Tag: Aston Villa

January’s New Dawn Fades

Brentford 2 Aston Villa 1              Sunday 2 January

Back in balmy August we got a draw at Villa in our third ever Premier League game. After that, things were a bit patchy for them, and in October/November, ex-Bees manager Dean Smith’s Villa lost five in a row. He got sacked and is now at Norwich. He was replaced by Steven Gerrard, who has won four out of seven. And so the Happy New Year manager-go-round goes round and round.

Full of enthusiasm we strode to the ground for a 2pm kick-off. Sunshine on a rainy day as the drizzle fizzled out. As the teams lined up each side of the cardboard portal thing before kick-off, we could see that Villa’s away kit for this game was a midnight blue version of Chelsea’s home kit. At least it’s not the all too frequent all yellow away kit that Brentford and several other clubs have adopted this season.

Ex-Bee Ezri Konsa was playing at the back for Villa. Ex-Bee’s striker Ollie Watkins wasn’t even on the bench. Covid maybe?

Inside the ground the sun disappeared. The wind rose and pushed the clouds, buffeting them against the regular procession of planes descending towards Heathrow. It mirrored our efforts on the pitch. After a breezy start we were labouring, slower than Villa to every ball. So we were more disappointed than surprised when Danny Ings put them ahead on 16 minutes after a sublime drag-back and pass by Buendia. But we fought back and equalised just before half time – a lovely curler from Wissa.

The second half was all Villa in possession, but they couldn’t find a way through. Their frustration evident in Trezeguet’s shocking dive that later went viral on social media. Bees’ patience and effort got a reward on 83 minutes when Roerslev shot, the goalie parried and Roerslev shot again. Yes!

After the game we met up with a couple of Bees friends in the Rose and Crown in South Ealing. We let it all sink in while sinking a pint. We were excited yet nervous about how it was all going now we were at the half-way mark…

Port Vale 1 Brentford 4 (FA Cup 3rd Round)         Saturday 8 January

A train to Stoke. Again. We came here for the Carabao in October. We walked to Hanley for a Spoony’s lunch, then yomped up to Burslem and just about made it in time for kick-off at 3pm. Vale Park is a nice old ground. Sit anywhere you want in the away end, so we were able to watch the second half with our friends once we’d found them. No programmes? They don’t do a printed programme any more but you can download one. Not a bad thing, I guess.

Robbie Williams is local hero/major shareholder. Bailed them out in 2006. And yes, they do run out to Let Me Entertain You! Lemmy was also from Burslem and a Port Vale fan and Ace of Spades is also played before each game.

Ex-Bee Leon Legge is at the club, but didn’t feature today. The manager is Darrell Clarke, a no-nonsense former Vale player and all-round good bloke, by all accounts.

Attendance was restricted to 9,000-odd to avoid the need for Covid checks. The actual gate was 8,069, 1,126 of whom were Brentford. There was no scoreboard or clock visible to away fans, and the PA system cut out so often not a single one of the announcements was comprehensible. At least the wifi was good, so we could track events on our phones more easily than in big stadiums.

In the first half we were good, visibly a different class. So much so that all the action was down the other end of the pitch, but we managed only one goal, smashed in by Forss on 26 minutes. We entertained themselves by singing our way through the Bees songs back catalogue, including the Sammy Saunders song (You are the love of my life…) that includes an offer dubious on so many levels). Sammy seems to be the love of Steve Pound’s life these days since he started playing at Hanwell Town. After nearly every game Steve presents Sam with the MoM champers… and good luck to him.

In the second half Vale were much better, more tenacious and had some good chances. So much so that it seemed the ball was never destined to come down our end. Until Bryan was unleashed from the bench on 62 minutes. Four minutes later he scored. Then Vale scored. Game on! Then Bryan scored again. Then Toney was awarded what I thought was a rather soft penalty. He very generously gave the ball to Bryan to complete his hat trick. What a gent. And it was good to see Kristoffer Ayer back after his injury.

After the game our friends gave us a lift back to Hanwell. It was nice to doze in the back seat, warm and dry.

Southampton 4 Brentford 1 (rearranged from 18 December)      Tuesday 11 January

This game had been postponed because some of Brentford’s players/staff had Covid. For this rearranged fixture we managed to get a lift there and back. Could get used to this for any evening mid-week away games outside London. At the ground, I couldn’t find a programme seller, once again. And what with the slow Covid checks we missed the cardboard portal of doom palaver. But we were just in time for the taking of the knee.

The Saints manager is Ralph Hasenhüttl, who seems to have done a pretty good job so far, despite having no ex-Bees on the playing staff.

From the off, all 27,383 spectators made a lot of noise, not just us away fans. From the off, Saints dominated. We tried and failed nearly all game. The desire for us to play better at times led me to wish it was Brentford playing in the red and white stripes with black shorts that’s so similar to our home kit.

2-1 at half time. Could we get a draw second half? No, we continued to be a victim of Ward-Prowse’s prowess, save for a couple of decent chances near the end when it was too late.

Saints fans were full of song all game long. We found ourselves sandwiched between ‘We’re the Itchen, we’re the Itchen, we’re the Itchen over here’ and ‘We’re the North End, we’re the North End, we’re the North End over here’. And every round of ‘Come on Brentford!’ we belted out was instantly drowned out by ‘F**k off Brentford!’ from both sides.

All around the ground a phone torch starry starry light show glittered against the dark behind the floodlights. They were winning 4-1 and they deserved it.

As the game drew to its painful end we were treated to ‘It’s a long way back to London when you’re shit’. It was a long way back to London, and we were, a bit…

I bought a programme online. Lots of stuff about new owners Sport Republic, backed by a Serbian billionaire. Also a heart-breaking article about ex-Saint Sam McQueen’s fight against repeated injury and the toll it took on his mental health. And a very good Junior Saints section with perhaps the hardest Spot the Difference I’ve ever come across.

Liverpool 3 Brentford 0                 Sunday 16 January

This is what you dream of when you picture a season in the Premier League – a trip to Anfield. And a 2pm kick-off is quite good when it still gets dark early.

We arrived at Liverpool Lime Street the day before so we could have a look round – the Radio City Tower, the Philharmonic pub (a Victorian marvel), Albert Dock, Chinatown and the Italian Club Seafood restaurant.

The Metropolitan Cathedral had a fascinating display about the Irish who arrived in the city in their thousands, fleeing the Potato Famine in the 19th century. They built the docks in Liverpool that at one point in the late 19th century handled 40% of ALL world trade. They built the towers of London, too.

It was also an interesting walk to the ground. Found a programme seller straightaway – card only like at Spurs. Great ground, great buzz outside, a bit of an anti-climax inside. We expected a bit more in a relatively compact stadium with almost 53,000 people sitting in it.

Tucked away in corner at the back of the away section we felt a bit claustrophobic. Like being in an observation pillbox. We heard and joined in with the minute’s applause for Liverpool legend Billy Liddell (who I confess I’d never heard of), but the acoustics meant we couldn’t hear much else.

Brentford played in white, a nice change from the usual away yellow. We played well too, at least in the first half. It was so good to see Rico back after injury. Our dreams of making it to half time nearly came true but Liverpool scored just beforehand. But then we started the second half well, too. We were playing much better than we had against Southampton. But once Liverpool netted their second goal it was all over really. And that would have been a fair score line. But another defensive slip-up in the 77th minute and Minamino made it 3–0.

We sang well throughout, some of the chants good-natured taunts that Anfield was a ground full of tourists (not Tories as I and others misheard) and ‘race you back to London’. Liverpool fans were chuffed at the news coming though that Everton had sacked Rafa – there’s Schadenfeude for you!

The programme was pretty good, not exceptional – authoritatively confident, like the club. On social media we were praised for not singing about Hillsborough. It’s sickening that anyone would.

Brentford 1 Man United 3 (rearranged from 14 December)   Wednesday 19 January

This one was originally postponed because of cases of Covid in the United camp. And here we are at five to eight on a dark chilly night as the United players emerge from the tunnel of hope and slow-jog towards the cardboard portal of disarray in a pleasing away kit of blue top with yellow shorts.

Brentford were the better team in the first half. United gave the ball away surprisingly often, they weren’t playing as a team. We had loads of chances that even at that early stage we thought we’d later regret missing. And missing describes Cristiano Ronaldo’s first half performance. Love him or hate him, he did used to be a top player. Not so sure he still is. Did he always used to cheat this much? Some of his falling-over show was shown on social media later. Laughable. At least the ref didn’t fall for it much.

At half-time the big screen showed an interview with Christian Norgaard, who has just signed a new contract. Interesting stuff and what a nice guy. And with the continued talk of Christian Eriksen maybe joining the club, it’s… Onward Christian Soldiers?

In the second half United improved. Both sides had loads of chances. United took theirs better. Their passing was more accurate too, we began resorting to too many hopeful hoofs. We chanted ‘Live round the corner, you only…’ but in fairness the away fans sang and sang strong with a definite Mancunian twang, at least to my ears.

I guess the Bees players tried to follow the plan. They certainly tried to play. But it didn’t work, and some of them seemed off the boil. Many of the fans near us were fuming with frustration and disappointment. They’re devoted to the club but feel we should be better than this, even if we don’t win. On 67 minutes there was a minute’s applause for Pete Hayward, a devoted Bees fan and tireless charity fundraiser who had recently passed away.

On 71 minutes Ronaldo was substituted after a busy evening of falling over and moaning at his team-mates and the ref. By this time United were 2-0 up. Apparently he also threw a tantrum in the dugout, unhappy at being taken off.

Marcus Rashford got a third for United and Toney got a consolation for Brentford, in what was a bit of a missed opportunity of a game.

Brentford 1 Wolves 2     Saturday 22 January

Ah, nothing like a good old-fashioned Saturday 3pm kick-off, we all agreed as we settled in our seats. But the phrase ‘must-win game’ soon took our pre-match chats after three defeats in a row.

After the cardboard portal of nonsense there was a minute’s applause for those who have passed away over the past year. During the clapping I looked around the stadium and thought I saw a drone above the corner where the south stand meets the west stand, but it was just a plane descending towards Heathrow.

Brentford started brightly, lots of possession, winning tackles and moving the ball around. All seemed to be going well and there was no hint of the mayhem that was to follow. So, deep breath…

Around the 20-minute mark Rico Henry and Matthias Jensen both went for the same ball. A sickening collision of heads. There was a long delay before they were taken off the pitch, each bleeding from gashes to the head. Some fans went for an early half-time pint. Baptiste and Roerslev came on as concussion subs, meaning we could still make the usual number of further substitutions.

Wolves were better when the first half resumed. Bees had had to reorganise and seemed a bit unsettled. But only a few minutes later the more eagle-eyed among the crowd started pointing to the sky. It was a drone, flying over and around the ground, sometimes dropping as low as the top of the stand. The players were led off the pitch, cos them’s the rules. More fans went for an early half-time pint, some were going for seconds. At one point the drone disappeared, then returned. 19 minutes later play resumed. Wolves again quickly got into their stride and Bees’ play was more disjointed, so it was no surprise when the visitors soon scored.

At half time proper, many more fans went for refreshments, some for the second or third time. After half time the players and linos came onto the pitch, but where was the ref? We were kept waiting for five minutes or so, during which time the squiffy wag in the seat behind suggested a further return to the bar…

At some point a helicopter appeared and hovered around for a while, presumably as a drone deterrent. Meanwhile, back down here, Wolves resumed their dominant play. One of their players was red carded but it was rejected by VAR.

Ivan Toney scored. Jubilation mixed with apprehension. At that point I’d have settled for a draw. But Wolves scored again, what turned out to be the winner. Their goalie went into immediate time wasting mode. Like Raya did at Molineux when we were two nil up and down to ten men. What went around was now coming around.

In our section of the stand all was anger, frustration. I started humming ‘Let the Heartache Begin’ to myself. Some are blaming our goalies. When will Raya be back? Not soon enough but it’s not their fault. General defensive lapses? Tiredness?

After the final whistle there was a melee in the centre circle, during which Thomas Frank got two yellows and was sent off. What a way to celebrate signing a new contract that keeps him at Brentford until 2025.

Oh dear. Four defeats in a row and a make-or-break two-week winter break to fix it. During which to hope Christian Eriksen finally joins and we get that nifty Forest player we’re after.

Next time…

January was meant to be a quiet month but rearranged fixtures and a cup game put paid to that. Games coming thick and fast is fine when all your players are fit and you win some of them. So here’s hoping for a successful integration of new and returning players, a boost to those who’ve signed extended contracts (Pontus, Norgaard and Bryan) and a refreshed mindset in February. And here’s hoping Toney’s silly comments about the club can be turned into a motivating positive. Come on you Bees!