00:00:00
00:00:01
Forecast Friday: Struggling Wolves visit the Gtech
24 Plays19 days ago
This is your Forecast Friday, where we analyse team news ahead of the game at the weekend, look at changes we would make to the lineup and debate how we expect the game to pan out.
Host: Daniel Toppin
Lydia Batalona
Instagram/X/TikTok: @gspnbrentford
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Transcript
00:00:10
officialgspn
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Brentford podcast with myself, Daniel, where today we will be looking ahead to our game against Wolves at the G-Tech on Saturday. I'm once again joined by Lydia.
00:00:20
officialgspn
How are we doing today?
00:00:22
Lydia
Yeah, doing good. Excited for the match tomorrow. Will you be there?
00:00:27
officialgspn
Yeah, I'll be there. Will you be there?
00:00:29
Lydia
Yes, I will. I can make it last week. So I'm looking forward to this Saturday.
00:00:34
officialgspn
Come say hi to us if you see us around the ground.
00:00:36
officialgspn
and just before we get going guys we are a brand new company so we're looking for your support over the coming season and beyond as we look to bring you the best and most in-depth coverage across the entire network whether this is a five-star review on your favorite podcasting platform or a recommendation to your friends we are very grateful for any support that we receive so and let's start with some team news in terms of possible changes from last week it's difficult to
00:00:36
Lydia
yeah
00:01:07
officialgspn
really think of what changes we can make given our bench last week but there's a possible return of Christian Norgard once again. I think Jensen shouldn't be too far away although I've not heard much about him in recent weeks and I would be surprised if he came in this weekend if he just popped up.
00:01:18
Lydia
yeah
00:01:24
Lydia
Yeah.
00:01:27
officialgspn
So from your point of view do you think we'll see any changes or you think there should be any changes from the side that was put out against West Ham last week?
00:01:37
Lydia
I think I'm pretty sure Norguard will be back just because I think it was last week Frank was like saying that he was just on the clasp of like being allowed to pay basically.
00:01:49
officialgspn
He said that the week before as well. I don't trust what he says anymore with regards to injuries.
00:01:54
Lydia
I'm being optimistic and trusting him this time so I'm sure we'll see Milgard and yeah I think Shada just went off with a cramp right so I think I don't see him being changed anytime soon.
00:02:07
officialgspn
Who knows? Who knows at this point? I think, yeah, I think Norgar gets straight back in if he's back. and I think that will allow Janelle probably to push forward.
00:02:18
officialgspn
It will be interesting to see then whether Janelle replaces perhaps Carvalia and we go with more of the midfield three that we kind of used to go with.
00:02:30
officialgspn
But that will also mean kind of changing our shape with more of a defensive midfield three and no number 10.
00:02:33
Lydia
Yeah.
00:02:37
officialgspn
But then again, it might also allow Dammsguard to push further forward. um What do you think of someone like, you know, because he seems to be someone who is trusted very much by Thomas Frank. He's very rarely not in the starting 11. But I've said on this podcast, and I do think that he's obviously a very, very good squad player. But I don't think he needs to be starting every week. And especially on the ball, I think we have other better options that could play in that middle.
00:03:04
Lydia
Who would you say is the better option for starting?
00:03:09
officialgspn
Well, you you could go with the same lineup as last week, but bring Norgar back into that defensive midfield position instead of Janelle, and then you've still got Dammsguard.
00:03:16
Lydia
um
00:03:20
officialgspn
Normally, I'd have Dammsguard and Jenson ahead of Norgard, but you you can either go with the shape that we did last week with Carvalho as more of a number 10, or even Jarmolek.
00:03:23
Lydia
Yeah.
00:03:34
officialgspn
I think he, on the ball, is quite tidy with the ball. I think he keeps the ball really well.
00:03:40
Lydia
Yeah.
00:03:40
officialgspn
I think he keeps the ball better than, you know, I don't think he's necessarily a game changer off the bench, but I think if we are trying to play more progressively, if we are trying to dominate possession more, I feel like an all guard, dam's guard, Jarmoliuk's midfield three um may just keep the ball better. And you know, it's a good substitute to bring on with half an hour to go if we need a bit more energy in the middle.
00:04:03
Lydia
I definitely agree with what you said. I think that Norgard in midfield is like, he's also a good someone really respected by the team and by Frank so I think but I do think he has more control of the ball than you know so I think that would be the best way to go.
00:04:18
officialgspn
Yeah. Yeah, I do think he's slightly better on the ball than, you know, he's he's also the captain, so it would surprise me if he didn't go straight back in.
00:04:24
Lydia
no
00:04:27
officialgspn
The only reason I can see him maybe on the bench is if he's not fully quite there yet in terms of his fitness, um but it's fit enough for the bench. But, you know, I'm normally someone that says if you're if you're fit enough for the bench, you're probably fit enough to start as well, um even if he needs to come off early.
00:04:40
Lydia
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Frank said like the same about Norguard, so I think if we see him it will be starting pretty much.
00:04:48
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean, like I said, I take what Thomas Frank says in press conferences with a Pinterest sort.
00:04:53
Lydia
Yeah.
00:04:53
officialgspn
Now, I think I think it's mainly done to um add a sense of mystery to the opposition. but they They don't know whether they're going to face certain players or not. But, you know, he does like to keep his cards close to the chest, his chest.
00:05:06
Lydia
yeah
00:05:06
officialgspn
I think we've learned that now. um
00:05:09
Lydia
ah Also we don't have the depth of squad for it to be that much of a mystery so we do have to keep some things.
00:05:15
officialgspn
Definitely, definitely.
00:05:15
Lydia
paper
00:05:16
officialgspn
i mean I mean, in terms of the other players that are on the bench last week, I just don't really think many of them are very ready, obviously, in terms of the experience we had on the bench.
00:05:28
officialgspn
Ross Leve and Ben Mee were probably two options there, but from my point of view, I was probably quite happy with the back four last week. I don't think we need to really change that. um One other thing I was going to ask you though is would you keep that same shape as last week with more of an attacking four and a number 10 whereas normally previous to that it's been more of a front three and a midfield three. Would you keep that or would you maybe reserve one of those attackers on the bench to maybe unleash in the second half?
00:05:58
Lydia
I think considering wolves also tend to do better when they've got less possession I think I'd use that as a reason to keep with the attacking formation just because we need to make sure that we're keeping the game going because obviously wolves will prefer it if it's slower for them so I think that that's why we should maybe stick with what we were doing last Saturday
00:06:28
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean.
00:06:28
Lydia
as and then obviously change it for the teams that do better with more possession.
00:06:34
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean, I think we'll go into it trying to keep the ball more anyway. I think we'll they'll be playing out from the back.
00:06:38
Lydia
Yeah.
00:06:41
officialgspn
I think obviously if we play the number 10, someone like Dam's guard will be deeper again, like he was last week and we will have more possession. I think, I think that's definitely going to happen based on the evidence you've seen so far, even against West Ham, we did have more possession.
00:06:56
officialgspn
Although he's trying to be great. I just do kind of think it would be nice maybe for someone like Shada to be on the bench. I don't think he had a great game last week. I think you could have a front three of KLP, Carvalho and b Brian.
00:07:15
officialgspn
and I think maybe you can have a midfield free then behind him of I would go Jarl Boljak, Dam's guard and Norguard or you know instead of Norguard if Norguard's not fit.
00:07:27
officialgspn
I just think that would give us an extra option with maybe half an hour in the game to go if it's not going our way, if it's a bit like the game last week where we're either behind or it's won all.
00:07:37
Lydia
yeah
00:07:39
officialgspn
it It was just an option off the bench. And I think Kevin Shada, especially out of all those front players, I think with his pace, with his power, with his, you know, I think otherwise he's pretty raw and he's maybe not the best at the moment, but with a tiring defense, and if you give him half an hour, he could be one that can change a game.
00:07:46
Lydia
Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:00
officialgspn
Whereas I think having like Yarmulik on the bench will necessarily change a game. I think he'll help the ball a bit better, but I don't think he'll pop up with that goal.
00:08:05
Lydia
Yeah.
00:08:09
Lydia
Um, I definitely agree. I feel like Kevin's kind of like, um, not, okay, this sounds too harsh, not an untrained puppy, but like a puppy, just like loads of energy.
00:08:22
Lydia
And I think that as you were saying, like in the later stages of a game, he's got so much energy and just willingness to go after the ball that I think he'd definitely be the person I'd bring on as everyone's tiring out.
00:08:33
officialgspn
Yeah. Yeah, I think he's too fast for his own good. Sometimes I think sometimes he might just need to slow down, get the ball under control and then go.
00:08:39
Lydia
Yeah. you yeah
00:08:43
officialgspn
And I think that might come with time. But obviously we want to see him progressing now. I mean, on Tuesday's episode, I spoke a lot about how no one apart from b Brian and Whissa have scored for Brentford in the league this season.
00:08:56
officialgspn
Obviously not being with Whissa, obviously Whissa being at the team for the next couple of months. We need people like him and we need Carvalho and we need King Louis Potter to start getting in on the goals because we don't want to be in a situation where if Brian is stopped and if
00:09:11
Lydia
Yeah.
00:09:12
officialgspn
You know, if Brian's not on it or something like that, if he doesn't score, then we don't score as a team. We don't want to be in that situation because then even from a wolf's perspective, that would probably make us easier to defend.
00:09:25
Lydia
Yeah.
00:09:26
officialgspn
um Just going on to wolves. I think they strike me as a team. in decline in the last few years. If you think of people like Ruben Nevers of the other few years ago, Jota, who's now at Liverpool, this summer they lost Max Kilman, who obviously went to West Ham. And they're not replacing all these players, I don't think. They may be replacing some of them. I think Kunya up front is a good player, but they do give me an impression of a team who is slightly on a downward spiral.
00:10:00
officialgspn
I know in terms of fixtures, they've had a very difficult start. So it's not a complete surprise that they haven't got a win on the board yet.
00:10:04
Lydia
Yeah.
00:10:07
officialgspn
But I think that inevitably, you know, no matter who you're playing every week, if you get six or seven games into the season without a win, I think it will start to grate on their confidence and they've got city at home after this one and then Brighton away next.
00:10:20
Lydia
Yeah.
00:10:26
officialgspn
So. with will Do you think they'll be feeling the pressure at the weekend, perhaps more than we will be, to finally get a win on the board in the Premier League?
00:10:38
Lydia
Yeah, I mean, this is something we mentioned in the crossover episode, but I definitely think that in terms of pressure, they'll be feeling, especially with cities straight, like after, this is something that they have to win. And so, but then again, like just the sort of psychology of losing and only getting one point from six matches in the season as well. Like.
00:11:07
Lydia
I don't know if they'll be able to achieve under that pressure.
00:11:12
officialgspn
I think it's always going to add pressure onto the team. I think when we've been in spells of and maybe losing five in a row or maybe around last Christmas when we was really, really struggling, you know it must have affected the players, it must have affected the team.
00:11:20
Lydia
blue
00:11:26
officialgspn
Even if you've got all of the big sides in a row, players don't go into the mindset in into those games with the mindset that they're going to lose. you know ah Every player will believe that they can get something and will be disappointed when they don't.
00:11:40
officialgspn
and obviously with wolves, it could be getting to a point soon where, you know, a gap might start to appear between them and obviously the teams above the relegation zone.
00:11:45
Lydia
Yeah.
00:11:54
officialgspn
I do think, obviously, they've they've still got every chance. Obviously, they're probably better on paper still than perhaps the promoted teams. They'll be teams that they do fancy themselves against. But obviously, even from their perspective,
00:12:07
officialgspn
away at Brentford, any away game in the Premier League I don't think is easy. I think from us as well, we're looking at this game as an opportunity to try and get a result.
00:12:11
Lydia
yeah
00:12:17
officialgspn
And obviously, we've got Manchester United away on the horizon. I don't know if that's a negative positive or a negative at the moment, given how how they're doing. But you know in theory, this is probably the sort of game that we should be looking at getting a result like in before we go to somewhere like Old Trafford.
00:12:37
Lydia
Yeah, I definitely agree that and be honest I think that's why I think there'll be a lot of goals.
00:12:47
officialgspn
I hope so. I think last week's game was pretty dreadful to watch. I don't think we played terribly, but I think we really struggled to create anything after the first minute. And I don't think West Ham created a bucket load either, I thought.
00:13:03
officialgspn
And and when when i when I watched Match of the Day as well, it was the shortest highlights I've ever seen of any game ever on Match of the Day. and And I'm not particularly surprised because it was a pretty just bad game to watch.
00:13:14
officialgspn
So let's hope for better.
00:13:14
Lydia
yeah question So I was like watching Match of the Day and I was like right well that was over in a blink.
00:13:21
officialgspn
Yeah, it was the shortest I've ever seen. Anyway, after the break, we will be analyzing the game in more detail, including making some predictions and analyzing exactly how the game we think will go.
00:14:43
officialgspn
So then welcome to part two. So let's get onto this game in particular um and how we think it will play out. I mean, the first thing I remember from last year is the home game. And from, unfortunately, Nathan Collins has actually been brilliant this season.
00:14:57
officialgspn
He, on that day, had one of the worst games I have ever seen. ah Obviously, I know he played football previously. I think that day he genuinely may have forgotten who he was playing for.
00:15:07
Lydia
Yeah. I think he maybe he got some sort of colorblind and just couldn't remember that he was in a red and white shirt because that was a bit of a shocking game.
00:15:17
officialgspn
Yeah, it was definitely one of the low points. I think we lost 4-1 in the end. I thought we did go on obviously to play them in, yeah, we did go on to play them in the FA Cup.
00:15:22
Lydia
schooled
00:15:26
officialgspn
I thought we were competitive in the FA Cup, although we should have won the home game when it was a draw and water down 10 men for a long period. And obviously we played well there to win at Molyneux later on in the season.
00:15:40
officialgspn
How do you think this one might be different to those and or how do you think it might pan out in terms of playing styles and and just more generally?
00:15:51
Lydia
I think it will be different to those, especially considering how we were playing them a lot in short succession. Now, compared to now, where obviously it's been the break. And then I think also because of what we were saying about their bad form as well, I think that we'll be coming into it with like different morale as we were talking about. And I just think that will either mean both ah teams attacking more, or it will mean they play it safe and it's a bit of a boring game. Who knows? It depends, but I do think that it will be, I think it will be less close as before. I think Brentford have a better chance compared to when before we might've been, because there was even a time when Wolves were like, you know, playing for,
00:16:50
Lydia
They're in the European spots where I think, obviously now coming at it, they're at the bottom. So I think it will be less close.
00:16:57
officialgspn
Yeah, I think they've they've had seasons over the years. well Obviously, they've they've done very, very well. I remember they used to have like a strong Portuguese contingent that they got promoted with from the championship. They've done Quite well and obviously more recently like we've discussed in the first part, I think they have started to go on decline in terms of personnel in terms of losing players. I think we will try and control the game more again. I feel like we will still be passing out from the back. I feel like it's important that we move it quick enough.
00:17:28
officialgspn
in order to create chances and get the front three or the front four on the ball in positions where they can hopefully produce that bit of magic. um Obviously I want to see more from people like Keanu is part potter in terms of final product. I think he looks good sometimes taking on players but We ultimately need him to start shipping in with goals, as well as you know the others who are lining up onside alongside and boom-o.
00:17:52
officialgspn
I think we we want to see us create better chances.
00:17:52
Lydia
Yeah.
00:17:54
officialgspn
And obviously, we need to start moving the ball quicker, a bit more incisive. And we need to avoid spells in games where we are giving it away close to our own goal.
00:18:06
officialgspn
We need to avoid that dip. Because when you dip and you're playing the way we're trying to play at the moment, it leads to quite big chances to the opposition and it only takes a 10-15 minute spell like what West Ham had last week for them to get back into the game or perhaps even wrestle the game off us and you know even going back to the Spurs game you know we started well but again there was a 25 minute spell which weren't in the game at all and we just couldn't keep the ball in our final third and
00:18:20
Lydia
yeah
00:18:38
officialgspn
When you're not going long and when you're so continuing to play that way, I just think it's really important that we stay consistent as possible for 90 minutes if if we want to get the win. um what What are your thoughts? so Obviously, you haven't been on all our episodes recently where we've spoken about our change of style and trying to play more out from the back. but what What are your thoughts on that? Are you pleased that we're trying to do something which is maybe a bit more progressive? And can you see maybe in the longer term it working for us? and and All this work now paying off.
00:19:10
Lydia
Yeah, I definitely think obviously Thomas Frank is always, I think he's definitely, you can tell that he's got the people around him, he's got the stats, he's got ideas for progression. And I think that especially with all the upheaval, Tony leaving like Whistler now being injured, I think that it's obviously, I'd be concerned if we weren't attempting anything different.
00:19:37
Lydia
So I think it's a good thing and I do think it will pay off in the long run.
00:19:37
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:19:42
officialgspn
Yeah, I think it's part of natural progression. I think too many teams come up like Southampton, perhaps this season, and try and play like this straight away. And they're not good enough. And it ultimately affects their results.
00:19:50
Lydia
yeah
00:19:52
officialgspn
And yeah they they've been pretty terrible. I watched their game on Monday. They were 3-0 down by halftime. They did improve in the second half, but it was too late. And, you know, they're just...
00:20:03
officialgspn
not not good enough to do what they're trying to do. I think Thomas Frank with us actually probably wanted to progress our style last year but with injuries and with obviously our struggling a bit I think he went a bit more back to basics but you know now we started okay after the injuries are setting in again but I think he is hopeful that you know we can progress and we can show our quality in trying to play this way and I think it also
00:20:06
Lydia
moon
00:20:12
Lydia
yeah
00:20:20
Lydia
Hmm.
00:20:28
officialgspn
does probably coincide of losing Ivan Tony and not having Tiago.
00:20:30
Lydia
Hmm.
00:20:32
officialgspn
We don't have that target up front anymore. So we have to find different ways to create chances. So I can see the benefits. I think it's still a working progress at this stage.
00:20:42
officialgspn
I think we can get much better at it. But we've got to start somewhere. And you know we're getting by at the moment. We're having OK results. We're not doing too bad. and So I can definitely see the benefits of it.
00:20:56
officialgspn
how How important then do you think it is that we continue our momentum this week, given that we've got an international break after that and then obviously a trip to Old Trafford? We're currently, I think, 12th in the league. There is a bit of a gap between us and the bottom three, but you know given perhaps our ambitions, we perhaps do want to aim a bit higher and not be looking over our shoulders this season.
00:21:12
Lydia
yeah Yeah, I definitely think with all the injuries and the frequency of injuries, it will only be a good thing to get all three points.
00:21:16
officialgspn
Is it important that we can try and get maybe in ah another three points here, which should see us hopefully in the top half going to the international break?
00:21:34
Lydia
And I think that oh because my mum's a Liverpool fan she was saying oh you know you don't know how long until we take Brian and stuff like that so I was like no not letting that happen but yeah I think it's important that we get the three points on the weekend.
00:21:52
officialgspn
Yeah, I think it is. well I mean, these home games, we've done quite well at home so far with two wins in a draw. I think we want to continue um you know this home record when we're playing teams in and around us. And I do want to see us maybe start taking more control. I think last year, we weren't as good at home as as we could be. so But again,
00:22:15
officialgspn
Old Trafford is to the difficult place to go. No matter you know what's going on there at the moment, I suspect that if United don't win at the weekend against Villa, then they could see that international break as a good time to make a change.
00:22:30
officialgspn
So we don't know which Manchester United would be facing.
00:22:33
Lydia
yeah
00:22:33
officialgspn
um I think you know even if it is just to go into that game with less pressure, you know it it would be great to get a win here to sit to see us off into the international break. So then predictions time. I know you gave your prediction on yesterday's crossover episode youll to remind us what that was.
00:22:52
Lydia
Yeah, I said there'll be a lot of goals, so I'm going 3-2 to Brantford.
00:22:56
officialgspn
Who's going to score? Anyone other than Brian, are they going to school tomorrow?
00:23:00
Lydia
I've got high hopes for Kevin. I feel like this will be his game, but definitely Brian to school.
00:23:09
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean, shada had he's had games. He's had, you know, that Palace goal last season was very, very good. I think with all of the front players, really apart from Brian, we need to see a bit more consistency from them.
00:23:15
Lydia
Yeah.
00:23:20
Lydia
and Yeah.
00:23:22
officialgspn
And obviously I know Carvalho as well is very new. Again, we want we want to see him. you know, try and get on the score sheet, especially if he's going to be playing a false nine role or similar. We want to see him, you know, contribute. ah Another question for you. Are we going to score another goal inside the first minute at this weekend?
00:23:42
Lydia
That would be so iconic. If any team were to do it, it would be Brentford. But at the same time, I feel like Gary O'Neill will have said to his team, like, whatever you do, don't let them score in the first minute. So I'd be surprised. But also, if anyone's going to do it, it would be Brentford.
00:23:58
officialgspn
Yeah. I mean, it's it is it's an insane record. If we do it one more time this season, this whole season, we've broken a record for scoring the most goals in the first minute of any of of games in the Premier League.
00:24:03
Lydia
Yeah. Yeah. Let alone consecutive, which is just wild.
00:24:12
officialgspn
Yeah. So it's having, we again, we've spoken about it on the podcast, especially the last couple of Tuesdays quite extensively. I think we obviously put things in our favour in terms of getting the ball forward, getting numbers forward, get going for the joules. We get things in our favour as much as possible, but I do also think this is a quirk that just is not sustainable and will not continue. So I don't think we will be scoring in the first minute again, but don't be late if you're going to be there at the weekend. and My prediction, I'm going to say 2-1 to Brentford.
00:24:53
officialgspn
I think in some ways it could be quite similar to last week, but I don't think Wolves actually, even though we said they're struggling a bit in this episode, I don't think they're probably as bad as their position suggests.
00:24:57
Lydia
Mm hmm. Yeah.
00:25:08
officialgspn
I think that, you know, against Liverpool last week, they played quite well. They only lost through a second half penalty as well to Selle.
00:25:12
Lydia
Two
00:25:17
officialgspn
So I don't for one minute think they'll come and play very badly. I think they might want to be quite defensively solid if if they're, you know, first and foremost, I guess, trying to avoid defeat being being near the bottom of the table. I can see a similar game to last week. I'm not so sure it will be super attacking, super entertaining, but I am backing us to maybe create chances slightly better than we did last week, and I am backing us to get the winner unlike last week. So I'm going to go 2-1, Brentford.
00:25:51
officialgspn
I do think Brian would get at least one. I want to back someone else to score.
00:25:55
Lydia
Who would it be then?
00:25:56
officialgspn
and I would have said Dammsguard, but I think he might be playing the deeper role again.
00:26:02
officialgspn
And if he's playing the deeper role, I don't fancy him to score. I will maybe go Carvalho. Let's go Carvalho.
00:26:02
Lydia
Yeah.
00:26:14
officialgspn
He's obviously has scored for Brentford. He scored in the cup a few weeks ago.
00:26:17
Lydia
yeah
00:26:18
officialgspn
Um, I think he shows some nice touches. I think he's got to finish in him. So let's hope that, you know, at least somebody other than Brian can, you know, start to contribute some goals.
00:26:27
Lydia
yeah
00:26:29
officialgspn
I mean, the premier league.
00:26:29
Lydia
Someone else can join the club of the season's dogs.
00:26:32
officialgspn
Yeah, that's, that's hope. So especially with without, it's even more important. So that's that's a good place to end it here. Then we'll see if our predictions come into fruition over the weekend. Thank you for listening to the Daily Brentford podcast. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode. And once again, we'd be extremely grateful for your support as this will enable us to get bigger and better moving forwards. Daily Brentford can be found on X, Instagram, and TikTok under the handle at GSPN Brentford. We'll be back again on Monday. where We'll be reviewing the action from the weekend. Until then, from myself and Lydia, thank you for being with us.