don't think our performances should drop, our defensive level should drop too much with Pinnock back in the side which is a positive although I do hope.
00:03:55
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We'll see Vandenberg back soon. There was more depth on the bench. I think we're starting to see that now in recent games. The likes of Yarmoliet, Jenson, Carvalho, Coyote, Pinnock, and me all on the bench for this one. All of whom I would say are senior players, all of whom I'd say can make a difference to the side in certain situations. And if, you know, and in the next month or two, we can add Rico Henry, we can add Aaron Hickey, we can have Igor Tiago to that list.
00:04:24
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um is looking very positive and I think we will be able to start trying to change more games from the bench if needed. Not that this game necessarily called for that but I would like to see you know perhaps a game that's not going our way and between now and the end of season I would like to see what Thomas Frank can do on the off the bench and how he can change a game tactically if he has those options on the bench because that that's another criticism I put towards Thomas Frank perhaps after the Spurs game most recently and many justify and his lack of substitutions or him making substitutions too late by saying he's just not got the options on the bench but I would like to see what Thomas Frank can do with those options on the bench and then we can maybe judge more fairly whether you know any criticism
00:05:13
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is deserved or or whether um he is just simply working with what he has.
West Ham's Strategy Critique
00:05:19
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Although I have said with regards to Carvalho in particular, I think he should be used more in certain games. I don't have a complaint with how he's using this game, but I do think in other games, perhaps when the game's not going so well, he should be used more. He should be given that chance to shine.
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought in this one, in particular, the Jan Moliuk and Jenson Subs, late on, helped us tighten things up. We took Kevin Charder off the pitch at that stage. We went for an extra midfielder just to show up the midfield, just to ensure we kept the ball, just to become more difficult to break down. And that is clever game management going into the last five or 10 minutes. And I thought, again, when Michael Coyote came on, we, I think we took Wisser off on that stage and We had Aya, Collins, and Pinnock as the back Coyote right wing back. Kean Lewis-Potter left wing back. Again, helped to see the game out with just a few minutes left. In relation to West Ham, I was really surprised actually not to see Evan Ferguson start, given the issues they've had up front. And in the first half here, they appear to go st strike list with kind of Lucas Paquetta.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
in that false nine role and that really, really did not work for me. ah If Ferguson wasn't to start, I would have thought we would have seen Bowen down the middle, but no, he was very, very wide hugging that right hand side. I just thought they didn't really have much of a threat down the middle. I think Bowen's always going to be a threat. We know what he can do. Same with the likes of Kudos on the other side, but I thought West Ham perhaps got it wrong.
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah with that starting lineup, and I think that showed in that first half performance and the fact that Graham Potter felt out the need to make the subs at halftime. I thought the likes of Mavropanos looked very shaky in defense, but at halftime, once Ferguson came on, once James More Prowse came on as well with his set priest delivery, I felt they did offer more of a threat. After the break then, I will be breaking down the game itself. I'll be breaking down each chart. So Brentford had in the first half,
00:07:27
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And I will be looking ahead to the second half as well and how we managed to see it out to become the first Brentford side in Brentford history to win three top flight away games in a row.
Podcast Platform and Game Strategy
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Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and area editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
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Hello and welcome to part two of your daily Brentford podcast with myself, Daniel, where today I will be summarizing another win on the road as you beat West Ham at the weekend. Let's look at it from the start then. I thought it was really important here to actually get off to a fast start in the game. Both sides out of the FA Cup, both sides had two weeks off in the lead up to this one. And whilst that can be a very, very positive thing,
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I also think it's important, you know, without having that match practice in the last week or two, um to really get out quickly, to make a fast start, to hit West Ham with intensity. And I thought we did exactly that. And perhaps West Ham failed in that kind of area. I thought we instantly looked to get onto the front foot and we were rewarded. um Yeah. And we're still playing a lovely ball over the top. Brian and Buma managed to flick it on and Shada running onto the ball.
00:09:58
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taking a couple of attempts to finish it maybe if I'm being critical should he have finished it the first time I think we saw Kevin Schade score a similar goal in the Carabao Cup earlier this season against Sheffield Wednesday where the first effort didn't quite make it over the line and he put it away the second time I guess all that matters is he does put it away. um I think his finishing in general has improved in recent months. Even with this initial finish, you can see what he was trying to do. Slide it into the right and bottom corner. ah But ultimately, you know, he he was very quick to the rebound and the ball, although from the away end, this being right at the other end of the pitch, it was not clear at all whether we had scored or not. um The ball was quite some distance over the line. I thought the direct
00:10:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
running from Abuma and Shada in particular, and also the link-up from Wisser and the midfielders, even the likes of Norgun and Janelle was absolutely brilliant in this game, and I thought we travelled them all afternoon, particularly in the first half and following the Shada goal. The chances just kept on coming. Brian Abuma had an effort, fired at Strayer Ariola. I think he was going for that near post shot he likes to do after cutting in, which is quite an unconventional finish.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
and we're seeing it more broadly in the Premier League, but we're seeing it more often now as well from Brian Abumo on thinking of the goal he scored against Arsenal. When David Rea thought he was going to the far post, but he got him at the near post. We've seen him make more recent attempts doing that. I think against the like got likes of Liverpool, we saw him make that kind of attempt.
Brentford's Dominance and Tactical Analysis
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not sure if he's going for that near post a bit too often now. I think he does need to try and curl some,
00:11:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
more traditionally towards a far post. I'm being critical here because I felt that it was a theme in the first half, not just Brian and Bummo, not just this chance that we probably should have been two or three up. And I think Thomas Frank said that himself, and perhaps on another day, if West Ham took one of their chances in the second half, maybe this could have been a different game and we would have definitely lived to regret some of these chances, but you know brilliant brilliant to get into the position.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brian Abumo firing straight at Ariana on this occasion. Then we had the effort where Kevin Sharda hit the post. I thought it was a decent effort actually. I thought he was quite unlucky. I think if you look again, the more traditional finish would be to try and go across the keeper. But on this occasion, given Ariana's positioning, I felt that there was the space at the near post. And I think given that given that Sharda's effort hit the post,
00:12:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I think he can count himself unlucky. I think it was a decent effort. There's much more he could have done. I think he was just quite unlucky not to not for the ball not to either bouncing on the post or to be just inside the post on that occasion. Then we come to the offside goals. I thought the first one, if Damsguard tapped it home instead of Whistle, Damsguard couldn't quite reach it. I think it would have been onside and it would have stood.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a good finish from Wisser, but again, if I've got to talk about Joao Wisser, what he perhaps lacks at times going forward, is I think he is off court offside a bit too much for my liking. I think even a general play happens quite regularly, Joao Wisser being offside. I haven't got the stats on me, but I'd be very surprised if Wisser wasn't up there in in players caught offside or certainly top of the pile in relation to Brentford players being caught offside this season. So I think that's something he may need to look at, you know, he's not The quickest striker, he's also not the slowest striker, but maybe he feels that he needs to be right on the line in order to be able to get him behind and outpace defenders. Perhaps, I think, you know, maybe if he could just refine that area of his game, maybe if he could just hold off a minute or two, or even the midfielders, like Sir Brian Abubow, who played the ball on this occasion, could they play that ball a little bit quicker?
00:13:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, to get whistle onside, um, because whistle time is run. Could that ball come a little bit quicker and we're out to finish it off. I think in this particular offside goal could Brian Abuma have taken it on himself? The ball was given away very poorly from West Ham. The keeper I felt was caught quite cold. Brian Abuma had some space. I thought the curled shot into the top corner was on from the edge of the box. I'm i'm quite surprised in some ways he didn't take it on himself. I think we have seen Brian Abuma score that type of goal before so maybe perhaps he could have taken it on but again
00:14:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
The fact Brentford had created these chances, the way we played through the lines, we looked like we wanted to get to that ball first. We won that midfield battle, particularly in the first half. The likes of Norgard, the likes of, you know, the forward thinking, passing, punching the ball into the forward line. It was like we had almost more than one make our naps gun on the pitch, which is a compliment to every everyone.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
um in that midfield on this occasion. I thought we were really, really good in terms of breaking the lines and the West Ham defence really struggled with the pace and power of that front free. Then we came to the second offside goal, which I think was unlucky. Christopher Iacott narrowly offside in the build up. Wisser himself was onside. It was a really, really good move.
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
great finish from Whistle, what we used to see, and I think he was unlucky not to get to the onto the score sheet on this occasion. I thought he still had a good game, you know, Whistle, and I thought, yeah, he he probably deserved to get on the score sheet on this occasion. He didn't do anything wrong from his perspective, and it was a great flowing move, only just offside, very unlucky for that not to be too nil.
00:15:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Again, I want to talk about Brian Abubo, first time hit just before the break. This is our last real chance of the first half. Again, the ball came across to him. He hit it first time almost on the volley and it didn't even make the match today highlight package because it went quite handsomely wide. But I felt if he had the awareness around him to know that he could bring the ball down, he could bring the ball down in that situation. He had the time and space to bring the ball down.
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
If he did that, then I would back him to score. He'd be almost one-on-one with Arriola. I'd be confident he's still on the ball if he can bring it down. I think his touch is generally quite good. If he was able to bring that down, then you could see him cutting that round, Arriola. And I think it was a wrong decision to go for it first time. And quite unlike Brian Abin, we don't often see that from him. Almost snatched it at first time. It was a great connection on the volley. And it obviously is a much more difficult finish to execute in any event.
00:16:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
but yeah, I would like to see him bring it down. Perhaps, ah again, if I'm being critical, Brian Abuma, in particular, maybe his decision-making wasn't quite on the right side in that first half. You're almost waiting for him to burst into life. um Although we did look threatening, we only went into the break one nil up. And at this point, I was happy. It was a good performance, but then I was thinking that we could pay for the missed chances in the second half, I thought West Ham have got to come out better than that. I thought they were really, really bad, surprisingly bad, given that they've had two weeks on the training pitch for the new manager, teaching him principles. I thought they'd be better on the ball. Maybe the personnel are struggling a little bit to get to used to playing Graham Potter's way. Obviously with the likes of David Moyes and the most recent manager, Lopategi.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's not necessarily the same style of football perhaps it's an awkward fit for some of the players and I think maybe that showed because I think we really were in control in that first half we were first to the ball in the midfield and we ultimately won that battle and as I said earlier on that experiment with Beketa up front really did not work in the first half although they may have thought it would give them a bit more control in the midfield I just didn't think that was the case. and and And they put a number of crosses into the box. That's about all they really did in the first half. And there was no one really there to get on the end of it. I want to point out Carlos, de low at one point, looked like he was through on goal for West Ham and he just randomly decided to turn around. Literally did a full 360 spin and went went to ground, I think, claiming a foul and the referee waved play on. That was really odd.
West Ham's Second-Half Adjustments
00:18:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um from the away end as it looked like he had an opportunity to be in on goal obviously didn't back himself and then went to turn back inside which you don't see very often let me put it that way but yeah at the break I knew West Town would probably improve I think Graham Potter showed why he's a good manager in the fact that he was not afraid to make halftime changes we saw Evan Ferguson who who Graham Potter knows from his time at Brighton He offered them a focal point. He's that target man figure in the second half. He had a shot. I think he had one effort at Mark Flecken's goal, which Mark Flecken could comfortably say, but I think just in general build up play. He was able to link things up for West Ham a little bit more. I thought Skalls, who came on a half time, who I think is a West Ham youth product, he was not afraid to get up and down that wing almost keenly, his Potter style.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then James Robress, if you're bringing on a target man and you bring on James Robress alongside him, I think it adds an extra dimension. And I was a bit worried at halftime. I could see those three warming up. I knew they were likely to come on and we know what James Robress can do. His delivery from corners, is his free kicks are brilliant. Um, we got away with it a few times that second half, cause they did have quite a few corners and a couple of free kicks as well. Um, I thought we dealt with them really well, which we'll talk about soon, but yeah.
Brentford's Defensive Strengths
00:19:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
that that combination you can see how it could be dangerous and I felt at half time you know we could regret um that first half for not being two or three nil up and almost out of sight I think when that gave West Ham confidence in the second half and a feeling that they weren't necessarily out of the game which which could have been avoided on another day I know it all turned out okay but That is the only criticism, I could say, of us in that first half that we could have been so much more clinical. Talking of West Ham improvement in the second half, the by far their biggest chance of the game, their only real clear-cut opportunity was the cutest effort early in the second half. Ball played across the box towards him.
00:20:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
The goal gaping, I think if you get to on target and it's not straight at Mark Fleckard, then I think that's a goal every day of the week. Hamid Kudas instead makes contact with it, but absolutely crashes it over the bar. ah And I think that could have been the turning point um if West Ham had scored at that stage. And then I would have been concerned at that stage because that was a massive, massive chance for West Ham. But you know, if if you're looking at the balance of play,
00:21:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're looking at this game as a whole, we had you know two or three big chances in that first half. I only managed to take one of them. I think this was West Ham's big chance. And luckily for Brentford, they didn't take it either. Otherwise, I thought West Ham clearly had more territory. They had more set pieces. I think part of that was bound to happen, given that we we had something to defend, given that West Ham were at home.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I knew that they would likely improve. However, I thought we looked really comfortable actually on the whole in defense. And we dealt with James, uh, changeable process delivery, particularly well. I think again, like, um, we have done for most of the season, apart from the goal, we can see it against Spurs. We have defended corners in particular this season, absolutely brilliantly. And I think Keith Andrews has set peace coach.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
deserves so much credit for that. Um, although I still think we could be better attacking corners, I think defensively, absolutely fantastic once again on, uh, on the weekend. And you can tell as well, when James well, Prowse hits those corners, you can tell that delivery is really, really good. And we defended it really, really well. I think our use of subs late in the game, as I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast was really good.
00:22:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
in terms of seeing out the game, having that extra man in midfield, having Jensen and Yamo, fresh legs in midfield, having Coyote on at right wing back and not right back. So then if he's caught out positionally, there's more cover behind him. I thought that was all really, really positive. Um, and we saw the game out relatively comfortably as comfortably as you possibly could really, um, see a one nil win out. That makes Brentford, as I said at the top ah that we are the first Brentford side in history.
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
to win three top flight away games in a row that doesn't just include the last three or four years in the Premier League, that includes Brentford's first stint in the top flight many, many years ago. So Brentford have never won three top flight away games in a row before today. How typically Brentford that we don't win away all season, then we win three in a row. And at the same time, our home form goes on being brilliant to now being winless in quite a few
Looking Ahead: Brentford's Winning Streak
00:23:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
home games as well. but Sticking with the away theme, sticking with our positive away momentum, I think there is a fantastic shot at winning four away games in the world with a visit of lester ah with the visit to Leicester on Friday night. I think that is a real opportunity also to get our first back-to-back wins this season. It's something that I'm looking for us to do, like I've said for weeks now, if we are to
00:23:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pushing to the top half, if we are to maybe challenge our eighth spot, which is likely to be the conference league spot next season, we need to go on a run. I mean, we we need to probably win three or four in a row. And if we can start this off, ah obviously we started off the weekend, if we can continue this against Leicester, we then have a tough game at home to Everton. But if we can go into that game with some momentum, us being the home team, there's no reason we can't get a result there too.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and then we And then we look beyond that and we look where we are in the league from there. But next job, Leicester away, I think on paper, it should be an easier so assignment to the likes of Palace and West Ham. Can't underestimate them still. We've got to perform. And on our day, I think we can be better than them. But we've got to put in a performance. and We've seen Brent for size in the past, perhaps not do that. This season would be better, I would say, against ah the lower sides of the table.
00:24:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I'd want to see us to continue that and look convincing again on Friday night.
Reflections and Podcast Conclusion
00:24:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no reason we can't go into that game being confident. We have a brilliant record in the Premier League against West Ham. That is six wins now with one draw and one defeat thrown in there too. I thought overall this is a fully deserved win. Perfect response to the game against Spurs, particularly that first half. I think it was one of the best first halves of football we played this season.
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I'm looking forward ultimately to the next one and that will do for today's Daily Brentford Podcast. Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed today's episode and once again we'll be extremely grateful for your support as this will enable us to go bigger and better moving forwards. Daily Brentford can be found on X, Instagram and TikTok under the handle at GSPM Brentford and this podcast is also now available on YouTube under the handle Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:25:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
on their YouTube channel. We'll be back again on Wednesday then where we hope to bring you a Wild Card, a midweek Wild Card episode for you. Until then, from myself, thank you for being with me.