The Gtech fell silent to yet another defeat for Brentford on Monday evening. Thomas Frank's men have now loss 9 out of their past 11 fixtures leaving them 15th in the league and a mere 3 points from where Everton sit in the drop zone. As the noticeable rise in poor form doesn't appear to be changing, questions must be asked on what the future beholds for Brentford?
There is no debating that playing Tottenham Hotspur and Treble winning Manchester City in back-to-back game weeks is a challenge for any team in the Premier League however in the vulnerable position Brentford find themselves in, not being able to perform and earn points in both these fixtures could be critical to their season and developing a cushion between them and the bottom three.
With teams such as Luton and Everton building momentum beneath the Bees, Brentford as a present club unfortunately should be considered relegation contenders. A title that no club wants to associate themselves with and whilst players or managers may convincingly disagree with this title there must still be an awareness among the Brentford camp to the current state of affairs.
It's a complex situation because in a time that looks so dull for the Bees there are many positives beyond the disappointment. Neil Maupay has now scored five goals in five games; Ivan Toney has brought a new threat into the side and new signings seem to be finding their feet such as first choice Goalkeeper Mark Flekken who despite conceding three goals against Manchester City put up a valiant effort to keep his team in the game. Flekken made 12 saves across the 90 minutes and even registered an assist for Maupay's opener which no other goalkeeper has done this season.
There is hope that Brentford can come out of this dark hole and set the Premier League a light once more but in this current moment of time performances are reasonable and reasonable doesn't often win you games.
The clear concern is their form verses teams outside of the top 10, losses to sides such as struggling Sheffield United and Crystal Palace are points they shouldn't be dropping. Their form was originally inconsistent and now it's hard to picture them winning games which is incredible for a side who were on the brink of European football last campaign.
Brentford mustn't dwell on this run of bad form as some sympathy should be expressed. I believe many fans would agree in saying Brentford have yet to field their strongest starting 11 and not having the convenience to do this can be so costly.
Thomas Frank has had to throw all his cards on the table to gel a team together without pivotal figures such as Bryan Mbuemo, Kevin Schade, Rico Henry, Ivan Toney until January, Aaron Hickey, Yohan Wissa to AFCON, Saman Ghoddos to the Asian Cup and Josh Dasilva who returned back into action verses Wolves in the FA Cup but unfortunately will return to the sidelines again to undergo surgery on a severe Knee injury. Of course, these players weren't all out at the same time but you can see the headache Frank has had to manage when half his team hasn't been available for selection during different periods of the season.
The medical staff have been kept devastatingly busy due the longevity of the injuries to these players. It's extremely unlucky that almost every injury each individual player has sustained has kept them out for a long period of time and it's very easy to forget that having these stars on the sidelines is a logical explanation to the Bees being where they are.
Hopefully, Thomas Frank will have more available to him soon but after minimal investment in January, Brentford are going to have to graft their way back up the Premier League Table.
The future is full of mixed emotions for Brentford, the players efforts on the pitch aren't translating to results yet in contrast to this negativity it's hard to imagine that a team who were so competent last season won't find a way to escape this relegation scare. Thomas Frank addressed today that Ivan Toney will likely leave in the summer which doesn't come as a surprise amid rumours of him leaving on his return. This means Brentford have got to plan long term as well as focusing on the present because if they do survive this season, they will have to find a new striker to deliver on the big stage.
Brentford have a lot to think about but for now their attention will turn to Wolves at the weekend. Last season the Bees were beaten 2-0 at Molineux and out of the ten away games they have played this season, the Bees have loss a worrying seven. There is that must win feeling about this game as three points could be massive to shifting performance and results in the right direction. Wolves are no easy opposition to brush aside and after a 4-2 win against Chelsea in their last game the Wolves will be hungry for more blood. So, Brentford must come hunting themselves an unite as a pack to start eating up the ground on those above them in the league table.
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