Could this season be the one that sees Brentford Football Club return to play their football in the top tier of English football for the first time since 1935? It could well be.
Currently, they sit in the fifth position in the Championship with 53 points from 31 games. They are six points behind first-placed West Bromwich Albion, two points behind Leeds and Fulham in second and third spots respectively and one point adrift of fourth-placed Nottingham Forest.
However, Brentford’s goal difference of 27 is significantly better than any other club in the Championship, including all of the four teams above them. Even league leaders West Brom‘s GD of 21 is inferior to that of the Bees. Only Albion’s 55 goals-for tops Brentford’s 52; but the Bees’ defence is tighter than anyone else’s in the Championship, having conceded only 27 goals.
Their healthy tally of 55 goals scored is thanks in the main to Ollie Watkins. The 24-year-old is the Championship’s leading scorer with 20 goals and three assists; he just pips Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic to top spot as they both have 20 goals to their names by Mitrovic only has one assist.
Watkins is however well backed up by Bryan Mbeumo in the scoring stakes. The 21-year-old French winger, who also plays for France’s national U21 side, is the Championship’s seventh top scorer with 12 goals to his name plus five assists.
Saïd Benrahma makes up the last man in Brentford’s fearsome attacking force. The 24-year-old Algerian, who also plays for the senior Algerian national team, has chalked up eight goals for Brentford and five assists.
This trio is taking the Championship by storm, and they are guiding the Bees to a potential place in the Premiership next season. The other great new for Brentford is that the average age of this trio is only 23. If they can be retained at Griffin Park, they can become a feared force in the top rank of football too.
Keeping the three together, however, must be a worry for Bee’s manager, 46-year-old Dane, Thomas Frank, amid rumours of interest in Benrahama from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Newcastle United. In addition, Crystal Palace are said to have been keeping tabs of Ollie Watkins for some time now. As well as Benrahama, Leicester are also rumoured to be showing an interest in Mbeumo.
At least the January transfer window has closed, so the next window for movement won’t open until the close of the season. The problem is keeping players focussed amid rumours of Premiership clubs showing an interest.
It’s a problem that Thomas Frank must get to grips with if he is to prevent any of his attacking trios following fellow countryman Christian Eriksen’s example when left Tottenham for Inter Milan. Months ago, Darren Anderton thought that Eriksen might walk, and even Mourinho’s arrival was not enough to prevent it.
But Frank, who has been nominated for manager of the year, is said to be very good at communicating with his players.
If Brentford are to win promotion and stand any chance of surviving in the Premiership next season, he is going to have to be on his best form to keep these three strikers in the fold.
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