What Did the Stoke Friendly Tell Us?
- essentialbrentford
- Jul 25, 2015
- 5 min read
On Saturday Brentford ran out comfortable winners at Griffin Park against Premier League opposition Stoke City. We looked confident and in control after a nervy opening ten minutes or so, with goals from Gogia and Dallas securing the win. We take a look at some of the many promising signs for the season to come...
Strength in Depth
One of the reasons highlighted for last season's drop in form towards the end of the campaign was our lack of depth. Warburton made it clear throughout the season that he wanted to follow the method that Dyche used at Burnley; sticking to the same team every week.
However, our lack of depth in the squad, particularly in terms of forwards, meant that we flagged towards the end and dropped points against very mediocre sides. Andre Gray, in his first season at this level, was forced to play nearly every game of the season. Due to the flop of Proschwitz, the injury to Hogan and the subsequent injury that Chris Long suffered, Gray had very little on the way of back up.
One of the main positives to take away from the Stoke match is that the Bees now have far more depth. Dijkhuizen has indicated that he likes having big squads, a completely opposite approach to his predecessor.
Brentford changed all ten outfield players at various points against the Potters, yet not once was there a drop in tempo or sustained pressure. Andre Gray looked in good nick, as did the pacey Vibe. Hoffman perhaps still has to prove himself after a few loose touches on Saturday, and at points he resembled a slightly blonder Nick Proschwitz.
Our abundance of midfield players means that we are well covered in that department, and the outstanding performances of Bjelland, Dean and Barbet mean that with Tarkowski still to come in we have great cover in the position of centre-back now as well.
Defensive Improvements
The aforementioned performance of the defence was great to see from a fan's perspective. Last season we leaked goals left, right and centre and relied heavily on our attacking ability to win us games.
This was clearly the area to strengthen over the Summer, and by God have we done it well.
Bjelland just looks like an International footballer. His composure was akin to some of the best Premier League defenders, and he clearly has the eye for a pass as well - a crucial attribute if one is to succeed as a Brentford player. He looks well worth the £2.5million splashed out on him, and could really be the key to a promotion campaign this season.
Dean copped a lot of the blame for last season's defensive mishaps. He has a tendancy to get himself in trouble but against Stoke he looked solid. One thing about Harlee Dean is that he always puts his best in, and you feel that he's he kind of player who puts in the extra hours improving his game.
Barbet, another debutee, also had a fantastic game. Replacing Bjelland towards the close of the second half, he looked assured in possession and his distribution was faultless. Another fantastic addition, by the looks of things, to a defence that desparately needed suring up.
The New Signings
Pre-season friendlies are, for the fans, all about getting a glimpse at the new players; the new team. Expectations were high following Brentford's abundance of signings, and they didn't disappoint.
As previously stated, Bjelland and Barbet looked quality in defence.
Kermbauscher had a good game in midfield, and looks like he will play the same sort of role that Douglas played last season. His passing was tidy and he wasn't afraid to get forward. The one difference seemed to be his stamina. He didn't stop running all game - very different to the tired Dougie we saw towards the back end of last season.
Akaki Gogia could have easily scooped man of the match, had he not been subbed off at half time. He absolutely terrorised Glenn Johnson down the left-hand side. His quick feet, step overs and fierce shot make him one to watch out for this upcoming season. He may need some adapting to the English game but it seems our statistical analysis may have uncovered another gem. The problem is how he will fit into the starting eleven with so many other midfielders, but that's one for Dijkhuizen to ponder.
Ryan Williams looked tidy when he came off the bench. He'll probably play the "Tommy Smith role" of last season; coming off the bench to provide a pair of fresh legs if a change of player is needed in midfield.
Lasse Vibe, having only arrived at the club in the previous few days, came on at half time. It was clear from the outset that he has pace to burn, and he made some good runs in behind the Stoke defence. He blazed just over from a fair way out and then nearly found the bottom corner in the last few minutes having made a penetrating run into the box. He could play a crucial role in the coming months, challenging Gray for a starting spot.
Set Pieces
Another area that clearly needed improving upon was the taking of set-pieces. Douglas' headed goal against Brighton at home is the only time I can remember us converting a corner in the whole of last season.
Indeed, this was part of the issue that divided Warburton and Benham. Whilst the owner wished to employ a set-piece coach, the manager disagreed with this philosophy.
The coach has now been hired (see our Backroom Staff article), and the difference was noticable at Griffin Park on Saturday. Various moves and variations that we employed from corners had clearly come straight from the training ground, and many of us were left rubbing our eyes in disbelief when Dallas smashed home from a corner kick.
A few more goals from these set-piece situations would be very useful if we are serious about challenging the two automatic promotion places this season
Absentees
The final thing to take away from Saturday's match was the absence of certain players.
Douglas' exclusion from the squad seems to confirm our suspicion that he will no longer be a Brentford player come the close of the transfer window. This issue is discussed in full in our recent article "The Douglas Saga: All you need to know".
McEachran was also missing, and Dijkhuizen has confirmed that he will be out for three months with injury. He collided with Toumani Diagouraga in training, breaking three bones in his foot. This is a great shame, as it would have been exciting to see him play, but hopefully out enormous depth in midfield means that this won't affect us too much in the opening few months of the season. It will be a nice Christmas boost to have him back.
James Tarkowski has a less severe injury. Some stiffness in his hip meant that he was rested as a precaution.
Hopefully we will avoid further injury worries. If we do so, then this promises to be a very exciting season for Brentford FC. Watching us comfortably beat decent Premier League opposition one couldn't help but think, "It's possible that we'll be in the same division as them next season, isn't it?".
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