Josh McEachran: All You Need to Know...

Brentford’s latest signing seems to be another fascinating addition to a squad with already a real depth of talent. The midfield list currently includes, wait for it: MacLeod, Saunders, Douglas, Diagouraga, Dallas, Judge, Tébar, Jota, Kerschbaumer, Williams, Gogia and, of course, McEachran. This list is far from exhaustive too, other possible inclusions in the full squad being Moore, Clarke and Udumaga; equally you might include the likes of Odubajo, McCormack and Yennaris on this list, who have all featured in midfield for the Bees in the last year or so.

This raises a question and one which has been asked frequently even before our latest ‘undisclosed’ transfer: just where will the lad fit in? With the 1-8-1 formation looking increasingly likely this is a question we need to look into sharpish, and before the midfield list grows even longer.

McEachran, now 22, is a player who has been on the footballing map for an extraordinary 5 years after he gained the title of becoming the first player to appear in the Champions League (substitute vs. MŠK Žilina, 15 September 2010) having been born after its inception. At this point Chelsea fans were raving about the future of the player and his being played in preference to the likes of Essien, Mikel and alongside the great Frank Lampard was testament to his ability in the eyes of then manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Josh went on to make 11 appearances in the 2010 season including his most impressive game to date, a full 90 minutes against Marseille.

Carlo Ancelotti’s immediate sacking, however, sparked the demise of McEachran and his immediate loss of a starting place. Instead he was sent out on loan to a number of lesser clubs such as Swansea, Middlesbrough, Watford and Wigan where, frankly, he failed to shine; the result, he was sent out on loan again, this time abroad, to Vitesse Arnhem.

This is probably where Marinus became aware of Josh’s ability and may be a large part of the reason for the once-Chelsea golden boy now being a Bee. McEachran’s stats do not make great reading, Bees fans; he’s never scored a senior goal and, according to Wikipedia, the matches in which he has played any essential part in the last few years have ended in defeat, be they for Swansea in the FA Cup or during his short, unsuccessful spell across London with the Hornets.

Equally, a total of just 105 appearances in his 5 years as a full pro appears too few for Josh to be considered a young player with real experience, the one up side being his 38 Championship games for ‘Boro in the 2012/13 season.

Looking forward, where might young Josh fit into Marinus’ plans? Past experience points towards a preference for 4-3-3 from the management staff and I believe this may well be the formation used, after all it worked for us in League 1 and is proven at the highest level. On the other hand, last season’s 4-2-3-1 had its benefits too, the deep-lying Diagouraga allowing the forward 5 (including Douglas who scored 8 goals) to be free-form and liquid in their attacking displays, an overriding reason for why the Bees were so spectacular to watch at times.

Whichever means the coaching staff choose, Josh will have to fight for his place in the starting XI, especially given his tendency towards the deeper-lying midfield role where the exceptional Douglas and Diagouraga are mainstays in the team.

Add to the equation Konstantin Kerschbaumer’s apparent ability and you have real competition on your hands and the reason why Josh’s signing on I consider to be truly ‘fascinating’.

We will see soon enough whether McEachran has the ability to become a Brentford regular, but, in the meantime, I’m happy enough with the Bees' signings. We continue to sign quality and retain influential players whilst the Cottagers from down the Thames continue to sell fan-favourites (Bryan Ruiz to Sporting CP, presumably at a vast loss) and to buy distinctly average talent, even at Championship level.

Let's hope we look back at the signing of Josh as one of the most important factors in our bid for promotion to the Premier League

#mceachran #brentford #fulham #dijkhuizen #chelsea